Stories

Regaining control: Shannon Cazinha (left), UBT development consultant, worked with management co-lead Linh Chau (center) and union co-lead Fairy Mills (right) to help their Northwest pharmacy team make improvements that gave members more control over their work.

To truly reduce workplace stress and burnout, workers must have the power to make changes that improve their departments, says Ron Ruggiero, president of SEIU Local 105 in Colorado.

Wendy Watson manages stress through vigorous exercise. 

The Woodland Hills Intensive Care Unit has built a speak up culture with interdisciplinary rounds on patients. As a result, the team has high morale, low turnover—and its patients suffer fewer hospital-acquired infections.

UBT members stepped up to address staff concerns and keep morale high following the adoption of a new approach to caring for total joint patients.

Southern California physicians Rebecca Deans, Osbourne Blake and Resa Caivano (left to right) are part of a project to aid patients with sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects African-Americans. 

Brandon Johnson, a Kaiser Permanente member, gives Shirley Brown, RN, a member of UNAC/UHCP, a grateful hug. 

A diverse staff (like this team from the perioperative department at the Ontario Medical Center in Southern California) serving a diverse membership is a point of pride and strength for Kaiser Permanente. 

Anthony Frizzell, mental health assistant and member of OPEIU Local 2 says, "It is imperative that we relate to the patient in the way the patient wishes." 

Southern California's Biohazards band, extending partnership tools into music-making. 

By borrowing a successful practice from Los Angeles Medical Center, South Bay Medical Center's Orthopedics/Podiatry Team increased its copay collection and improved the member care experience.