Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions
Patient Financial Services. Monisha Frye

Efficient printers can save departments thousands of dollars and reduce frustration for both employees and patients. Pictured is Monisha Frye of Patient Financial Services.

New Printers + No Jams = Happy Patients

Checking in patients is a full-time job at a busy clinic. When the printer jams, it spells long lines and frustration. A Patient Registration team had this problem. It cost the team about $12,000 a year in jammed paper waste and patients got frustrated. So team members began documenting their wasted paper, toner, and IT time. Within a week, their purchasing department authorized new multimedia printers. The results were immediate. Patient satisfaction when up and costs went down with a savings of $3,631 in four months.

Here's What Worked

  • Creating a "tick sheet" for staff to note how much paper and toner is wasted
  • Figuring how often IT is called and how many patients are affected
  • Getting authorization for newer and more efficient printers

What can your team do to build a business case for better equipment? What else could your team do to reduce wasted time and effort?

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