Team Effort Speeds Up Patient Wait Times

Hanging in the waiting room is near the bottom of the patient's wish list, so the internal medicine team at the Hidden Lake Medical Office looked to reduce wait times. Instead of making patients wait for a licensed practical nurse to take their vitals, they had medical assistants chip in. The team also huddled twice each day to figure out assignments and patient needs, and rethought the division of labor. They cut patient wait times from 19 minutes to 11.

Here's What Worked

• Having medical assistants take vitals instead of waiting for LPNs
• Huddling twice daily to discuss needs and concerns
• Dividing labor and shifting schedules where necessary

 What can your team do to huddle more often and more effectively?