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MHA 505 University of Phoenix Gemba Walk Paper

Content type

User Generated

Subject

Health & Medical

School

University of Phoenix

Course

MHA 505

Type

Discussion

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Introduction

Atlantic Women’s Cancer Associates is a Gynecologic Oncology practice within Atlantic

Health System. The practice is located within Morristown Medical Center and services women who

have been diagnosed or suspected of having Uterine Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, or Cervical Cancer.

The practice not only services oncology, but also sees patients that may have an abnormal pap

smear, fibroids, ovarian cysts, or Endometriosis.

This year’s goal is all about patient experience and what we could do to improve it. There

have been patient complaints about front desk staff and the timeliness of when their images are

approved by insurance companies. I have decided to do a Gemba walk and see what improvements

the office could benefit from and best ways to improve patient satisfaction.

Gemba Walk

Gemba comes from a Japanese word that means “the real place”. This means that to see

where change needs to happen, you need to go to the area where the work is taking place. In my

case, I will need to work with the front desk and see what customer service areas we could improve

on as well as see what the process is for approving imaging authorizations.

Where

In my walk through I visited the front desk to see what the check in and check out

process was. I also observed how phones were being answered and taken care of. After the front

desk, I walked to the authorization station to observe. I watched how the orders were getting to the

prior-auth person and how she handled getting authorization and contacting the patient.

Who

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On my walk, I sat with the Front Desk personnel to observe their work. I also observed

how the CMAs interacted with patients when they were called into rooms. I then sat with the

Authorization coordinator to observe her workflow.

When

I made sure to do this walk throughout the day. It was important to capture how

workflow was during different times of day. …Good Idea…. I made sure to sit with the front desk

and observe the CMAs for one whole day. I sat with the Authorization Coordinator for three days to

ensure I was able to observe her workflow during the entire authorization process.

What

I learned that there are some inconsistencies on how everyone does things. The front desk

answers the phones differently and do not always state their name or department. During check-in

everyone seems to be doing the same thing, but on check-out not everyone is giving the proper

paperwork to patients. Front desk and CMAs are not informing patients about wait times. I noticed

that authorizations are sometimes missed when CMAs or physicians do not give the orders to the

Coordinator. She does not keep patients informed about the status of their authorizations, especially

when they go into clinical review.

What Did You Learn?

During my Gamba walk, I learned that there are some inefficiencies in the office. I will

sit with team members and discuss the inconsistencies so that they are aware these are small issues

that we need to work on. I will allow the team to be part of the changes we make in the office, so

they feel they are part of the change and their ideas are heard. Together the team and I will come up

with better processes for the office, to ensure patient satisfaction.

Conclusion

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Introduction Atlantic Women’s Cancer Associates is a Gynecologic Oncology practice within Atlantic Health System. The practice is located within Morristown Medical Center and services women who have been diagnosed or suspected of having Uterine Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, or Cervical Cancer. The practice not only services oncology, but also sees patients that may have an abnormal pap smear, fibroids, ovarian cysts, or Endometriosis. This year’s goal is all about patient experience and what we could do to improve it. There have been patient complaints about front desk staff and the timeliness of when their images are approved by insurance companies. I have decided to do a Gemba walk and see what improvements the office could benefit from and best ways to improve patient satisfaction. Gemba Walk Gemba comes from a Japanese word that means “the real place”. This means that to see where ...
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Tags: Health Care Environments Gynecologic Oncology practice Atlantic Health System Uterine Cancer Ovarian Cancer