First Ever SHARE UBT Fair a Fantastic Success!

The first ever SHARE UBT Fair is one for the books: a brilliant event showcasing projects completed by twenty-three different teams.

Over 600 caregivers in our hospital community came to check out SHARE members’ successes and learn ways to make work better in their own departments.

SHARE members discovered models for improving systems where they work. For example, the Neurodiagnostic Clinic developed a career ladder for staff there to grow and advance in their career, right in their own department. Seen above are NDC Co-Leads Don Chin and Zenel Kurtishaj.

Projects are designed to make the work better in a department . . . but often the results can be felt downstream, making things better for other caregivers as well.

Michelle Locke (above right), management co-lead of the UBT in the Single Billing Office, appreciated the project co-lead by SHARE member Wanda Dyer of the Outpatient Psychiatry Lean Team (above left). Maximizing co-pay collections at the time of service reduces the amount of follow-up work required down the line.

Representatives from the United States Department of Labor made the trip to see just what was going on here. Labor-Management Partnership Coordinators Darnice Marsh (above, far left) and Andrew Hasty (above, far right) are among those in federal leadership working to understand ways that Labor-Management partnerships like our own can serve as a model for broader improvements.

SHARE organizer Janet Wilder (standing on chair) and UMass Memorial Medical Center President Michael Gustafson (left) applauded the work of the Teams. Janet said that, during our union’s twenty-five year history, changing how it feels to come to work every day has been one of the toughest nuts for SHARE to crack . . . but UBTs have begun to do just that, and that we’re going to keep working to keep things getting better.

Incidentally, if you’ve ever been to a SHARE event before, you know that there had to be singing. This time, “The Locomotion” and “Hotel California” became victims to SHARE’s parody lyrics team.

UMass Memorial CEO Eric Dickson offered a video message of support for Unit Based Teams, citing his own belief that people closest to the work have the best ideas about how to make things better.

Dr. Dickson says that over the past ten years, the hospital system has implemented over 100 thousand frontline staff ideas, and affirms that “without reservation, the huddles that I’ve attended that are a part of the SHARE UBTs are the best in the healthcare system.”

Watch Dr. Dickson’s brief message by clicking the image above.

Everyone who came to the event was a winner, of course, but only one person could go home with the Signature SHARE Chocolate Raffle Basket. Congratulations to Nuclear Medicine Technologist (and SHARE member) Maria Nolan!

Learn more about UBTs at

www.sharehospitalunion.org/unit-based-teams

or contact

The SHARE-UMass Memorial Partnership Office


More scenes of partnership can be found online in the growing Partnership Gallery . . .