Unit Based Teams in a 2019 Top “Patient Safety Beat” Report

“Labor and management work together,” the Patient Safety Beat reports. SHARE Organizer Will Erickson explains, “The purpose of our partnership and unit-based teams and our union’s involvement in this improvement work is really to change our members’ everyday experience of being at work.”

SHARE’s partnership project with UMass Memorial Hospital was one of the top stories last year in Patient Safety Beat, published online by The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety. In December, the organization re-posted its “Top 5 Stories of 2019,” and included the piece about Unit Based Teams.

The article highlights that UBTs create opportunities for ongoing improvement at the front line, where employees can use their expertise to make meaningful change.

Cardiac Catheterization Technologist and SHARE member Sue Maddalena describes in the article that her UBT sought to improve communication. As in many hospital areas, their communication relied too heavily on email, in spite of the fact that the caregivers have little opportunity to access email during the workday. Now, a daily 10 minute huddle brings together the technologists, nurses, physicians, and other caregivers who will be involved in the day’s procedures.

Doug Brown, President of UMass Memorial Community Hospitals, and Chief Administrative Officer for the hospital system, says frontline staff need to help lead the necessary improvements in their departments. “They know much more than I do about how to improve their work and deliver great care to the patients,” he tells The Patient Safety Beat, “how to provide really safe care and how to avoid injuries.”

You can read the piece online here.

Antepartum Ultrasound Kaizen Event

A Kaizen Event is a coordinated session designed to make some type of improvement over a set period of time.

The work of our hospital’s obstetrics areas is obviously critical and meaningful. One member of the Antepartum Ultrasound department recently noted that a thing she particularly loves about her work is “when moms bring the babies back to us who weren’t expected to survive.”

When it comes to improving, SHARE members there see that there’s no better time than the present. Staff have long worked in Antepartum Ultrasound with concerns that have kept the department from being the best place to get and give care. A recent Kaizen Event provided a space to be heard and plan workflow improvements. 

Sub-groups during the Kaizen Event brought together a mix of roles and got everyone talking. Together, they identified eight areas of opportunity and potential solutions in these categories:  

SHARE members said that they thought the event was motivational: they were glad to be involved and listened to.

• Staffing & lunches 

• Operational issues 

• Bottlenecks 

• Access 

• Protocols 

• Leadership & communication 

• Standards of respect 

• And a broader category of miscellaneous opportunities to keep track of space issues, learning, etc.  

Although the proof will—as the saying goes—be in the pudding, SHARE members like Sandy Buoniconti and Trina Ratchman see this as a first step they can be optimistic about. We’re rooting for them, and looking forward to continuing to connect them with resources to help them be even better able to do work that makes a difference.

The Kaizen Event brought together High-Risk Obstetric Ultrasound Technologists with physicians and ASR’s in the Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine. Together they met with Jonna Dube, the Senior Director of Ambulatory Services newly designated to lead the area; Department Manager Lynne Stewart; SHARE Organizer Bobbi-Jo Lewis; and SHARE Process Improvement Coach Marie Manna. The Event was facilitated by SHARE organizer Will Erickson.

Introducing Four New Unit Based Teams

The Respiratory Therapy UBT brings together members from both the Memorial and University campuses

Recently, twenty-one SHARE members and management leaders representing four departments attended a training on how to launch the next wave of Unit Based Teams (UBTs). As UBTs, they will tackle the tough challenges in their departments – the “big boulders,” as UBT Coach and SHARE organizer Will Erickson puts it—that get in the way of doing work to be proud of.  

The next four Unit Based Teams will be in these SHARE departments: 

The new Neurodiagnostic Unit UBT leaders

• Respiratory Therapy 

• Single Billing Office 

• Neurodiagnostic Lab

• Nursing Operations 

Another eight UBTs are expected to launch in January, bringing the total number to 25.  

Know Your Department’s Severe Weather Policy

With the coming snow, SHARE Reps have begun having conversations again about the severe weather policy that SHARE negotiated with hospital management.

The full policy is posted below. The shortest summary is probably this: "All employees are expected to report to work, unless the severe weather plan in their department allows them to stay home." If you do not know if there’s a department-specific plan for your area, you should check with your supervisor or manager.

Please take good care when making decisions about traveling in extreme weather. Also, please contact the SHARE office (508-929-4020) if you have questions, or would like help developing or revising a plan in your own department.

Severe Weather

UMass Memorial is an essential community service and as such will continue its operations without regard to weather conditions. However, UMass Memorial and SHARE recognize that severe weather conditions can interfere with the ability of employees to come to work, and agree to the following:

Staffing plans

The CNO, CMO, Hospital President and Vice-Presidents are responsible for developing a fair and equitable staffing plan to ensure continued essential services, and for informing employees of staffing and attendance requirements.

In order for employees to know what their responsibilities are in the case of severe weather, departments are encouraged to develop plans for their areas within the framework of the hospital plan described above. Employees are encouraged to participate in the development of the plan for their department. Department severe weather plans could include: what staffing level is required in the case of severe weather (such as full staffing, skeletal staffing, or no staffing necessary); how employees will find out if they are required to be at work that day, who to call and how to reach them; and whether there is a difference in their department between the plan for severe weather and the plan for a declared state of emergency. Department managers should review the severe weather plan for their department with all employees annually before winter weather begins.

All employees are expected to report to work, unless the severe weather plan in their department allows them to stay home.

Staying at work

Employees who are working during severe weather conditions are expected to work through the end of their assigned work shift unless they are excused earlier. In extreme situations, employees may be required to work beyond the end of their normal scheduled work shift if the manager determines it necessary to meet patient care and operational needs. SHARE overtime rules will apply.

Department closing, early dismissal
If a department is closed for all or part of the day due to severe weather, employees may go home (see pay for missed hours) or choose to report to/remain at work. The hospital may assign people who stay at work to perform different functions than their normal job. For a work assignment in an area other than your own, page the nursing supervisor/bed management: for the University campus, pager #2044; for the Memorial campus (on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays) pager #3318.

Grace period for late arrivals
The office of the CEO or his/her designee may establish a paid grace period for arriving late to work. The length of the grace period will be based on the severity of the weather conditions.

Pay for missed hours

Other than late arrivals covered by an established grace period, employees who miss all or part of their work shift may use earned, vacation or personal time, or choose to go unpaid for the hours they missed. When appropriate, an employee may make up the time that week, by mutual consent between the employee and the supervisor. Made up hours will be paid at straight time unless weekly hours total more than 40.

Excused and unexcused absences
If an employee does not work because the department is closed, or because they are not required to come to work, it will be considered an excused absence. Late arrivals covered by an established grace period will be considered an excused absence. Other absences from work on a severe weather day will be considered unexcused.

Transportation

When severe weather makes travel unsafe, or in a state of emergency, transportation assistance may be available. Requests for assistance should be directed to the nursing supervisor/bed management: for the University campus, pager #2044; for the Memorial campus (on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays) pager #3318. When necessary, communication with external bodies such as the National Guard and ambulance carriers will be coordinated through these offices.

2020 SHARE Dues Rates Announced

AFSCME, SHARE’s parent union, has announced dues rates increases for the upcoming year. The 2020 regular weekly dues rate for SHARE members will be $9.42. That is an increase of twenty-five cents per paycheck, or a little more than ½ cent per hour. For members working 20 hours/week, the 2020 weekly rate will be $7.05. The new rates will be reflected in the January 9 paycheck.

WHY SHOULD I PAY DUES?

Dues are an investment that SHARE members make in themselves and their coworkers. Without a union, employees have very little leverage to make change, or even to hold onto what they have.

SHARE members want respect for the work that they do, fair treatment, opportunities for advancement, and good raises so that they can take care of themselves and their families. SHARE gives employees a voice in various ways:

• In contract negotiations, we have a voice in our pay, benefits and work policies.

• In union meetings and individual conversations, we have a voice in the direction and priorities of the union

• Through the problem-solving process, we have a voice when individual problems/conflicts come up at work

• In union elections, we have a voice in who our representatives will be

• Through committees, Unit Based Teams, and ad-hoc negotiations, we have a voice in issues that face groups of SHARE members

When it comes down to dollars and cents, dues pay for themselves. SHARE has consistently negotiated raises each year that our union has existed, over 22 years. Those increases have resulted in notably better pay rates than non-union counterparts. Among other things, our hospital also continues to contribute to the Defined Benefit Pension plan of all SHARE members, as well as continuing to pay 85% of Health Insurance costs.

Working together through the union, SHARE members can continue to make progress in all these areas. And dues support the staff who support this work.

HOW ARE DUES CALCULATED?

Any annual increase is calculated by the AFSCME International office based on the average percent increase of AFSCME members’ pay rates across the country in the previous year.

WHERE DO MY DUES GO?

The short answer is that dues mostly pays for SHARE staff.

The longer answer is that SHARE members at UMass Memorial pool their dues money with members of three other unions locals: SHARE at UMass Medical School, HUCTW at Harvard University, and USW at Cambridge Health Alliance. The four union locals together are called the New England Organizing Project (NEOP). All their dues together pay for the union staff for all the locals, union offices, phones and utilities, mailings, etc. About 75% of the budget is for staff.

The staff spend their time gathering information and opinions from members, sharing information with members, developing and supporting SHARE Reps, helping members with questions or problems, negotiating contracts, organizing events, researching issues, writing blog posts, etc., all on behalf of SHARE members.

MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to know more, please talk to a SHARE Rep, email share.comment@theshareunion.org, or call 508-929-4020. You can also learn more about what our union does, and the benefits of union membership, by exploring www.sharehospitalunion.org.

Union Benefits and Your AFSCME ID Card

Keep track of your AFSCME Member Number to take advantage!

Some SHARE members have recently been asking about the AFSCME union ID card they received in the mail. Why did I get this? you might wonder. What is it good for?

AFSCME is SHARE’s parent union. (SHARE is also known as AFSCME Local 3900.) And, your Union membership comes with perks. Nationwide, AFSCME represents over a million members. That creates a lot of leverage in negotiating deals on things like:

• Free college degree programs for members

• Savings on prescriptions

• Concert and sporting events 

• Hardship help

And many, many other good things. Visit the Union Plus website to explore what’s available. For many of those deals and services, you’ll need to provide your union local number, and your personal union member number, which are both printed on the card.

If you don’t have a membership card and need your membership number, please contact the SHARE office (508-929-4020). We’ll be happy to help you track that down.

Our union takes a very grassroots approach. We’re focused on the issues in our hospital, on working so that SHARE members can always be moving forward financially, and on continually strengthening our community so that we can all do work that we’re proud of. But going out for a cheaper meal can be pretty nice, too.

ICYMI: Raise Time Is Time to Evaluate Your Retirement Strategy

In Case You Missed It!

And, because it’s a good annual reminder, we’re re-printing the article below, which originally appeared on the old SHARE blog. The world’s a little bit different now than it was when this originally appeared. Jay Hagan is now the SHARE Union Co-President on the Memorial Campus, for one thing. But his financial advisor’s tip is still relevant, and so are the facts and resources listed here. And at the end of this re-print, we’ve added a few extra useful tidbits.

***

Original post: September 23, 2015

With the SHARE raise coming in October, this is a good time to think about starting or increasing your 401K deduction. Some folks choose this time to increase their contribution because they say they won't miss the money as much if the deduction starts at the same time as the raise.

While all SHARE members automatically accrue toward retirement through the Defined Benefit Pension, the UMass Memorial 401k plan allows you to save for retirement, pre-tax, with UMass Memorial contributing too. If you’ve been to a SHARE Retirement Training, you know that experts retirement say we should think of a solid retirement income as a three-legged stool, with the pension serving as one leg, Social Security as a second leg, and your total savings functioning as the third leg.

Though the coming raise is designed to grow your income ahead of inflation, lots of people need that raise to live on. Deciding the save money with the 401K is a tough choice for many SHARE members. The younger you start, the less you have to take out of your check each week to reach your goals.

Memorial CT Technologist and SHARE Executive Board Member Jay Hagan has served as a member of the SHARE team that has negotiated with management about the current retirement benefits. “I think a lot of SHARE members don’t realize they’re leaving money on the table if they don't save through the 401k,” he says. “My financial advisor tells me, 'if you can afford it, the employer-match is really free money.' You could think of it as the hospital paying you to participate. If you don't use the match, it's like giving the money back.”

UMass Memorial adds $.25 for each dollar you contribute to your 401k, matching up to 1% of your pay. The importance of investment savings increases in 2017, when the hospital will phase-in changes to the pension accrual rate. At that point, the UMMHC match is scheduled to increase to $.50, and up to 2% of your pay.

If you have questions about SHARE’s negotiated retirement benefits, please contact the SHARE office. If you have questions about your own 401k, contact Fidelity Investments at 800-343-0860, or log on to your Fidelity account at www.fidelity.com/atwork.

***

It’s always easy to find other ways to spend your money, but be sure to show some compassion to your future self, too. That person will be grateful that the “current you” took advantage of the employer’s match, and socked away some money for yourself in your 401k. Check out these resources . . .

• This article explains the value of compound interest, and why investing now gives you so much more than investing later.

• Fidelity NetBenefits provides this individualized investment calculator that can help you understand just how different contribution amounts affect your long-term investments.

• So many decisions! Seem like too much? Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale University tackles the subject of “decision fatigue” in episode 8 of her podcast, The Happiness Lab. (She talks about the subject of 401k’s around minute 14 of the broadcast.)

• And it may seem silly to literally imagine your future self, but that can actually be useful to your financial health, according to this report.

Mass AFL-CIO Scholarship for High School Seniors

Money to go to college? Indeed.

SHARE is happy to announce that the Annual AFL-CIO Scholarship and Labor Education Program, now in its 62nd year, is currently accepting applications for the 2020 school year. Dependents of SHARE members are eligible for this award.

Through the program, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and affiliated unions are proud to award financial resources to high school students pursuing trade union programs or college/university study. ­The Massachusetts AFL-CIO administers half a million dollars of scholarship awards on behalf of unions and labor councils throughout the state. Individual awards range from $500 to $16,000.

Applications to the program are due by 5pm on December 20. Applicants will be required to take a Labor History exam. Full details about the Scholarship and Labor Education program can be found on the Mass AFL-CIO Website.

Applicants please note that the “Local Number” of our union, SHARE at UMass Memorial Hospital, is AFSCME 3900.

SHARE members interested in educational opportunities should also be sure to check out the AFSCME Free College Benefit, and the Union Plus Scholarships Program.

Anticoagulation Clinic Receives Josie King Award

We are very happy to let you know that the UMass Memorial Anticoagulation Team was awarded the Josie King Hero Award. The Award is given to those who work hard to create a culture of Patient Safety by listening to the patients and their families, encouraging them to speak up and ask questions, quickly catching and correcting potential hazards, and improving team work.

On February 22, 2001, eighteen-month old Josie King died from medical errors. Over 250,000 people die every year from medical errors, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States. The Josie King Foundation’s mission is to prevent others from dying or being harmed by medical errors. By uniting healthcare providers and consumers, and funding innovative safety programs, we hope to create a culture of patient safety, together.

Congratulations Anticoagulation Team! This is a wonderful honor, and we’re very happy to see your important work recognized.

Congratulations to all of the SHARE members and their colleagues in UMass Memorial’s Anticoagulation Team!

Welcome to the Newest SHARE Blog

Hi SHARE members!

Welcome to the latest version of the SHARE blog. As the technology has improved and our union grown, integrating our blog more directly with the SHARE-Hospital site will make it easier to keep you up-to-date about our union, our hospital, and other relevant happenings.

There’s still lots of valuable information on the previous version of the SHARE blog. We’ll continue to incorporate that information into our main website, revisit those ideas when it’s timely on the new blog, and maintain the former blog as an archive, in case you’d like to open up that time capsule.

If there are particular questions or ideas that you’d like to see addressed on the SHARE blog, let us know! Thank you as always for staying informed and connected to keep our union strong.