Customers

Keep utilizing teams, that represent a cross-section of the staff, to address specific projects and recognize that everyone's input is essential. All of our staff have areas of expertise. (Continual Quality Improvement is a good example of this). AHB employee survey  -

Thank you for including me and making me feel like a vital part of the process. - Central Intake Kaizen team member

(Quality Improvement) QI is fun! You get to learn so much about what other people do. - Kaizen event leader

I appreciate the different roles and Importance of a Kaizen facilitator (mediator, leader, change manager, cheerleader, follow-up manager). - Kaizen event leaders’ learnings

It was a wonderful experience. I was immersed in QI at a level I have never before experienced. A year ago I didn’t really understand QI—I was one of those staff who said yeah—I’m supportive improvements for quality—I think performance management is important—but I didn’t understand or even know about QI principles or tools. WOW!  Talk about a personal and professional transformation! - Project Leader

Thank you for an infusing challenge, excitement and thought-provocation into the last years of my work life. I had forgotten how uplifting this type of stimulation could be. I sometimes wonder if your project is one of the main reasons I didn’t retire sooner. No, I don’t wonder, I know. So, thank you for that. You not only took me back to my private sector days where open thinking, mutual respect, and mentoring are paramount, you helped me remember that I really do have a brain and can be a positive contributor. - Kaizen event Leader, upon retirement

This is not just about the Person in control, it is about all employees. - Kaizen event team member

The team had some really nice things to say about how I facilitated that meant a lot to me.  I felt a very strong team spirit and I think the others did too. - QI Leader post Kaizen event

I want all of you to know that it was a great experience. My mind raced with ideas and improvements for NC for days. In fact, the other night I found myself dreaming of wastes and woke up arguing the benefits of flow of single items vs. batching! - State Registrar during Kaizen

Part of why I support rapid process improvement is the remarkable relationships and understanding of other people’s work that you get from doing it. That can only make us better. It’s not a matter of them vs. us, it’s all of us together. - Public Health Director, during Kaizen report out

From: “We’ve never been asked our opinion before, we’re just told what to do”, “I have much more capability than people realize but feel looked down on because I’m just an operator”, “you’re just trying to get us to do more work”, “we expect when all this is done you will tell us we don’t have a job”.  To: “ In the end we got hugs from everyone, and they made comments like “it turned out right like you told us on Monday”, “sorry I was mean to you”, and “we’re sorry you are leaving”. “ We ended up receiving positive feedback from everyone.  Of course in one week it did not eliminate issues completely, but it was a powerful example of Kaizen’s ability to generate positive energy in people!” - 1 particular team

The Kaizen event made me realize how much I really would like to work more with kids, and how WIC is a great fit.  Without having been a part of the Kaizen event I probably wouldn’t even have considered transferring. - Kaizen team member

Could not have come at a better time; like our strategic goal - Kaizen team member

This Kaizen event was a roller coaster, after I got off I’m ready to do it again! - Kaizen team member

It is nice to see how proud people are and how they own these improvements and new process. - Kaizen facilitator

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“Thrilled we did it the way we did it.”   Vicky Kistler, AHB Dir regarding program of training all staff, 2 Kaizen events, Strategic planning, followed by annual planning. -

I couldn’t have done standardization without Kaizen. - Process Owner & Kaizen event participant

I have worked a couple of items with the team and we should see a much-improved process for the purchasing of office supplies over the coming months.  It will require some changes…which will benefit us greatly as we move forward.  The group is motivated and ready to make these changes so that everyone will benefit. - Supply Ordering Process Owner

What I like is the multiplier effect that this program proposes and am sure that it ties back to a Culture of Health by having these newly trained agents of change involved in their own public health community they serve, but also the broader public health community. - COO

I can say, for sure, that the kickoff week with you has the group going full force. I have not seen so much enthusiasm and energy with QI ever. Most of the projects are on track to be completed on time. - QI Leader regarding on-site Annual improvement plan creation, QI for Individual Contributor training, and project team plan development

Culture is created in part by empowering & expecting employees to go and do on their own with some check in. I knew this was the case but this week has helped me think through more concretely how to do this / what it will look like. - QI Leader regarding Improvement Planning

The large number of tools & established methods to organize the process and break it down into manageable…steps. - QI Leader regarding Improvement Planning

I see this working within our agency & very excited! This will truly help in reinforcing the QI Culture. - QI Leader regarding Improvement Planning

A more concrete idea of what a culture of QI really means and where to start in terms of implementation. - QI Leader regarding Improvement Planning

I am excited about the direction and definition that this will bring. No more arbitrary plans created by the directors. - QI Leader Planning training

“CQI learning and applying increased our ability to use data.”  AHB Dir -

Going right from learning into applying created immediate benefits and helped me further develop my skills.  AHB Continual Quality Improvement Leader -

"The Kaizen rippling effect."  – Helping the team successfully solve a  problem within 5 days creates many ripples – interest in replicating, interest in more Kaizen events, interest in more continual improvement.   AHB Continual Quality Improvement Leader -

Keep offering more Kaizen events where we work together to accomplish a goal. Having staff from all areas working together was great, and we got to know each other better, and got a lot done.  AHB employee survey  -

Kaizen events helped project teams adapt and be more effective contributors sooner than other team members.  AHB Continual Quality Improvement Leader -

It was a good experience – nice to see something that is a problem and actually fix it.  - Kaizen team member

I want to do this in my own area! - Kaizen team member

This is all laid out – I can now find out what we do. - Kaizen team member

This was incredible.  I am very impressed! - Kaizen team member

This was amazing, we actually have real products to show you!  - Kaizen team member

We’ve never had tools like this to help keep food safety on their minds. - Kaizen team member

You know I have said before I have not been a fan of Kaizen. After this week, I am changing my mind. - Kaizen team member

I could do this every day! - Accreditation Coordinator

What we did in the Kaizen event, in our program would have taken us a year to do. - WIC Director

This Kaizen event has taught me a better way to define a goal, look at a problem, and get to the bottom of a problem. - WIC Program Kaizen team member

This exceeded my expectations.  This has been amazing. I see us using this (Kaizen) is on so many things we do.  This Kaizen week has improved more than just enrollment. - PHD Administrator

Usually, we just plan; the best part of this (Kaizen) we did it too, we made the changes. - QI Leader

Detailed and intense but good, we exceeded our goals. - Kaizen team member

We decreased defective requests from 90% to 0 last month. - Kaizen facilitator during measure review the month following the event

We reduced our total employee labor time (Form completion to submission to State) from 415 to 225 minutes / Requisition - Requisition process Kaizen report out

We exceeded our goal through our Kaizen! - Kaizen team member regarding process cycle time reduction of 62% vs. targeted goal of 33%

Customer calls completed within one transfer went from 11% to 80%.  At the same time % of calls requiring >3 min to research and process calls improved from 30% to 15%. - Customer call management event report out

Nothing has ever happened this quickly in the department before. - regarding website changes within the event week

Going from current to future state blew my mind – you have to experience It. - Kaizen team member

Kaizen shocked us, we thought that we were going to spend a week to remove 10 minutes…instead, we identified how to remove 190 minutes. - Process Owner

“The new process went much more smoothly and was less stressful than a normal family planning clinic day. After today, working with the Go Nurse, I will actually be able to go home and interact with my family and be present with them.” – Nurse Practitioner   “This new process is improving moral.  We see that change is possible.” – Clerical Staff Member   “By processing Medicaid eligibility first thing, I was able to reduce staff time for clerical and increase billable time for myself.” – Social Worker -

(Working with Others communications skills) WWO was my best friend. - Kaizen event leader

Having structure makes it so much easier (having method not madness) - Regarding Kaizen process, Kaizen event leader

(It is) nice having facilitated educational tool and great facilitators/coaches. - Kaizen team member

Right away, easy to see how a process will benefit other functions. - Kaizen team member

Did not realize before the waste in our process (and the different components). - Kaizen team member

This hands-on Kaizen process training is way more valuable than a couple training dollars.   - Kaizen facilitator

If I hadn’t received all the Kaizen tools I’d be in trouble.  I’m using what you provided us in training a lot. - QI Leader, 4 months following Kaizen training sessions

This training and Kaizen preparations have put me out of my comfort zone and is now helping me gain confidence. - QI Leader during coaching telecoms