Time to Huddle: Improving Team Morale and Productivity in a BMT Outpatient Clinic

Topic Significance & Study Purpose/Background/Rationale 

Collaborative team work and communication are vital components to achieving optimal patient satisfaction and outcomes.  In our busy BMT outpatient clinic, Medical Assistants (MAs) are an integral part of our multidisciplinary team and complete all initial patient screening, phlebotomy, and rooming for up to 100 patients per day.  Unfortunately, our MA employee satisfaction survey scores revealed a climate of distrust and a lack of teamwork.  In addition the average daily productivity rate was nine patients per blood drawing MA.

Methods, Intervention, & Analysis 

To address concerns, weekly MA huddles were instituted by the assistant nurse manager.  The initial goal of the huddle was team building, by providing appropriate face-to-face time and a safe place to share day-to-day issues.  The huddles allowed the MA team to identify areas of concern such as unbalanced workload, inconsistent work processes, deficient communication skills, and educational deficits.  Partnering with our Organizational Development team, MAs attended training and educational sessions on communication and teamwork.  They were cross-trained in both rooming and phlebotomy roles. 

Findings & Interpretation 

Over a six month period, MA productivity improved by 40%.  The MAs describe the huddle process as an opportunity to have a voice, improve communication, and bring up issues that need immediate attention.  They describe feeling empowered by cross-training and learning new roles/skills with a resulting improved understanding of all the MA roles and responsibilities.  Cross-training also simplified scheduling and leave coverage. 

Discussion & Implications 

Team huddles provided the vehicle the MAs needed to feel empowered to affect change, improve productivity, and ultimately enhance patient satisfaction.  Effective communication along with assisting to manage and control workflow can make a positive impact on a team.  The MAs are now ready to explore huddling with the extended health care team, to examine workflow processes, and to proudly display their work on a visibility wall.  By providing the MA team with a voice and new communication skill sets, our team is not only prepared for future employee satisfaction survey measurements, but are also positioned to impact the healthcare team and ultimately our patient satisfaction.