Thirty-five Airmen in the Air Force Continuous Process Improvement Senior Leader Course at Travis Air Force Base, got an inside look at Kaiser Permanente’s experience with implementing CPI, with a Jan. 12 visit to their Vacaville Medical Center.
Shiyama Clunie, Kaiser’s Napa-Solano public affairs director, and Dilenna Harris, the PA manager, welcomed the Airmen from Travis and Beale Air Force Bases, a group... of colonels and lieutenant colonels, chief and senior master sergeants from mission areas across both bases.
After a welcome by Clunie, Lt. Col. Wilfried Link, 349 Air Mobility Wing process manager, summarized the Air Force's CPI methodology, relating it, and the missions of the two bases, to the services Kaiser provides. Kaiser's Napa-Solano Director of Performance Improvement, Krysten Stepke, briefed the group on Kaiser's Process Improvement Methodology, sharing valuable insights on laying the foundation for process improvement and driving sustainability.
Andrea Campbell, Kaiser's Area Quality Director, followed with an example of a big-win recent process improvement, an effort involving patient recovery after surgery. Catherine Sabherwal, Continuum of Care Administrator, shared experiences in the areas of Change Management and Cultural Transformation. Brian Honeycutt, Support Services Administrator, closed the visit, relating challenges and successes in driving engagement in workplace safety.
The class members from both regular Air Force and the Reserve, were enthusiastic about the value they received from the visit. Seeing the results of current process improvements, conversing with senior leaders involved in change management, and hearing how leaders met cultural challenges -- all in a very successful non-profit organization outside the Department of Defense -- made the visit an excellent contribution to the course. “Many thanks to go Ms. Clunie, Ms. Harris, and Senior Vice President and Area Manager for Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano, Mr. Corwin Harper, for making the visit possible and doing such a great service to AF CPI at two northern California bases,” said Link.