COVID-19 is testing partnership as never before.

Management and labor have had to work together quickly to retool the delivery system to support rapidly changing needs. Employees’ and physicians’ skills and talents are needed in new ways and in new places — so leaders from Kaiser Permanente and unions created labor pools to get KP employees to where they were needed.  

It’s one of dozens of innovations made to provide top-quality care at a time when every day is bringing new challenges. The swift work was possible in part because of the foundation provided by the relationships and values of the Labor Management Partnership.

In Southern California's Riverside service area, “It’s all-hands on deck,” says Jiji Abraham, area chief financial officer. “Even physicians are in the labor pool.”

As physician assistant Larry Rick, PA-C, made his rounds of the South Bay Medical Center one recent morning, staff stood at the hospital’s main entrance and screened members, patients, and employees for signs of cold- and flu-like symptoms. Like Kaiser Permanente facilities enterprise-wide, the Southern California hospital adopted the new procedure to protect patients and staff from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

A well-established approach is also helping: Frontline workers here say years of working collaboratively with managers as part of the Labor Management Partnership has better prepared them to fight the pandemic. The Partnership has saved money, improved care, and led to better service – and now will literally be saving more lives because frontline workers, managers, and physicians are working together.

An opportunity to speak up

“Partnership is a fantastic tool,” says Rick, a member of UNAC/UHCP, who has 34 years of experience fighting infectious diseases including H1N1, HIV, and sexually transmitted diseases to prevent the spread of HIV. “Every Kaiser Permanente senior leader has been responsive to our requests and has heard us. We’re working together and everybody is leaning in” to treat more patients now, while preparing for an expected surge. In response to unit-based team members’ concerns, for example, tape was placed in 6-foot intervals on pharmacy floors to help members and patients maintain social distancing while standing in line.

“We’re able to speak up as labor and help figure out the solution,” says Alejandra Navarro, a registered nurse in Maternal Child Health and a member of UNAC/UHCP.

Working in partnership together has also built trust between management and labor. That’s been key to maintaining open lines of communication now and helping counter misconceptions spread by social media, say frontline workers.

Education and support

“They’re educating us and giving us a lot of support,” said Lizz Burnett, a licensed vocational nurse in Geriatrics and a member of SEIU-UHW. “If I can help educate someone and they can tell their family, then maybe we can stop this.”

Tynikko Snyder, a registered nurse in Family Medicine at the Gardena Medical Offices, has 2 children with asthma and her mother suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She is worried about the impact of her work on her family. “I am afraid, but I know that I need to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done,” says Snyder, who is a member of UNAC/UHCP. Rick says that can-do spirit is needed to combat the spread of the disease: “If we all do our jobs, we will save lives.”

Kerene Hoilett always knew she wanted to work in health care — inspired by her grandmother, a nurse.

When she learned that nursing didn’t fit her, she forged her own path.

Hoilett joined Kaiser Permanente in 2007 as an ultrasound technologist in Georgia. Since then, she has completed a project management certificate, landed an internship and earned 2 college degrees on her way to becoming a diagnostic imaging quality consultant.

“I always have that drive to challenge myself,” Hoilett says. “How can I tap into my strengths more?”

To help employees and managers tap into their strengths, Kaiser Permanente has a new career paths tool.

The new tool at kpcareerplanning.org/paths is interactive and personalized to help you explore career options. Follow the prompts to fill out a profile and find opportunities that link your skills, interests and education to careers at Kaiser Permanente.

“Kaiser Permanente encourages career mobility,” says Monica Morris, director of National Workforce Planning and Development. “With career paths, we’re trying to show you all the different career opportunities and directions you could go in the organization.”

Partnership unions negotiated to include career paths in the 2005 National Agreement with Kaiser Permanente.

“The new career paths tool reinforces our commitment to supporting lifelong learning and career development,” says Jessica Butz, workforce development director with the Alliance of Health Care Unions. “Career paths are a fundamental piece to help give employees a road map for success.”

Pursuing opportunities

After Hoilett became lead ultrasonographer in 2013, her journey took a turn to pursue leadership opportunities.

As a United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) member, Hoilett talked with a Partnership union-supported career counselor from the Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust, leading her to a project management pilot program. A project management certificate and 6-month internship at the regional office followed. The trust paid her to work at the internship one day a week, while she worked her regular job 4 days a week.

Hoilett applied for open positions but was unsuccessful, so she reviewed her experience gap with her career counselor.

“She encouraged me. I knew one day I would get that opportunity, and she helped me to be confident,” Hoilett says. “I wasn’t left in the dark. The career counselor was able to light my path.”

Hoilett’s persistence paid off. In 2018, she earned her master’s degree in project management and became a diagnostic imaging quality consultant. She’s using her people, project and technical skills to improve productivity and performance for imaging techs.

She isn’t stopping there. She continues to increase her impact in her current role while exploring learning opportunities in organizational leadership. And she encourages colleagues to learn, take courses and grow their careers — just like her.

“Don’t be afraid,” Hoilett says. “If you keep going, you will be successful.”