NIATx E-News (November 5 2004)

5 November 2004

The Change Team

Volume 1, Issue 3

In This Issue

The Jackie Nitschke Center: Why They Can't Wait

When someone makes that crucial first call for help, providers should be prepared to engage them immediately in the treatment process. The Jackie Nitschke Center (JNC) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has been taking steps to do just that for its clients. Guided by the ideas and tools of NIATx, JNC has been working to reduce the average length of time between clients' initial contact with the agency and their first outpatient treatment session. [READ MORE]

Building a Change Team
Lunch Meetings at Sinnissippi

NIATx Presentations

Dec. 12-15, 2004
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) 16th Annual Forum
Orlando, Florida
MORE INFORMATION

Building a Change Team

A Change Team is a small group of employees appointed by the CEO to identify business process barriers and determine and implement rapid cycle changes designed to improve the process. The role of the change team in an addiction treatment agency is to coordinate and initiate improvement efforts to their organization's access and retention systems. [READ MORE]

Lunch Meetings at Sinnissippi

Sinnissippi Centers, Inc. of Dixon, Illinois realized that it was extremely difficult to hold meetings with their entire change team, which consisted of key administrators, clinicians, and admissions staff. To motivate attendance at the team meetings and encourage a creative environment, a team leader decided to schedule regular 1-hour team meetings over lunch at a nearby restaurant. This move brought all the key people together and got them out of the office for informal yet highly productive meetings. [READ MORE]