Getting Patients Walking and Home Faster

When the Patient Mobility team at the Richmond Medical Center consistently got patients out of bed and walking, not only did patients heal faster, their average length of stay dropped by a full day. That avoided huge costs for the small community hospital, and patients got to go home faster. “Mobility is a gift we give these patients,” says Christina Morgan, manager of the patient mobility unit.

Here's What Worked

• Starting with a truly small test of change: one shift on one day
• Creating a flow sheet to see how long it took for doctors’ orders on walking with patients to be met
• Standardizing a mobility protocol for all patients

What can your team do with a small test of change? What else could your team do to make Kaiser Permanente the best place to work and receive care?