Team Huddles: Not Just for Football

As you’re watching your favorite football team play this season, take a moment to recognize how important huddles are to winning a game. When it comes to efficiency and teamwork, football players offer VA employees a valuable lesson: A quick huddle can ensure everyone is on the same page.

At the VA North Platte Outpatient Clinic (pictured) daily morning huddles include all clinic staff members and focus on reviewing the day’s schedule. It’s a time when the team can meet together and accomplish a lot in a short period of time.

Barbara J. Wenz, Nurse Manager at the clinic where this team approach is utilized explains, “The morning huddle takes no more than 3-4 minutes. All schedules are reviewed. It is clarified who is very booked, who may have more room in their schedule and who is on the road seeing patients, etc. As a result of this huddle, there is widespread knowledge of clinic capacity that day. This assists all members of the team to be aware of what capabilities there are.  Also, providers are very cooperative about seeing each other’s patients as needed.”

Team meetings are important no matter what industry you’re in, but it’s especially vital in health care, where members of a care team are providing different aspects of care to a patient throughout the day. For VA employees, being on the same page is critical, and can make all the difference in improving both the access to, and quality of care that a Veteran receives.