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Leaning Into Improvement

Group of 13 people standing together, one person holds an award.
A team from the Birmingham VA Health Care System earned recognition as a top four finalist at the 2026 National Improvement Conference. A ceremony was held to honor the achievement, where Birmingham VA Leadership presented the National Improvement Conference trophy to the team members.

By Jessie Box, Public Affairs Specialist

A team from the Birmingham VA Health Care System earned recognition as a top four finalist at the 2026 National Improvement Conference, showcasing innovation and commitment to Veteran care.

For the team behind the Provider to Patient Communication of Test Result Lean Black Belt project, this honor reflects months of dedicated effort and collaboration.

“It’s incredibly rewarding,” said Lora Griggs-Statham, Birmingham VA Health System Specialist and Project Facilitator. “Our team worked together using Lean tools and methodologies to strengthen our High Reliability Organization culture. This recognition affirms the value of that work.”

Grit and Determination

The initiative began with the challenge of ensuring Veterans receive timely communication about their test results. Under VHA Directive 1088, abnormal results must be shared within seven days and normal results within thirty. 

“Birmingham’s process lacked consistency for notifying patients of test results during off-hours and had no effective monitoring system,” said Griggs-Statham. “We were at risk of harming patient safety and trust.”

The team set ambitious goals:

  • Achieve 90% compliance with abnormal results within seven days.
  • Reduce open view alerts from 578,000 to 300,000.
  • Implement health factor tracking for notifications.

Meeting these goals requires grit and determination. The team identified root causes such as unrealistic escalation policies, lack of surrogate training, and outdated patient contact information. 

Through multiple Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, they implemented solutions:

  • Standardize escalation policy to three days.
  • Create health factor templates and dashboards for tracking.
  • Educate staff and improve kiosk processes for accurate contact information.

Great Results, Greater Impact

The impact was significant.

  • Compliance improved from 76% to more than 94%.
  • Open view alerts dropped from 578,000 to 158,000.
  • Health factor tracking soared from zero to 6,200 entries.
  • An estimated $2.5 million saved.

Beyond the numbers, the project changed lives. 

As of January 2026, more than 84,000 test results have been tracked using the new health factor, ensuring Veterans receive timely updates to make informed decisions about their care. 

Additionally, compliance has remained strong at 82%, open view alerts are steady at 159,000, and health factor usage continues at 5,000–6,000 entries monthly. 

A Reflection of Leadership and Culture

By providing resources, removing barriers, encouraging innovation, and welcoming change, Birmingham VA Leadership played a vital role in achieving success. 

“Dr. Andrew Sellers, Birmingham VA Chief of Staff and Team Champion, emphasized the importance of our work from the first meeting while Service Directors helped to drive solutions and raise awareness across the health system,” said Griggs-Statham. “This recognition reflects our culture; leadership supports innovation, supervisors encourage staff, and employees are empowered to make changes that benefit Veterans.”