Two tables of medications lay before us. The task was seemingly simple - separate the medications into individual packets to improve clinic flow in our pop-up rural outreach clinics.
On the white board emerged a list of medications and common doses. Sarah and Juan took the lead putting the list together, occasionally conferring with the rest of the team to fine tune doses depending on the condition and Honduran specifications.
We each spread out over two tables choosing the bottles we would separate. As we opened bottles of metformin, multivitamins, and metoprolol an array of colorful pills filled the tables. Each person developed a strategy for counting and bagging. Murmurs of counting were heard as mini rows of pills and assembly lines formed.
Our work flow was punctuated by laughter and the beats of Latin music. Perhaps the most efficient of our work crew were the youngest members - they didn't take breaks; they had the most discipline and focus; and a friendly competition fueled their productivity. Some team members designated themselves labelers - ensuring that labeled medication bags were readily available as pill sorters finished their batches.
As our mini bag supply ran low, a mini scavenger team deployed and found a box of pill bottles. The next challenge: labeling the bottles. But this challenge was easily defeated by team Eau de Deet. Post its, an extra batch of pens, and strategic placement of labels inside the pill bottles became the solution. To ensure equitable health literacy medication instructions were simplified. Each person found a role and willingly changed roles as dictated by the team's needs.
It's rare to find a team who works together naturally and seamlessly, finding solutions together, not letting unanticipated challenges derail their progress. There was no mandate to improve the quality of our work flow; rather we refined our process as we encountered challenges, always keeping in mind our end goal - to provide the best quality care to the people we would serve over the next week. As we closed the last of the boxes for transport the next morning I felt a combination of excitement and calm - this team was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.
- Tessa
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