Solving the dirty-dish puzzle at Garratt Wellness
What was once a concerning state of affairs is now a gleaming example of LEAN teamwork by staff at Garratt Wellness Centre.
Before — the Garratt Wellness Centre dishwasher and sink area.
As most people who work together and share a kitchen know, dirty dishes are always a problem. The situation was no different at Garratt Wellness Centre, a facility widely used for meetings and functions by VCH and health-related community groups.
“We had a normal, home-style dishwasher with a long cycle time and a single sink that was not adequate for washing and sanitizing dishes,” said Anne Swann, public health dietitian, Community & Family Health. “Because of this, groups using the centre would overfill the dishwasher before leaving and the next group or our staff would come in to a dishwasher filled with barely clean dishes.”
“This happened all the time,” echoed Jill Phillips, program assistant, Garratt Wellness Centre.
It takes teamwork
To ensure dishes were properly cleaned and sanitized to a high standard, Anne and Jill worked with Van Hang, environmental health officer, VCH Richmond, to identify best practice and determine the centre’s needs. They developed an A3 – LEAN terminology for a concise problem-solving report.
The “ideal state” included a request for capital funding to install a high power/high temperature 2.5-minute cycle commercial dishwasher, a hand-washing sink, and a two-compartment sink for cleaning and sanitizing.
After — the Garratt Wellness Centre dishwasher and sink area.
Ensuring community health
The equipment supports the health of the population who use Garratt Wellness Centre – from groups whose focus is on children to those who work with adults dealing with chronic illness. The funding application was approved by Diane Bissenden, director, Population & Family Health and the Richmond Capital Steering Committee.
The happy ending
“This story, and its characters, truly demonstrates how a problem can start with a simple A3 and develop momentum with collaboration, trust and a true health promotion advocacy lens,” said Chris Salgado, manager, Community & Family Health. “On behalf of all Garratt users, thank you to Anne, Jill and Diane!”