| The Power of Lean Healthcare
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| | of business in mind. Hospitals need to
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| As healthcare costs increase at a faster
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| | know the businesses that drive 80% of
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| rate than other products or services,
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| | their value proposition. They need to
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| healthcare providers, in particular
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| | streamline their organization systems and
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| hospitals, are under continuous pressure
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| | processes to fully support the process
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| to dramatically improve service, reduce
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| | required to deliver high quality care.
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| costs, improve patient safety, reduce
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| | Commitment and support for any lean
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| waiting times, and reduce errors and
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| | initiative needs to not only come from
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| associated litigation.
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| | top healthcare management but, even more
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| However, hospitals are not making the
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| | critically, from the 'bottom up' for
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| necessary improvements in cost, quality,
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| | implementation. Decision making and
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| and safety. A report by the U.S. HHS
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| | system development need to be pushed down
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| Office of the Inspector General finds
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| | to the lowest levels of any healthcare
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| that 20% of consecutive inpatient stay
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| | organization.
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| sequences were associated with poor
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| | Management consultants are normally
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| quality care, unnecessary fragmentation
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| | engaged as Lean change agents rather than
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| of care, or both. The current
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| | as Lean facilitators. Healthcare staff
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| organization and management of hospitals
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| | should lead any Lean implementation
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| is an imperfect system that cannot
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| | program. These people are best equipped
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| effectively address these issues. Major
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| | to understand the work environment,
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| projects to restructure hospitals,
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| | issues, challenges, what will work and
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| dramatically reduce cost, and improve
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| | what won't. An empowered and
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| customer care have had little impact on
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| | knowledgeable team is therefore essential
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| quality or cost.
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| | to achieve sustainable improvements and
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| In simplistic terms, current healthcare
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| | long-term success in any Lean initiative.
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| systems are not designed to make the
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| | Put simply, Lean will not work without an
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| process or 'value stream' of care flow
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| | educated workforce.
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| smoothly. Healthcare services are often
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| | Examples of Lean Healthcare Performance
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| 'batch and queue', with patients spending
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| | Metricso Improved patient satisfactiono
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| most of their time waiting until the
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| | Increased operating room utilizationo
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| Healthcare Professional is ready i.e.
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| | Reduced time between procedureso Lower
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| push versus pull. As the population
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| | tools and supplies inventoryo Reduced
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| matures, patient cycle times in the
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| | laboratory spaceo Improved cost
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| hospitals, post-care facilities, and
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| | effectiveness
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| laboratories become key measurements that
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| | Lean Healthcare Accreditation
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| need to improve.
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| | A new Lean Healthcare Green Belt
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| Our belief is that Lean Healthcare can
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| | Certification program ( was recently
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| provide a solution to successfully
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| | developed to enable effective staff
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| address some of these concerns with
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| | empowerment.
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| minimal cost but maximum benefit.
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| | The on-line program represents the first
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| Lean in Healthcare
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| | International Healthcare Certification of
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| The essence of Lean Thinking is to
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| | its kind, and provides an essential
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| eliminate waste through understanding how
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| | 'first step' to not only understanding
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| the patient defines value and how to
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| | the theory but also the application of
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| deliver that value. Lean Thinking focuses
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| | Lean tools and practices through detailed
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| on creating an efficient, waste-free
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| | work assignments, in-line assessments,
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| continuous flow built on a pull vs.
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| | and final examination.
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| 'batch and queue' approach aligned with
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| | The program has been designed in
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| the continual pursuit of a perfect
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| | association with the Irish Institute of
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| system.
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| | Industrial Engineers, the Canadian
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| Examples of Healthcare Waste:o Redundant
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| | Professional Logistics Institute, Lean
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| capture of information on admissiono
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| | Experts, and Healthcare Consultants in
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| Multiple recording of patient
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| | conjunction with the Leading Edge Group.
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| informationo Excess supplies stored in
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| | It is open to personnel involved in any
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| multiple locationso Excess time spent
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| | organization within the healthcare field,
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| looking for chartso Patient waiting
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| | particularly those associated with
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| roomso Excess time spent waiting for
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| | hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, blood
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| equipment, lab results, x-rays etc.o
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| | banks, laboratories, and pharmacies. Once
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| Excess time spent dealing with service
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| | these people have the 'appropriate'
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| complaints
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| | knowledge, they will be able to envisage
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| Hospitals are made up of a series of
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| | and achieve results and, most
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| processes with diverse lines of business.
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| | importantly, meet the needs of patients
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| As a consequence, they need to build
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| | now and in the future.
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| their delivery systems with these lines
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