The Real Meaning of Lean Six Sigma

The true test of any improvement methodology or change effort is the extent to which the roll out is embraced by staff and transforms the feeling and work of your facility.  If our experience is any guide, employees want to feel like they are part of the solution and the principles of LSS have proven highly effective at harnessing staff commitment, while rapidly driving the kind of change that most…

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Eliminating the “Fix-it Factory”

Many studies show that all organizations operate with from 25-50% of their activity dedicated to fixing mistakes created by other parts of the organization.   This is what is called the “Fix-it Factory” in Lean literature and it represents a total waste of time and money. Health care is no different and many non-safety critical processes run at the high end of this range.  It is discouraging to see so many…

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What is Value, really?

The term “value” is thrown around a lot in healthcare these days, as organizations adapt their care and business processes to new reimbursement models.   But Value (note the capital ‘V’) is far more than a criteria for maximizing reimbursement and is truly the underpinning of your competitiveness and long-term viability.  Below I will illustrate with a personal example that came to mind this morning and relate it to what your…

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Teenagers Outperform Corporations in Decision-making

Did you know teenagers outperform corporations in decision-making?  A study found that 30% of teenagers consider more than one option, while only 29% of corporations considered more than one option when making decisions.  Which of the two statements below applies to teenagers and which applies to corporations? Less than 30% of decisions were effective 83% of decisions lost money They both sound like my teenagers, but both apply to corporations!…

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Recruitment of Qualified Nursing Staff and Lean Six Sigma

One of my rural hospital contacts recently identified “recruitment of qualified nursing staff” as a major issue in his/her hospital.  You may share this concern —a study from 2008 by Deana Molinari and Maria Monserud states CAHs identify “filling nurse vacancies as their number one concern” (http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=1055).  The study went on to identify attributes to CAH nurse recruitment.  If you are running a CAH, this study is worth reading.  …

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