| There's a lot of excitement today in the health care | | | | These participants were more than willing to listen and |
| field about the benefits that Lean practice can bring. | | | | learn about something new that could make patient |
| This is especially critical in an environment where | | | | care even better in a world of shrinking resources.The |
| patient care needs are climbing while the pool of skilled | | | | passion we saw in how they dealt with patients |
| resources and reimbursement for services shrink. Lean | | | | transferred to the application of Lean in the same way |
| Advisors Inc. is working in the healthcare industry to | | | | they approached every other aspect of their jobs. |
| help them implement Lean in order to be able to do | | | | They used what they learned as they learned it and |
| more with less while doing it better. The key is to apply | | | | quickly became totally committed to Lean. Our |
| Lean methods in an environment driven by the unique | | | | challenge was, and is, keeping them on Plan and |
| values that surround patient care.As in other industries, | | | | completing their projects in the correct order so as not |
| the customer should come first. In healthcare that | | | | to create 'exciting chaos', all too easy under the |
| customer is the patient and the patient drives the | | | | pressures of day-to-day emergencies and deadlines. |
| definition of value. The product (test results in the | | | | 'Exciting Chaos' happens when you apply tools in the |
| laboratory) or service (patient care) can make the | | | | wrong sequence and fail to improve the system as a |
| difference between life and death. That one element | | | | whole. Incremental or 'point' improvements are, as we |
| takes Lean to another level of importance in this | | | | know, a recipe for disaster.In healthcare, cost |
| industry.The needs of the patient are paramount and | | | | containment can be critical, but patient quality, care, and |
| give new meaning to Lean focus on the customer. | | | | service have to be a priority. The industry faces |
| The working environment is one driven by shared | | | | growing financial constraints. The number of patients is |
| values and passion in delivering top quality products | | | | dramatically increasing and the cost of the improved |
| and services to the patient. Without Lean, healthcare | | | | technology is rapidly going up. Administrators of |
| will continue to have difficulty meeting the pressure to | | | | facilities are being asked to accomplish much more |
| serve an increasing number of individuals at less | | | | with less and less. Lean methods are critical in bringing |
| cost.As the population ages, healthcare must find new | | | | needed cost savings.What we often see in health |
| ways to meet the demand for their services. | | | | care are the same short-term, knee-jerk responses to |
| Turnaround time becomes a primary measurement | | | | reduce costs that we have seen in the traditional |
| that must improve whether it is in the hospital facilities | | | | industries such as manufacturing. There is an |
| or their testing laboratories. Further, space is at a critical | | | | immediate impulse to cut assets and labor resources. |
| premium in running all the functions within a hospital | | | | While these shortsighted responses may allow them |
| facility. Only Lean can provide a solution to space | | | | to meet an annual budget, they certainly don't create |
| issues without either downsizing staff or incurring large | | | | better service or long-term solutions. |
| scale capital building costs.Lean PrinciplesOf course, all | | | | Lean ResultsLean doesn't focus on cutting people or |
| of these improvements can't compromise the quality - | | | | assets; it focuses on improving activities and |
| in fact, the quality must improve while working to serve | | | | processes in the system as a whole. In order for any |
| patients faster. This is the real challenge - and, as | | | | business or organization to get better, they must learn |
| noted, it can be a matter of life and death.The Lean | | | | how to remove the 'waste' in their system and create |
| principles of customer focus, speed of delivery, | | | | value without adding staff or resorting to large capital |
| increased quality, and flexibility in meeting | | | | outlays.When done properly, Lean removes 'wasteful' |
| ever-changing demands fits 'perfectly'. Hospital and | | | | activities and allows the professionals and staff of |
| technical laboratory professionals are surprised to see | | | | hospitals, labs, and clinics to focus on more patient |
| similarities with other industries when they sit down and | | | | value-based activities. The result is doing more with |
| look at the benefits of applying Lean methods in their | | | | less - more people can be assisted with the same |
| environment. Once they have the 'right' Lean | | | | number of people, the same (or less) space, and |
| knowledge, and know how to apply the tools properly, | | | | reduced costs of providing services. Lean methods |
| they are able to see that Lean implementation is | | | | are indeed the answer to the challenges facing |
| imperative in order to meet the needs of patients in | | | | healthcare organizations and their staff.The Clinic we |
| coming years.Lean Advisors Inc. has recently begun | | | | talked about in this document has proven that it can be |
| work with the laboratory service division of a | | | | done. They are now expanding it to all their labs. They |
| world-renowned Clinic. We have seen the power of | | | | are engaging their physicians, administrators, scientists, |
| adapting Lean to the health care environment and its | | | | lab professionals, and technicians. The people in this |
| values driven processes. The results in only a couple | | | | Clinic are pioneers and have paved the way for others |
| of months have been phenomenal. They have been | | | | in healthcare to follow. They have proven that with a |
| able to reduce lead times so Doctors can receive | | | | passion driven by patient-focused values, the 'right' |
| critical test information even more quickly than the | | | | knowledge, and a proper plan, the tremendous |
| organization's previous world leading delivery pace. | | | | challenge facing them can be more than met today |
| These health care professionals accomplished this | | | | and well into the future.Larry Coté is well known |
| without adding more staff and without any large capital | | | | for his penetrating analysis and creative energy. He |
| outlay or increase in space. The impact has been | | | | was with the Lean Enterprise Institute in Boston for |
| immediate and patients are being serviced faster and | | | | almost two years as C.O.O./E.V.P. He was the |
| better. And there is every indication that the change is | | | | Founder and President of the Lean Enterprise Institute |
| sustainable over the long term.You need passion for | | | | Canada.Over the years, Larry has worked with 100's |
| improvement to be successful when transforming your | | | | of companies at various stages of their Lean journey |
| organization to a Lean Enterprise. Dedicated | | | | in many different business sectors. Larry has expertise |
| healthcare staff has plenty of that passion and this | | | | in Toyota Production System concepts, diagnostics |
| facility was no exception. They are passionate about | | | | and assessment of Lean readiness. He works with the |
| their work and they, more than anyone, know the | | | | corporate leaders to develop effective plans for |
| importance of speed and quality in meeting patient's | | | | transforming organizations using Lean and adapting it |
| needs. The missing ingredient was learning the 'right' | | | | to their particular culture.Larry Cote |
| way that Lean could be applied to make the | | | | President |
| transformation in a hospital environment. | | | | Lean Advisors Inc.Lean Advisors Inc. (LEAD) provides |
| Lean MethodsThe healthcare workers in this facility | | | | Lean Training And Lean Implementation support to |
| are used to change. Their profession is constantly | | | | organizations of all sizes and sectors including |
| adapting to new technologies, processes, regulations, | | | | healthcare, office, service, manufacturing, mining, |
| and tools - they have learned to expect rapid change. | | | | aerospace, food processing, high tech. |