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