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Lean Quality in Healthcare

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Submitted By marg1958
Words 1182
Pages 5
Background
ThedaCare is an integrated healthcare delivery system in Wisconsin. Introduced Lean, or the Toyota Production system, to its five hospitals and 27 physician’s clinics in 2003. The implementation of Lean changed quality management from a crisis reaction system to a system that is proactive in its methods, processes and strategies to improve quality. The changes are a result of cultural changes, visual management and inclusion of the front-line in continuous improvement. Introduction
Healthcare must change to a new approach. An approach that is based on the consumer’s demand for improved outcomes and reduced costs. This is leading healthcare organizations to adopt a culture of lean. Lean is a set of principles and quality improvement ideology (Toussaint and Berry, 2013) Lean methodology has been effective in manufacturing and has been effective in healthcare. Lean applies the scientific method to problem solve, a different approach to management role. Management’s role is to facilitate, mentor, and as coach frontline workers to identify and solve everyday issues. The challenge to lean adoption in healthcare the quality manager’s role changes from identifying and tracking to one of reducing risks of adverse effect and assisting with improvement quality processes. The transformation to lean at ThedaCare was to improve every aspect of the patient experience and deliver improved quality at a lower cost with a better staff morale.
Key points
Benchmarking performance for ThedaCare was to compare themselves to other organizations to measure success. This left ThedaCare possibly counting on their success against inadequate or harmful care of these other organizations. ThedaCare needed to define their own outcomes. True North was their vehicle to determine outcomes and achievements that they define. True North established the goals and key

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