The New Lean Healthcare Pocket Guide XL - Tools for the Elimination of Waste in Hospitals, Clinics and Other Healthcare Facilities

The New Lean Healthcare Pocket Guide XL is a collection of Lean tool examples and definitions from healthcare professionals and Lean sensei. This newer version includes more case studies (includes a physician's group continuous improvement project), actual Lean healthcare photos, and an index for quick reference. It provides easy-to-use and easy-to-understand tools, methods, and concepts based on the world-class Toyota Motor Company. These practices are commonly referred to as Lean. The New Lean Healthcare Pocket Guide XL is designed for use as a convenient and quick reference as you learn and implement the Lean tools as they apply to those challenging situations in healthcare. You can put your finger on any tool within a matter of seconds! Find the right tool for the right Lean initiative by using either the Table of Contents or the Lean Healthcare Tool Usage Matrix. A Table of Contents offers an alphabetical list of tools, techniques, and supporting information. The Lean Healthcare Tool Usage Matrix organizes the Lean tools and concepts relative to three important broad Lean philosophies. The philosophies are: Stabilize - It is critical that excess movement of work and variation of process be removed first. It is difficult to apply Lean when variation exists. Standardize - Once an area or a process has been stabilized, formal standards via work rules, charts, and visual controls must be used to further eliminate variation. Simplify - As an organization stabilizes and standardizes processes, it must level the work loads among staff to ensure effective and efficient service is provided to the patient or other healthcare provider. As you continue with the implementation of Lean initiatives throughout this pocket guide, assess, treat, diagnosis, and prevent will be the overriding themes. The following topics are covered: 5S, Continuous Flow, Cycle Time, Document Tagging, Error Proofing, Goals and Outcomes, Goal Card, Healthcare Case for Lean, Interruptions and Random Arrivals, Just-In-Time,Kaizen Events ,Kanbans for Supplies, Leveling, Measurement Techniques, Paper File System, Physical Layout, Pitch, Predictable Outcome, Problem Solving, Pull Systems, Reporting and Communications, Resistance to Change, Runners, Six Sigma, Standard Work, Takt Time, Value Stream Mapping, Visual Controls, Waste, and Work Load Balancing. There are over a dozen case studies demonstrating the use of various Lean tools throughout the guide.

Debra K. Hadfield, RN, MSN, CFPN has worked in the clinical, hospital, and educational fields applying Lean Healthcare principles for over ten years. Ms. Hadfield has held positions at Michigan State University, The University of Michigan, Andrews University, Michigan Capital Medical Center, and Battle Creek Family Practice. Shelagh Holmes, RN, has 22 years of nursing experience. Ms. Holmes has held a wide range of healthcare positions, including: emergency room nurse, nurse manager, consolidation program manager, university instructor, labor coach, and medical clinic manager. Todd Sperl is a Master Black Belt/Lean Sensei and led the deployment of Lean-Six Sigma across St. John Health. His experience ranges from facilitating large, complex organizational transformation initiatives to achieve significant and measurable results, as well as participating on numerous smaller engagements. Currently Todd is Managing Partner at Lean Fox Solutions, LLC, a healthcare consulting firm where their vision is to improve the patient care experience. Todd can be contacted at tsperl@leanfoxsolutions.com. Susan F. Kozlowski, MSA, MT(ASCP) SBB DLM, CSSBB (ASQ) was one of the first Lean Six Sigma Black Belts at St. John Health completing numerous projects in areas of inpatient flow, bed management, the Emergency Department, Surgical Services, and Registration. Sue is currently the Manager of Performance Improvement at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Certified as a Black Belt by ASQ, Sue is an active member and has served as a judge for the International Team Excellence Awards.