Value Stream Management for Lean Healthcare

Value Stream Management (VSM) is a proven and effective step-by-step methodology for understanding and applying the principles and practices of the Toyota Production System (i.e., Lean) within an healthcare organization. The Toyota Production System is known for its world-class practices of having efficient processes with standards that are being adhered to, while empowering employees to find and eliminate waste. These types of efforts are also referred to as Lean. As authors, we have found continued success in applying the Value Stream Management methodology in the hospitals, clinics, and labs. You will be introduced to many of these successes throughout the book as topical anecdotes. The specific tools and practices of Lean and the implementation plan via the Value Stream Management process will be thoroughly explained. VSM or Lean Healthcare will improve overall facility efficiencies while improving patient care and safety. It should also be noted that the content in this book will support any and all Six Sigma projects. The VSM process is similar to treating a patient. It requires people (i.e., healthcare providers, aides, technicians, administrative support, etc.) and vendors (suppliers for medical equipment, pharmaceutical companies, etc.) working together to effectively yield the benefits of Lean throughout the entire supply chain. As the treatment of a patient is individually tailored, Lean must also be tailored to the facility, department, and/or process in which it will be used. In this book you will learn how to: 1) Apply the Value Stream Management methodology to specific projects within your facility 2) Educate staff on the fundamentals of Lean so that Lean can be part of everyone s job each and every day 3) Create a business case to inform the staff on the need for Lean or continuous improvement 4) Determine where waste lies in processes and facilitate ideas on how to eliminate waste through Total Employee Involvement (TEI) 5) Create current and future state maps, as well as a plan for implementation 6) Accelerate improvements activities 7) Select projects and apply the Lean tools 8) Improve patient (direct), as well as non-patient (non-direct), care processes 9) Document improvement activities to convey to management the success Lean can have on improving the bottom-line and 10) Allow Lean to become a way of life in an ever-changing and demanding environment. Value Stream Management for Lean Healthcare will provide you with the fundamental process (and steps) to implement Lean. Value Stream Management for Lean Healthcare has been segmented into the four main chapters of Assess, Diagnosis, Treat, and Prevent. These chapters will provide the skeletal framework on how the Lean tools and practices can be effectively applied in your Lean journey. Just as patients care requires a thorough history and physical exam to assist in determining a plan of cure for a patient; likewise, this book will provide a similar approach for the treatment and cure of your facilities process ailments.

Don Tapping authored the best selling book, Value Stream Management for the Lean Office (Productivity Press 2003), Who Hollered Fore?, 5S for the Desktop (PC) (2009), Lean Office Demystified II and numerous other books on business performance - setting the bar for administrative Lean improvements. Don has a B.A. from The University of Michigan and an MBA from The University of Notre Dame. Susan F. Kozlowski, MSA, MT(ASCP)SBB DLM, CSSBB(ASQ) was one of the first Lean Six Sigma Black Belts at St. John Health. After completing numerous projects in areas such as inpatient flow, bed management, the Emergency Department, Surgical Services, and Registration, Sue served as the Coordinator for the St. John Health Lean Six Sigma Leadership Education program, certifying over 350 leaders within two years. Currently, Sue is the Manager of Performance Improvement at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, helping to implement Lean flow for inpatient throughout. Sue's background is in clinical laboratory operations, and she is Adjunct Associate Professor in the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Wayne State University. She is a highly-rated speaker at national meetings for topics related to laboratory services, management practices, and Lean-Six Sigma. Certified as a Black Belt by ASQ, Sue is an active member and has served as a judge for the International Team Excellence Awards. Laura Archbold, RN, BSN, MBA, Master Black Belt, is a Senior Process Excellence Consultant at Trinity Health. She used her 25-plus years of experience as an operating room nurse to effectively lead Six Sigma projects regarding surgeon preference cards, the accuracy of surgical instrumentation, the reduction of surgical cancellations, and the redesign of a surgical preparation center. Laura was the lead Lean facilitator in Trinity Health's Orthopedic Care Transformation project. Laura conducts Process Excellence training and supports organizational assessments and projects across Trinity Health, including such projects as Genesis Readiness (implementation of an electronic health record), length of stay reduction, best practice patient designation, medication reconciliation, and OB workflow documentation. These efforts are targeted to improve both clinical operations improvement and organizational performance and effectiveness. 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. Michael Blatchford is a Chartered Process Engineer who has spent 16 years in various industries with a focus on implementing Lean principles. The last 5 years Michael has focused on implementing Lean in Australian and New Zealand hospitals and dental surgeries. Michael is part of The Health Roundtable, an organization set up in 1995 by the Australian and New Zealand public hospitals CEOs to promote innovation, collaboration, and benchmarking. Michael can be contacted at mblatchford@bigpond.com. Pieter Walker has over 17 years experience in leadership training, strategic planning, change management within both the public and private sectors specializing in healthcare. Peiter is Chariman of the Board for Ceytro (Sri Lanka) and also connected to The Health Round Table and The International Round Table which collaborates with over 110 teaching hosptials from around the world. Pieter can be contacted at pieter.walker@healthroundtable.org.