CONSULTING & FACILITATION

Our Mission

To transform healthcare organizations by creating lasting improvement in patient care through the development of a quality driven culture that will allow these organizations to sustain the lean initiative independently.

Although the application of Lean tools appears to be merely common sense, the concepts can be counter intuitive and are, oftentimes, very difficult to implement until an adequate knowledge base is formed and sufficient experience is acquired. It is highly advisable for a hospital just starting out on its Lean journey to employ the services of a consultant. Our implementation methodology is based on the three key elements of lean, implementing standard work, making processes user-friendly and addressing any constraints within the value stream thereby, establishing unobstructed throughput.

Lean Hospitals’ consultants will work closely with senior administration to review the hospital's strategic plan and identify the value streams consistent with the organization's strategic goals. Current and future state value stream maps will be generated and a value stream work plan will be established for achieving the future state. This method ensures that each kaizen event will build on previous successes while maintaining the value stream focus necessary for sustaining flow. This value stream focus allows for the prioritization of Lean events based on the initiative’s level of significance relative to the desired function of the value stream. A value stream focus is key to the proper implementation of Lean in any organization.

A lean transformation engagement has three phases:

Phase 1:

• Properly planned launch of the lean initiative.
• Training which has been specifically developed to provide knowledge of lean principles and tools commensurate with the trainees position in the organization.
• Departmental implementation of lean principles.
• Identification and mapping of the value streams consistent with the organization's strategic objectives and development of a value stream work plan.

Phase 2:

• Strategic deployment to provide vertical and horizontal alignment of the value stream work plan.
• Training of key people within the organization in the facilitation of strategy deployment sessions.

Phase 3:

• Schedule and conduct multidisciplinary kaizen events defined in the value stream work plan and strategic deployment sessions.

• Training of key people within the organization in the facilitation of kaizen events and the six sigma methodology.