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NOVACES’ healthcare lean six sigma master black belts regularly author white papers on common industry challenges. The insightful studies highlight root causes, process changes and measurable performance improvements using healthcare and hospital lean six sigma and process improvement methodologies.

Featured healthcare and hospital lean six sigma process and performance improvement white papers include:

Perspectives on Lean Six Sigma in Healthcare: We the Patient

As patients, we no longer accept our healthcare in its present condition. It often takes too long to start our care, test results wait times seem interminable, we’re afraid of getting an infection, our discharge process seems inefficient and the billing is confusing. Out of necessity, our knowledge about healthcare has grown markedly over the past several years. What impact will Lean Six Sigma have on healthcare?

JumpStart: A Healthcare Case Study

A not-for-profit hospital system in New York was looking to move forward with healthcare Lean Six Sigma process improvement. However, the leadership team knew that they did not have a deployment strategy in place to get the results they were looking for. They turned to NOVACES to help form a strategy for Lean Six Sigma deployment and build the infrastructure for a self-sufficient program.

Laboratory Turnaround Times in Emergency Departments; Eliminating Wasteful Steps and Bottlenecks with Healthcare Lean Six Sigma

More many patients, the Emergency Department (ED) is their source of primary care. Patients who are uninsured, under-insured, or those who have no primary care provider turn to a hospital’s emergency room as a safety net to gain access to the healthcare network. Laboratory results have a cascading effect on patient throughput in today’s overcrowded EDs. In this case study, healthcare Lean Six Sigma process improvement produces dramatic results for this hospital that was ready for change.

Using TRIZ Innovation Tools in a Rapid Improvement Workshop

A Rapid Improvement Workshop (RIW) was conducted to address coordination of patient care in the Emergency Department of a community hospital. The RIW was the result of a ProcessVSA that had focused on reduction of turn-around-time (TAT) for STAT lab tests. TRIZ innovation tools were used to implement unique visual management methods, which resulted in a 66% improvement in order-to-collect times.

ProcessVSA: Improving Core Measure Performance for Congestive Heart Failure Discharge

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF or HF) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the US, affecting more than five million people. With the prevalence and incidence of CHF rising, the rate of hospitalization is increasing. The estimated cost of CHF in 2008 was nearly $35 billion. A readmission rate of 24.5% is a key cost driver and compelling evidence that existing approaches to managing CHF require improvement.

To download NOVACES’ healthcare Lean Six Sigma process and performance improvement white papers, visit novaces.com/wp.