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| Healthcare Performance Group staff helped a Columbus hospital improve its process for storing and maintaining intravenous pumps. |
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| The Healthcare Performance Group helped Meadows Regional Medical Center standardize supply stocks, helping nurses quickly find the supplies they need. |
Organizations that work with the Healthcare Performance
Group typically identify several areas in which they would like to make process
improvements. Each area is handled as a
separate project done over a period of several weeks. While the specific approach used in each
project can differ, the following four steps provide the foundation of what the
Healthcare Performance Group does.
Introduction and
Training: Representatives are chosen from all departments involved in the
project area. The concepts of process
improvement and lean are explained and plans for the improvement activity are
outlined.
Value Stream Mapping:
The first part of the project is to map out, in detail, everything that happens
in the process and how long each component requires to complete. The information comes from members of the
project team, which includes representatives from each department involved. Problems and bottlenecks in the process are
identified.
Brainstorming:
The project team next evaluates each component of the process and asks a number
of questions. Is that step
necessary? Is there a way to combine
steps? Is there a better way to do this? The goal is to eliminate wasted time and
motion. The team generates a number of
ideas for improvement, which are then prioritized based on their potential
impact, timing and cost.
Developing the
project plan: The team next develops a project plan that includes the items
it identified as the most important. Regular progress is made toward making the
improvements identified and making them part of a new facility culture.
Some examples of actions taken by healthcare organizations include:
- Creating
a standard process for assembling surgical case carts.
- Standardizing
supply stations so nurses know exactly where to look for things.
- Creating
a mailbox-type system for collecting tissue samples destined for pathology
analysis.
Once one project is completed, a new team may be created to
tackle the next project. By addressing
several projects, staff members learn the key techniques involved so they can
tackle new projects without Georgia Tech’s help.