John S. Toussaint and Leonard L. Berry masterfully set forth the essence of Lean in an article entitled, "The Promise of Lean in Health Care."
Lean is not a program; it is not a set of quality improvement tools; it is not a quick fix; it is not a responsibility that can be delegated. Rather, Lean is a cultural transformation that changes how an organization works; no one stays on the sidelines in the quest to discover how to improve the daily work. It requires new habits, new skills, and often a new attitude throughout the organization from senior management to front-line service providers. Lean is a journey, not a destination. Unlike specific programs, Lean has no finish line. Creating a culture of Lean is to create an insatiable appetite for improvement; there is no turning back. As Lean consultant Joan Wellman states,“With Lean, you will keep changing your definition of what ‘good’ is."
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research: Mayo Clin Proc. 2013;88(1):74-8.
Lean is not a program; it is not a set of quality improvement tools; it is not a quick fix; it is not a responsibility that can be delegated. Rather, Lean is a cultural transformation that changes how an organization works; no one stays on the sidelines in the quest to discover how to improve the daily work. It requires new habits, new skills, and often a new attitude throughout the organization from senior management to front-line service providers. Lean is a journey, not a destination. Unlike specific programs, Lean has no finish line. Creating a culture of Lean is to create an insatiable appetite for improvement; there is no turning back. As Lean consultant Joan Wellman states,“With Lean, you will keep changing your definition of what ‘good’ is."
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research: Mayo Clin Proc. 2013;88(1):74-8.
Hi Paul,
ReplyDeleteHave read your blog for a while and know you are interested in "lean principles" in healthcare.
Are you familiar with Capio and St. Gorans in Sweden?
See the economist magazine, may 18 2013. Article is named: "Schumpeter: A hospital Case", page 75.
Capio is a private company which runs a hospital in Sweden called St. Goran's which is a leader in the application of lean principles.
A sub heading..."sweden is leading he world in allowing private companies to run public institutions".
Interesting read if you are not familiar with the story.
Thank you very much.
ReplyDelete