Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare: A Senior Leader Guide to Improving Cost and Throughput

This book’s unique focus on the role of healthcare leaders and the lessons learned were uncovered during the authors’ research of over 200 U.S. hospitals’ performance. It was written specifically for CEOs, the “C-Suite,” and senior leaders who desire to harness the power of Lean-Six Sigma as their major strategic weapon for progress, as well as those charged to coach them. It is intended for those organizations that operate active Lean-Six Sigma initiatives, but have yet to successfully attack high leverage processes like “In Quality Staffing” and recovering significant Cost of Quality from throughput improvements. It is also intended for senior leaders who have yet to tackle Lean-Six Sigma as their major organization-wide strategic weapon. However, it is also a must-read for managers at all levels, quality professionals, and Lean-Six Sigma Black Belts who desire to aid in assuring that their organizations’ improvement efforts attack strategically versus the all-to-common tactical, project-by-project approach that suboptimizes the power of Lean-Six Sigma. Further, the book and supporting website is full of electronic checklists, tools, templates, suggestions for additional reading, and many recommended 1-hour and 2-hour learning sessions for senior leaders and managers. The changes in this second edition include the following: Many more examples of “In Quality Staffing”, a healthcare translation of one of the seven categories of Lean waste found in the Toyota Production System and one of the most powerful concepts applicable to healthcare. This concept has been described as “the language of nursing” versus a more manufacturing-speak described in other leading Lean-Six Sigma books. Expanded dialogue of the role of Lean in healthcare. Additional embedded case examples.

About the Author

Chip Caldwell, FACHE, is president of Chip Caldwell&Associates and considered a thought leader in healthcare quality and performance improvement methodology. For the past decade, he has served in leadership positions in the quality community, including member of the Baldrige Foundation Board Support Team and healthcare representative on the U.S. Quality Council, as well as with numerous organizations, including Premier Performance Services, Juran Institute, Atlanta Health System, and HCA West Paces Medical Center in Atlanta. His books are widely read by hospital board members, senior leaders, middle managers, and health administration students. Chip has extensive practical knowledge of hospital operations and is the leading executive faculty on the effective use of Lean-Six Sigma in healthcare for the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Society for Quality (ASQ). Chip has trained over 10,000 executives in such prestigious organizations as IBM, Veterans Administration, PruCare, Kaiser, U.S. Navy, Premier, VHA, and ASQ. Greg Butler is executive vice president of Chip Caldwell&Associates and brings more than 25 years of experience to leading change and innovation in the healthcare industry. During his career, Greg has held leadership positions with some of the country’s leading healthcare manufacturers, consulting firms, and healthcare service providers. Greg served as senior vice president for Cardinal Health Clinical Consulting&Services, vice president of marketing and business development for Owen Healthcare, and senior director for VHA/Novation. For the past 15 years, Greg has assisted hospitals in improving productivity, patient flow, and pharmacy operations and lowering operating costs. This work includes developing strategies for applying advanced quality methods to common needs such as reducing emergency room overcrowding, expanding operating room capacity, minimizing length of stay, and improving patient satisfaction and clinical utilization. Greg is a certified Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and a BBA from Texas Tech University. Nancy E. Poston, FACHE, is the managing principal of growth strategies for Chip Caldwell&Associates. Nancy previously served as senior vice president of marketing and customer relations at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and vice president of marketing and business development for Hutcheson Medical Center in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Nancy has also consulted with several urban and rural hospitals in growth strategies, marketing, customer relations and public relations. Her work has garnered over 200 state and national awards in customer service, marketing, and public relations. She holds a BBA from Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.