Carolyn Pexton

Dr. Menon,
I would be glad to share information with you as to how tools like Six Sigma and Lean have been applied to address a variety of issues in the hospital environment. There are many articles on this site, and there is also a new book coming out in April entitled “Improving Healthcare Quality and Cost with Six Sigma”. If you let me kno…[Read more]

There are examples of Lean value stream maps in articles on this web site. For instance, the recent article on Lean in the pharmacy, and also this article on the ED: http://healthcare.isixsigma.com/library/content/c051109a.asp

Resistance to change can present barriers – whether you’re implementing Six Sigma, Lean or any other method. It helps to address this up front using change management tools that create a shared need, identify concerns from key stakeholders and mobilize commitment.
Regarding the use of Lean in healthcare, there are a few articles on this web…[Read more]

Did you see this article on creating a Lean Six Sigma discharge process? http://healthcare.isixsigma.com/library/content/c040915a.asp

Not a complete list, but hospitals applying Six Sigma in NY, NJ and PA include New York Presbyterian Hospital, Kaleida Health, North Shore-LIJ Health System, Virtua Health, Atlantic Health System and Mount Sinai Medical Center. Hope that helps!

Kevin,
My email address is [email protected] – feel free to email me and I’ll send the article back. It’s not posted on this site.
Regarding process owners and champions, that would depend on the specific project – for instance, a project to improve turnaround time in OR may have a physician as champion, process owner or Black Belt,…[Read more]

Kevin,
Physicians can play a variety of roles depending on the project focus and the way the organization has decided to implement Six Sigma. There are some physicians who have become Black Belts or even Master Black Belts within their hospitals and are leading initiatives to improve quality, cost and efficiency. Others may be involved on a…[Read more]

Susan,
Six Sigma has been applied in many hospitals and health systems addressing a variety of issues. Some organizations, such as Virtua Health in New Jersey or Commonwealth Health in Kentucky, have used the methods on an enterprise-wide basis to train internal staff and achieve long-term cultural change. Others have decided to begin by applying…[Read more]

Six Sigma can be applied to all processes and organizations, but not necessarily to all issues since they won’t all require the level of rigor a Six Sigma project provides. Some may simply require a decision or business planning strategies, others may need a Work-Out to get the right people in the room applying problem-solving techniques, and some…[Read more]

There are a growing number of healthcare organizations using Six Sigma — some at the departmental or project level, and some carrying it across the enterprise to achieve cultural transformation. This isn’t an all-inclusive list by any means, but on the system-wide level, users include Virtua Health, New York Presbyterian Hospital, North…[Read more]

Debbie,
Certainly raising patient satisfaction is an important qualitative goal. To measure the quantitative business case for your project, however, you may need to delve into the data to understand what may be driving the delays. Are resources being utilized properly? Are there delays in processing paperwork or in housekeeping? Are the delays…[Read more]

I would be happy to share a variety of healthcare examples with you for your presentation. Please email me at [email protected] and let me know if there are any specific areas you’re interested in, such as the emergency department, diagnostic imaging, clinical examples etc.

There are numerous examples of completed Six Sigma projects across a wide range of applications in healthcare. Some examples include using the methodology to improve service cycle time, reduce patient wait time, reduce medication errors, streamline nursing workflow, optimize the use of technology, reduce length of stay, improve the billing p…[Read more]

The Six Sigma team at Virtua Health published an article in Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management on their Heparin project – here’s the link http://www.turner-white.com/pdf/jcom_aug02_sigma.pdf