(Simpler Consulting: Corapolis, PA) -- Simpler Consulting, a global management consulting firm, has released a new book, Simpler Healthcare (CreateSpace, 2012). Witten by Simpler CEO Marc S. Hafer, the book details how six hospitals have applied lean health care concepts to transform operations, improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and increase patient and staff satisfaction.
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According to a report from Thomson Reuters, an estimated $700 billion is wasted annually across the U.S. health care system, which includes administrative inefficiency, redundant paperwork, medical mistakes, and overuse of medication and tests. Lean management, which has its roots in the manufacturing industry, has provided health care organizations with a practical solution that maximizes an organization’s ongoing ability to eliminate waste, improve the quality of care, and strengthen the bottom line.
“The Simpler Healthcare book provides real world examples from health care organizations across the globe that have undergone cultural transformations that relentlessly define value in the eyes of their patients to cut costs and improve patient care,” says Hafer. “The book truly demonstrates that any hospital—regardless of its size or location—can truly benefit from lean management."
Check out Hafer’s video interview to learn more about the book.
During the past six years, Simpler Consulting has worked with more than 80 health systems around the world in leading enterprisewide transformations that have resulted in creating a patient-centric culture. Simpler Healthcare follows the work of Alder Hey Children’s Foundation Trust in Liverpool, England; Denver Health; New York City Health and Hospitals Corp.; Royal Bolton Hospital in England; St. Joseph’s Health System in Orange, California; and Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore. Readers will learn how each hospital adapted Simpler Consulting’s proven systematic change methodology to their local conditions, unleashed untapped creativity, and transformed patient care without compromising quality.
Highlights from the health systems’ lean transformations include:
• Alder Hey Children’s Foundation Trust reduced patient flow time to less than 3.5 hours from 7.5 hours, increased surgical day-care capacity from 26 to 40 cases per day, and increased medical day-care capacity from 13 to 19 cases per day.
• Denver Health realized a $150 million financial benefit since the beginning of its lean transformation while dramatically improving patient care. For example, the hospital reduced the occurrence of blood clots in hospitalized patients by nearly 80 percent.
• New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. found new revenue of $14.1 million and achieved cost savings of $6.8 million—a total of $20 million—during the first 18 months of its lean transformation.
• Royal Bolton Hospital achieved substantial results in clinical case and efficiency in its stroke rehabilitation unit, dropping the mortality rate for patients with acute stroke from 122 to 99.
• St. Joseph’s Health System transformed patient flow and work processes, resulting in patient satisfaction reaching nearly 95 percent, up from 85 percent, while improving staff morale significantly.
• Tan Tock Seng Hospital reduced length of stay by up to 43 percent across different conditions and achieved a 37-percent improvement in the turnaround time for imaging tests such as ultrasound and CT scans.
“At the onset of America’s most recent economic turndown, Denver Health was faced with an increase in uninsured patients and decreased revenues,” says Patricia Gabow, M.D., CEO of Denver Health. “Denver Health was one of the first health systems to adopt lean in an effort to uphold our commitment to providing all patients with the highest quality of care. As a result, Denver Health has transformed our delivery of care, and we are proud to report that we have the lowest morality rate of any academic medical center in the country.”
To learn more about lean management or to receive a copy of Simpler Healthcare, click here.
About Marc Hafer
Marc Hafer joined Simpler Consulting as a senior consultant in 2002, bringing his skills as a teacher and leader to the organization. He became president of Simpler North America in 2007 and CEO of Simpler Holdings in 2009. His experience in lean transformation ranges from manufacturing companies that produce high-volume, standard products to entrepreneurial organizations creating lower-volume, custom-engineered products. He has successfully applied lean principles throughout entire enterprises. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and volunteers in support of industry organizations such as the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, the Shingo Prize, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
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