(Henry Ford Health System: Detroit) -- The next Henry Ford Production System On-Site LEAN Training sessions for health care take place Sept. 16–17 at the Gilmour Education Center of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

The two-day course is a didactic and hands-on introduction to lean management philosophy and manufacturing-based work rules and tools designed to prepare physicians, administrators, and technical support staff for the realities and potential successes of practicing in a lean environment. The sessions are not only oriented to laboratory medicine but also adapted to the processes encountered in clinical services.

The concept of focusing on design of work, across silos of control, according to defined rules of change and design as practiced in the manufacturing industry is pertinent to all in health care. The challenge for leaders is to adapt these successful approaches, which engage the entire work force, to the unique environment in health care.

Henry Ford has been doing that across the laboratories of the Henry Ford Health System through its Deming-inspired culture—the Henry Ford Production System. This approach is now being adopted in the clinical services of Henry Ford’s Transplant Institute, Operating Room Services, Outpatient Clinics, Cardiac Surgery, and Behavioral Services. The practical experiences throughout four years, especially the challenges and leadership required to change to that culture, are shared during the two-day lean training course.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Describe and implement effective process improvements based on manufacturing production principles
• Adopt unique measurement tools based on the scientific method of data collection to identify and analyze defective processes in surgical pathology laboratories
• Select leadership and organizational structures for successful transformation to implement lean as a continuously learning, evolving, and improving work-force culture
• Manage empowered teams of expert workers
• Understand how new technology can be adapted to promote and sustain lean concepts of work

The program consists of 15.5 CME hours of education class-time.

For a full course description and agenda, visit www.henryford.com.

To register, visit the events page of the Continuing Medical Education portal at http://henryford.com/cmeevents.