Course 1. Lean Health Care Operations and Basic Tools (4-days)

This course begins with an in-depth coverage of the lean health care operational model. A three-round, hands-on simulation, based on patient and information flows through clinics and diagnostic labs, illustrates how lean operations structuring principals apply to health care operations. Students will be able to see how patient flows improve, information lead times reduce and synchronize, and value-add patient experience improves as the system evolves using lean principles. Student teams subsequently learn how to apply key lean tools in patient care operations through a series of lectures with integrated hands-on exercises. In addition, standardized work philosophy and development for health care processes will be covered in detail with exercises, emphasizing built-in control and mistake proofing to improve care quality and patient safety.

Specific topics include:

• Structural principles for lean health care operations: work aggregation; continuous patient, material, and information flows; pacing and leveling of work flow; and selective resource dedication.
• Lean operations management systems as applied in a health care environment: the lean work system (a systematic strategy to enable intellectual engagement of front line clinicians to continuously improve care-giving processes), jidoka management (a system for building in control to insure high care quality and patient safety), and value stream management (a strategy to enhancing overall value delivery to the patient while reducing costs and improving safety and quality of care.)
• Lean tools applied in the health care environment: 5S, visual control, rapid setup and changeover, standardized work, mistake proofing, and source quality.