What is Lean Six Sigma?
Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a combination of two well-known process improvement methods—Lean and Six Sigma, designed to improve operational efficiency and reduce errors and defects within service and manufacturing organizations. LSS drives customer satisfaction and bottom-line results by reducing variation and process “waste.” Process waste can be described as any action or step that does not provide any benefit or value to the patient or customer.
What is Lean?
Lean is a process improvement methodology geared towards producing value for the customer (patient) through optimizing resources and creating a steady flow based on customer needs and demand. It seeks to create value for the customer with fewer resources and less waste. Lean identifies and targets 8 wastes for reduction which are: motion, transportation, defects, inventory, extra-processing, waiting, overproduction, and talent.
What is Six Sigma?
Six Sigma is a data-driven problem-solving approach to improve business processes by reducing defects and errors. Six Sigma offers tools and techniques to decrease process variation and identify root causes of errors allowing organizations to increase customer satisfaction.
How Does Lean Six Sigma Apply to Healthcare?
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted businesses and organizations throughout the world both operationally and financially. These challenges have introduced a dire need for these organizations to decrease cost and operating expenses without sacrificing customer care and compliance. Lean Six Sigma is a proven method for optimizing healthcare operations to address these issues without making a significant financial investment in equipment or new technology. Using this methodology, healthcare organizations identify root causes of inefficiencies and issues to provide a high level of service to patients. Below are a few potential benefits of LSS in healthcare.
LSS Healthcare Benefits:
- Shorten wait times in hospitals, clinics, and private practices
- Create faster and more efficient reimbursement flows
- Prevent falls and injuries in hospitals and nursing homes
- Reduce medication errors when filling prescriptions or prescribing and administering drugs
- Increase turnaround time for lab results
- Reduce medical billing errors
Lean Six Sigma Lunch-and-Learn Session Details
This LSS Lunch-and-Learn session will held via Zoom, registration form below, and will provide an introduction to the process improvement methodology and share how it can be used to address common as well as complex operational issues within healthcare in both clinical and administrative areas. Examples of practical applications of basic LSS tools and techniques will be shared showing the potential improvement power of the methodology. This session enables participants to:
- Understand the scope and breadth of Lean Six Sigma
- Understand the concept and benefits of Lean Six Sigma in a Healthcare Setting
- Understand Lean Six Sigma Belt Levels (Expertise Levels)
- Identify Basic Lean Six Sigma Tools and Practical Applications of those Tools
Why Should I Attend the Session?
This session will introduce you to a powerful process improvement methodology that has been successfully used by healthcare organizations to transform their operations improving the quality of care provided to patients and customers as well as internal employees. If you have a desire to improve the quality of care offered to patients as well as address complex reoccurring issues in your healthcare organization, you should attend.
Presenter
Watch the Lean Six Sigma introduction session below.