LeanBlog Podcast Episode #53 is a conversation with Patrick M. Anderson, the Executive Director of Chugachmiut, the Tribal consortium created to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach Region. I met Patrick at a Lean conference where he shared their experiences with applying Lean principles to healthcare delivery in Alaska. I am happy to bring their story to you, here in the first part of a two-part Podcast discussion.
You can also read more about Lean concepts at Chugachmiut on their website. In this epsiode, we talk about the origins of Lean at Chugachmiut, how they used Kaizen Events in their healthcare clinics, and their abolition of annual performance reviews. This was recorded in October, so some of the weather and daylight references aren’t that recent for here in mid-November.
For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.
You can use the player (use the VCR-type controls) below to listen to a “streaming” version of the podcast (or click here for the streaming audio and RSS subscription). The streaming link is faster for one-time listening (hardly any delay to start listening). Or you can use the download link to put it on your iPod or other MP3 player.
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Enhanced AAC File (with Chapters)
- About the Chugachmiut organization and tribes
- Inspired by Nypro’s “High Velocity” system
- Kaizen events for healthcare clinic
- Dr. Tom Jackson
- Getting rid of individual annual performance evaluations
- WSJ piece on eliminating reviews
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About LeanBlog.org: Mark Graban is a consultant, author, and speaker in the “lean healthcare” methodology, focused on improving quality and patient safety, improving access, reducing costs, and fully engaging healthcare professionals. He is also the Chief Improvement Officer for KaiNexus.
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Could Mr. Anderson run General Motors??? I think we’d all be better off.
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Im not so sure i agree with the previous post re: GM. Mark mentions that lean principles at Chugichmiut have been underway in primary care for a “number of years” serving 7 villages, and 5 clinics in 10 million acres with a budget of 14 million dollars.
Mr. Anderson mentions starting the lean methodology in 2004. Yet i did not find any solid data indicating improvement with the fiduciary aspects of his company.
Additionally, I would be interested to hear what sort of measures are being used to gauge success in this lean environment for healthcare. Are patient outcomes any better since executing lean strategy in 2004?
I hope the future podcast will site specific examples at how healthcare was impacted and improved in this lean leadership and through Demmings philosophy, in addition to fiduciary improvements.
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The second post makes some very valuable comments, ones that we have been wrestling with for quite some time. Measurement is very difficult in non-profits. Other than body count, non-profits don’t seem to measure very much. We have been fixing our administrative structure, which was in considerable distress, and did not have measures to start with or to benchmark against. For our purposes then, we just needed to get better, and lean did that for us.
We have been discussing how we measure patient outcomes. Our Electronic Health Record is one key to our ability to track over time. We are also able to develop education programs now, where before we were focused on acute care almost exclusively.
Still, the biggest obstacle I faced in our lean journey was the cultural transformation. Our employees now get it. My board just completed my evaluation for my fifth year as ED here, and it is clear that they also get it. The services are increasing and improving.
I certainly appreciate any comments on measurement, and thanks for the constructive comments.
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