Monthly Archives: April 2011
Michigan Hospitals Cut VAP Rates 70% Using Checklists
Here's a great story from my home state where I grew up, Michigan: "Hospital checklist helps pneumonia rates tumble by 70%."
From the article:
Ventilator-associated pneumonia...
Doofus and Leanie Cartoon #4 – GM vs. Toyota
It has been a while since I've collaborated with artist Ed Butler on a "Doofus and Leanie" cartoon (Ed was also the artist for...
Everybody Deserves Workplace Respect – Even the T.S.A.
As somebody who flies about 75,000 miles a year, I am far too acquainted with the Transportation Security Administration and their annoyances (to the...
Healthcare Value Leaders Network: Podcasts and More
Here's a quick update on some of our latest projects in the Healthcare Value Leaders Network.
Our 2nd annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit in June...
Talk Preview – “Why Your Hospital Should be Like a Factory… Or At Least...
When hospital people say they don't want to be a factory or "we don't want assembly-line medicine," the statement often goes unchallenged. What is...
It’s Harder to Tolerate Waste “When You Know What Good Looks Like…”
I recently "fired" my primary care physician. I'm lucky to not have to go to the doctor very often, but the last few times...
HealthLeaders Article: Systemwide Process Improvement
It's great to see Lean mentioned in mainstream healthcare management publications, such as the article in HealthLeaders (print and online) called "Systemwide Process Improvement."...
Revisiting Taxis, Medical Errors, and Systemic Problems
You might have read my blog post from last week about an unsafe taxi driver and medical errors - Said the Unsafe Taxi Driver,...
“For the Record:” Reducing Healthcare Costs through Better Quality & Better Process
Thanks to the healthcare information magazine "For the Record" for accepting my article on Lean Healthcare. As usual, I wasn't given the chance to...
Funny Six Sigma Parody Site: ISSISSIPPI.org
I stumbled across this site a few week ago and would have shared it for April Fools' Day if I hadn't presented a joke...
Lessons from a Crazy Taxi Ride: Improving Processes in Unpredictable Environments
When I was leaving the recent Shingo Prize conference, last week, I had what can only be described as a taxi ride from hell...
Questions about and Lessons from a Steering Wheel Falling Off
In the news yesterday, a General Motors recall over what could be just one isolated steering wheel problem in an Ohio-built Chevrolet (don't call...