LeanBlog Podcast #46 — Dean Bliss, Lean Healthcare

Episode #46 is a chat with a good friend of the Lean Blog, Dean Bliss, a Lean Improvement Specialist with the Iowa Health System. Like myself, Dean made a transition in from manufacturing into health care a few years back, he'll share some of his experiences and recommendations for how to use Lean in a hospital and how to make that transition. He will also share some stories about how his hospital prioritized what problems to solve with the Lean methodology.

MP3 Link

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #46 Key Words and Links:

  • Lean in hospitals, making a transition from manufacturing into hospitals, how to get started with Lean in a hospital, what are the differences between working with people in these different settings?
  • Iowa Healthcare Collaborative
  • World Research Group event, June 25-26
    • The 2nd Annual Summit on Deploying the Toyota Production System & Lean Healthcare in Hospitals

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 372-5682 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Lean Blog Interviews podcast cover art with host Mark Graban

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Mark Graban
Mark Graban

Mark Graban helps leaders build workplaces where people speak up and improvement sticks, through Lean management, psychological safety, and better use of metrics. He is a keynote speaker, advisor, and host of the Lean Blog Interviews and My Favorite Mistake podcasts.

He is the author of The Mistakes That Make Us, Measures of Success, Lean Hospitals, and Healthcare Kaizen, and a three-time recipient of the Shingo Publication Award. His next book is The Silence Tax.

Mark is also a Senior Advisor to KaiNexus. Get his free ebooks.

Articles: 5934

2 Comments

  1. Mark, this was a great interview and a perfect insight in how to begin the Lean journey at any hospital or health system in the country. Dean kept the model simple yet moved the evolution through not only helping his health system but many of the hospitals in his state/region.

    Well done Mark and Dean!

    Bob Yokl

  2. Clarke Ching recently recorded an interesting podcast about using the Theory of Constraints to improve healthcare in the UK; apparently
    there’s even a school offering a class in that now. It sounds like they’re doing an impressive job at improving flow.

    Located here

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