Updates on Japan Lean Healthcare Study Trip – November 2012

I first  blogged about the possibility in March – doing a weeklong study trip to Japan with Lean Healthcare professionals, in partnership with Kaizen Institute. The dates are set for November 11 to 17 and we have people signed up to join us – but we still need more attendees to make the trip happen.

I had been collecting names and email addresses of possible attendees (disclosure: I receive a referral commission for people who sign up through me, but you can now get info directly from  Kaizen Institute. That page shares many more details than had been shared publicly before.  Update 10/10/12 — the trip is definitely ON, with a few more registration spots still available.

I'm excited about the trip! Our currently registered attendees come from around the world – this will be a truly global trip, convening in Japan to see, discuss, and learn.

Masaaki Imai will be joining us on the Friday of the week in Japan.

We will be touring Toyota, another factory, two hospitals, and more. All of the briefings and debriefings will be tailored to translating what we see back into healthcare. I hope you can join us! Tell them Mark Graban and LeanBlog.org sent you! You can also contact me here and I'll pass your interest along.

From the landing page:

We invite you to join the 115th Kaizen Tour in Japan with a special focus on applying Toyota Way principles to healthcare management and delivery. We will learn from Toyota and one other leading manufacturer in order to gain an image of a mature Lean management system. This Kaizen Tour brings together examples from services industries including restaurants and hotels to grasp how kaizen and Lean principles can become part of a culture of quality and customer service. We will visit two hospitals to see concrete application of lean healthcare. We will have Japanese sensei as guest speakers to provide deep insight from their many decades of practice. The Kaizen Institute tour facilitator will be joined by lean healthcare author, speaker and consultant Mark Graban. Each day and every detail of this healthcare-themed Kaizen Tour will enlighten and motivate you to advance along the Lean journey more effectively.

I am honored to partner with Kaizen Institute on this trip.