Performance Improvement

Driving Quality to the Next Level

With the current healthcare challenges we are facing, it is essential to have a plan to survive and thrive in an uncertain environment to remain a leading healthcare provider. Thibodaux Regional Health System is fortunate to already have several performance improvement tools in which to build upon as we strive to become a true Lean Organization.

The most rewarding outcome to a Lean Organization is the ability to “work smarter, not harder”. Our Call to Action includes development of a plan to further enhance our culture of continuous performance improvement by fostering knowledge of methodologies & personal accountability for all team members.

GOAL

To significantly enhance our culture of “Lean Thinking” by driving knowledge of methodologies, fostering leadership and developing & establishing personal accountability for all team members

Creating a Culture of Lean Thinking

The first step is to define what it means to be a true Lean Organization.

• Understands customer value and focuses on key processes to continuously increase value - understanding what our customers want
• Provides value to the customer through a perfect value creation process that has zero waste
• Requires development of all team members
• Provides a way to do more with less (effort, equipment, time, & space), while meeting customers’ expectations
• Strives for perfection

Driving Lean Thinking into all levels of the organization is essential for our continued success in healthcare. We have continued to develop our Executives, Department Directors, and Front Line Managers in performance improvement knowledge and skills.

We have more than 100 team members trained to serve as Lean Leaders. Having front line staff involved in applying Lean concepts is essential for a Lean Organization to optimize results. Growing & renewing our key leaders is an essential strategy for achieving high quality clinical outcomes in a cost effective manner.

Driving knowledge of adaptive leadership and care transformation into the medical staff is essential for a synergistic approach to performance improvement where the patient is the center of the IHI Triple Aim.

We have partnered with key physicians to provide education on leadership, waste in medicine and quality improvement. Fifteen physicians have attended and graduated from an Accelerated Practices Program on leadership and quality improvement. Additionally 45 physicians participate on teams and are knowledgeable on Care Transformation and using process improvement to remove waste, decrease cost and increase the quality of care delivered to our patients.

Achievements with Lean Thinking

Time Saved

• 76% reduction in the time for a nurse to start an IV by creating “IV Start Kits” with all needed supplies.
• 31% reduction in time from glucose testing to a patient receiving insulin
• 96% reduction in time for a patient to get to the Cardiac Cath Lab when experiencing a heart attack

Distance Traveled

• 67% reduction in distanced traveled for a Med Tech to process stat blood work resulting in faster results

Defects Eliminated

• 96% improvement in eliminating rework for staff by ensuring each patient’s chart is complete upon arrival in Medical Records for filing
• 88% improvement on accuracy of ordering supplies needed for providing patient care

Efficiency Improved

• 91% on-time starts for scheduled procedures which eliminates delays for all other cases
• 30% less deliveries required by staff while maintaining clean linen supplies on all units

All improvements result in more timely administration of patient care!

What Does This Mean For You?

• Achieving perfection in healthcare would result in an environment that is:
• Defect free – processes designed to avoid errors
• Individualized – flexible in order to meet your unique needs
• Timely – services delivered without delays
• Efficient – ability to work smarter
• Safe – excellent care provided in a perfect environment

All of these elements of an ideal healthcare system are synonymous with removing waste from a process. A Culture of Lean Thinking can help to achieve these ideal situations.