Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Satisfaction

by Mark Graban

Winner of a 2009 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Prize Drawing on his years of working with hospitals, Mark Graban explains why and how Lean can be used to improve safety, quality, and efficiency in a healthcare setting. After highlighting the benefits of Lean methods for patients, employees, physicians, and the hospital itself, he explains how Lean manufacturing staples such as Value Stream Mapping and process observation can help hospital personnel identify and eliminate waste in their own processes ― effectively preventing delays for patients, reducing wasted motion for caregivers, and improving the quality of care. Additionally, Graban describes how Standardized Work and error-proofing can prevent common hospital errors and details root cause problem-solving and daily improvement processes that can engage all personnel in systemic improvement. A unique guide for healthcare professionals, Lean Hospitals clearly elaborates the steps they can take to begin the proactive process of Lean implementation. The book has an accompanying website with more information. Mark Graban was quoted in a July 2010 New York Times article about lean hospitals. *Given the increase in candidates from the health services sector, the Lean Certification and Oversight Appeals committee has approved Lean Hospitals by Mark Graban as recommended reading in pursuit of the Lean Bronze Certification exam. Mark Graban speaks about his book on the CRC Press YouTube channel.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Business, Science

280 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2008

About the author

Mark Graban is a consultant, author, keynote speaker, and blogger in the world of “Lean Healthcare.” In June 2011, Mark joined the software company KaiNexus as their “Chief Improvement Officer,” to help further their mission of “making improvement easier” in healthcare organizations, while continuing his other consulting and speaking activities.

He is the author of the book Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Engagement (Productivity Press), which was selected for a 2009 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award and is being translated into seven languages. A 2nd revised edition was released in November, 2011. Mark has also co-authored a new book, titled “Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements,” released in June 2012. He is the founder and lead blogger and podcaster at LeanBlog.org, started in January 2005.

Mark earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University as well as an MS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the MIT Sloan Leaders for Global Operations Program (previously known as Leaders for Manufacturing). Mark has worked in automotive (General Motors), the PC industry (Dell), and industrial products (Honeywell). At Honeywell, Mark was certified as a “Lean Expert” (Lean Black Belt).

Since August 2005, Mark has worked exclusively in healthcare, where he has coached lean teams at client sites in North America and the United Kingdom, including medical laboratories, hospitals, and primary care clinics. From 2005 to 2009, Mark was a senior consultant with ValuMetrix Services, a division of Johnson & Johnson and he currently consults independently and in conjunction with the firm Lean Pathways.

Mark’s motivation is to apply Lean and Toyota Production System principles to improve quality of care and patient safety, to improve the customer/patient experience, to help the development of medical professionals and employees, and to help build strong organizations for the long term.

From June 2009 to June 2011, Mark was a Senior Fellow with the Lean Enterprise Institute, a not-for-profit educational organization that is a leading voice in the Lean world. Mark served as the LEI’s “Chief Engineer” for healthcare activities, including workshops, web & social media, and other publications. Mark also served as the Director of Communication & Technology for the Healthcare Value Network, a collaboration of healthcare organizations from across North America, a partnership between LEI and the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. Mark continues as an LEI faculty member.

Mark is a popular speaker at conferences and private healthcare meetings. He has guest lectured at schools including MIT and Wharton and has served as a faculty member for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. He has been quoted and interviewed in many publications, including Health Affairs and the New York Times.

Mark and his wife live in San Antonio, Texas.

See: http://www.markgraban.com/about-mark-...

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have heard about Toyota methods and the concept of Lean management, this is a readable book with good examples of how this works in healthcare. I am very glad I took the time to read through it, since often a buzz word is thrown out just before violating the principles (every heard of a cross the board 5% budget cut, or let's put up a sign so people don't forget?)
I am glad to see that this includes a value for people, and for patients and quality. I have often heard it presented without that insight.
In the end, I think that this is an important start, but only the start. I am drawn toward the language of Highly Reliable Organizations. Until the next Tag Phrase(TM) comes along.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the same time I am also reading a book called the Basics of Process Improvement. I think this book has done a much better job of laying out the basics in healthcare than other books have. It gives many real world examples and the chapter by chapter explanations give clear representation of the methodologies, philosophies and techniques that go into effectively using Process Improvement and Lean in a hospital.

[Astari Mayang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read for a reference book.

[Kelie Tabangay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for Lean Certification at work. Very interesting and informative.

[Melsene G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about the Lean method for hospital folks. The chapters are fairly easy to read and absorb, and each ends with a summary and conclusion. There is a glossary at the back which I found very helpful as well. If you're already involved with Lean, this is a good refresher. If you're new to Lean, this will give you an excellent overview and details on how to effectuate Lean at your hospital.

If you're not sure what Lean is, here is the definition: "A quality and process improvement methodology, based on the Toyota Production System, that emphasizes customer needs, improving quality, and reducing time delays and costs, all through continuous improvement and employee involvement."

Lean can and should be applied in many other businesses, it's not just for manufacturing or hospitals!

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to LEAN applications in the hospital field. The descriptions are clear and the examples are relevant. I think people who want to understand how a manufacturing process can be applied competently to a hospital/healthcare environment.

[Mike Thelen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good reference for 'non-manufacturing' scenarios. I remember sharing my first copy with my mother, an RN. I never got that copy back. All she kept doing was referencing how they should be doing the things Mark noted in his book.