Using Lean Principles in Health Care

LEAN Principles of Health Care is the application of basic LEAN principles and tenets to health care settings, where regulatory and economic changes require hospitals, health systems and the leaders who manage them to look at problems from new perspectives and apply unique solutions. Students of the course get a basic understanding of LEAN methodology and how it is applied in other industries, with the aim to apply these lessons to real world health care issues. Leaders who can embrace and utilize LEAN methods will be better positioned for advancement and higher compensation as a result of their uniquely acquired set of skills. Companies enjoy an immediate impact to their work flows and hospital economics as a result of empowering students who complete the LEAN course to initiate and implement necessary changes to their health practice. Application of these methods should benefit the practice with more efficient flows, faster output of services, and lower costs.

COURSE OBJECTIVE
Within the ever-changing landscape of U.S. health care delivery lies the need to adjust business practices to accommodate the varying (and often competing) needs of patient, clinical, legal, regulatory, business and reporting requirements. The right application of health care administrative policy and philosophy can ensure that, amid current and future changes in the sector, your hospital operation is prepared to not only survive, but flourish.

COURSE SYNOPSIS
Drawing on decades of experience in strategic consulting, investment banking, operational management and health care leadership, the instructor for this course brings real life cases, lessons and experiences to the course to provide meaningful, applicable knowledge for course attendees to implement. The case studies and examples given illustrate the challenges, dynamics and opportunities present in today’s health care environment. .

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Course participants will benefit from this course by understanding the driving forces in the current US health care market, and how to adopt practice policies that harness those forces for better run, more profitable hospitals that provide greater care and benefit to its patients.

Course participants should leave this course with a keen thought process of systems-based strategic thinking, value creation and waste minimization.

PREREQUISITES
Participants in the course should have completed undergraduate studies in business or a health care-related field, or should have equivalent experience, along with a basic understanding of clinical operations and practices. Graduate study in a similar field is recommended.

PARTICIPATION & MATERIALS
The 2-day program is built around a practical explanation of “lean” methodologies and its applicability to health care settings. Prior to class, a set of articles will be provided by the instructor that is pertinent to the course’s studies. Additional material may be provided in class for further reading. The student will be further enriched, and gain greater value from the course, having read these articles and come prepared to discuss them in class.

COST
$2,840

INSTRUCTOR
Larry Rook, MBA, PMP | Bio

DAY ONE: Lean Concepts and Value

Day one’s topics address Lean methodology, how it is used in its intended industries, and the core concepts that define the Lean method. The core principle of Value is defined, and we will begin applying these concepts to the health care environment. A case is used throughout the lesson to illustrate concepts, perspectives and the dynamics affecting the decision-making process of health care workers.

• Lean: a Background and History
• Lean: its use in Engineering, Technology and Tech Startups
• Lean Concept I: The One Goal
• Lean Concept II: MVP
  • Case Study:
• Lean Concept III: Resource Expenditure
  • Case Study:
  • Bonus Round: ERAS
• Lean Concept IV: Quality Control
  • Case Study: “Team of Teams”
• Value Defined
  • Case Study: “That’s a good looking corpse”

*Part of the value of any higher education course is the opportunity to network with your classmates and peers, exchange ideas and information, and discuss opportunities for future collaboration, career growth, etc. To this end, an unofficial meetup after class will be available to interested students to facilitate this free flow of information. Details will be given in class.

DAY TWO: Application to Health Care Environments

Day two’s activities center on the application of Lean concepts to real world problems. Focus will be given to methods of implementing Lean concepts, and the nuances of each. Course attendees will work in groups throughout the day to solve given problems that arise from real life examples.

• Lean Application I:
  • Group Work:
• Lean Application II:
  • Group Work:
• Lean Application III:
  • Group Work:

COURSE ASSESSMENT

Participants in the course will be graded upon the following guidelines:

80% Group Activity Score
10% Course Participation
10% Course Attendance

The group activity will encompass material assimilated during the course as well as reading material provided before class and/or outside of class. Scores will be based upon a combination of group engagement, application of course material and innovation within the framework of the group’s assigned problem.