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Process Improvement and Project Management

Today's health care is increasingly turning to terminology previously common in manufacturing and engineering. Terms such as Six Sigma, PERT, CPM, and project management are rolling off the lips of hospital administrators in the same breath with updates on the nursing services and same day surgery policies. What does it mean?

At the heart of all of these terms and systems is a desire to manage the work environment, understand the variations of how processes work, and ultimately increase productivity and efficiency, improving revenue and adding to the profitability of the organization.

Within our organization, we have undertaken several projects utilizing the tools offered by John Marsh (see link below). Marsh offers a unique program known as FOCUS PDSA-an acronym which stands for the following:

F-Find a process
O-Organize a team
C-Clarify what is known about the process
U-Understand the sources of the variations
S-Select a plan

P-Plan
D-Do
S-Study
A-Act

These steps are a part of his continuous improvement toolkit.

Utilizing this program, all of the senior management (including pathologists) and several other key individuals in a variety of departments at one of our organizations, Pathology Inc. (an anatomic reference laboratory based in Southern California), were trained to become facilitators. Once trained, these facilitators became project leaders, organizing and participating in several process improvements. The following is a partial list of on-going process improvements.

Improve the client alert system
Improve the billing system
Improve data entry for cytology
Improve the workflow for the biopsy caseload

Links
Marsh and Barnes

John Marsh is an industrial engineer with a long background in process improvement and quality management. His organization provides consultative expertise and on-site management for a wide variety of industries. As a special offer, John is offering free access to first-class management learning tools.   Marsh and Barnes Inc have developed a learning portal. It gives subscribers unlimited access to over 20 years of consulting and training experience. The site comprises learning/training materials, eBooks and software all of which focus on strategy, stakeholders, process management and people development.   The annual subscription is $299 but through a special offer negotiated between Marsh and Barnes Inc and Pathology Inc., we are able to offer free, unlimited access for two-weeks.   Contact john@marshandbarnes.com for a username and password.

Baldrige National Quality Program

For many organizations, the principles outlined by this program define the concept of quality.

Paul K. Shitabata, M.D.

Last Updated March 18, 2005
 !  National Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award - a definition of excellence

What are the Baldrige criteria?
The Baldrige performance excellence criteria are a framework that any organization can use to improve overall performance. Seven categories make up the award criteria:

Leadership—Examines how senior executives guide the organization and how the organization addresses its responsibilities to the public and practices good citizenship.

Strategic planning—Examines how the organization sets strategic directions and how it determines key action plans.

Customer and market focus—Examines how the organization determines requirements and expectations of customers and markets; builds relationships with customers; and acquires, satisfies, and retains customers.

Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management—Examines the management, effective use, analysis, and improvement of data and information to support key organization processes and the organization’s performance management system.

Human resource focus—Examines how the organization enables its workforce to develop its full potential and how the workforce is aligned with the organization’s objectives.

Process management—Examines aspects of how key production/delivery and support processes are designed, managed, and improved.

Business results—Examines the organization’s performance and improvement in its key business areas: customer satisfaction, financial and marketplace performance, human resources, supplier and partner performance, operational performance, and governance and social responsibility. The category also examines how the organization performs relative to competitors.

Source: Baldrige National Quality Program

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