Lean Six Sigma

Lean is the relentless pursuit of the "ideal condition" through the continual elimination of "waste." An adaptation of the Toyota Production System, Lean requires changes to one's thinking and actions in order to produce a culture of systematic continuous improvement and problem solving.

Lean Management, therefore, is the approach whereby administrators, managers, and other staff members seek to change the way their organizations think about delivery processes, see systems and processes, and equip their organizations with the tools necessary to transform this new thinking into reality.

Becoming a Lean organization is not a quick fix or one-time solution. This systematic approach allows you to look at processes from a more global view in order to identify non-value added activities and to put improvements in place. The Lean approach involves all members of an organization so that everyone becomes invested in the solutions and understands the impact of them. Ultimately, Lean can help improve safety and quality; responsiveness and speed; productivity and cost.

As healthcare organizations begin to implement health reforms over the next few years, they will require capable, well-trained administrators to lead them through the process. Quality thresholds, oversight measures, transparency requirements, coordination of care, and changes in funding and reimbursement are but a few examples of the fundamental and systematic shift away from how healthcare currently functions.

Healthcare organizations, professionals, and students who have successfully completed the Lean Management or Six Sigma certificates will be better equipped to face the challenges inherent to such changes in the industry. Successful participants of the program will have the tools necessary to improve efficiency through the elimination of non-value-added activities and waste, thereby allowing the organization to focus on improving patient care.