Experts Available to Discuss Keen to Be Lean; Desperate to Cut Costs, Hospital CFOs are Turning to an Unlikely Source: the "Lean Management" Principles Championed by Manufacturers

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ExpertSource:

TOPIC:

An article in CFO Magazine by Josh Hyatt describes the lean
manufacturing-inspired measures some healthcare CFOs are taking to cut costs.
One such organization, ThedaCare, learned efficiency from nearby snowblower
manufacturer Ariens. So-called lean manufacturing was pioneered by Toyota and is
now used in many U.S. companies.

Although cost cutting is provoked by such developments as ever-tighter Medicare
reimbursement policies, the lean approach is a source of anxiety for those who
consider it not only improbably but possibly dangerous. "A lot of the anxiety
about lean comes from the fear that all of the methods from Toyota will be
copied," says Mark Graban, a former industrial engineer who has worked in
manufacturing as well as health care and who is now a senior fellow at the
nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute. "But hospitals are implementing lean
methods to help them support what they are trying to do, not to make them into
any less of a caring environment."

The article goes on to document how lean methods could work in a hospital
setting through the use of cross-functional teams, streamlining activities that
consist of repeatable steps (e.g., patient registration), or developing more
standardized methods for such procedures as sterilizing and restocking supplies.

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on
this story:

Dr.JohnToussaint, ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value

John Toussaint, MD, is founder and president of the ThedaCare Center for
Healthcare Value. From 2000 to 2008, Dr. Toussaint served as president and chief
executive officer of ThedaCare, Inc., a community-owned, four-hospital health
system including 21 physician clinics, hospices and other facilities. During his
tenure as president and CEO, Dr. Toussaint introduced the ThedaCare Improvement
System (TIS), which is derived from the Toyota Production system. This model of
continuous improvement helped save more than $27 million dollars in healthcare
costs by reducing errors, improving outcomes, and delivering better quality
care. Under Dr. Toussaint`s watch, ThedaCare`s revenue grew two and a half
times. The organization received multiple quality awards including the National
Committee for Quality Assurance`s No. 1 ranking for HEDIS measures two years in
a row.

PR Contact: Chet Marchwinski
Title: Communications Director
Email: cmarchwinski@lean.org
Telephone: 617 871-2930

Mr.MarkGraban, Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI)

Mark Graban is a senior fellow at LEI, where he plays a leading role with
Healthcare Value Leaders, a nonprofit partnership between LEI and the ThedaCare
Center for Healthcare Value. He is the author of the Shingo Prize-winning book
Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Satisfaction.
Previously, Graban worked as a consultant for numerous healthcare organizations
across North America and in the United Kingdom, and continues to educate
healthcare providers and advise healthcare leaders. Graban also leads and
participates in discussions about lean healthcare on his blog. With a background
in Industrial Engineering, Graban practiced lean in various manufacturing
industries, learning how lean management methods could be translated into
different settings. And he is the author of the popular LeanBlog. He has a B.S.
in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and an M.S. in Mechanical
Engineering and an M.B.A. from MIT.

Research and Publications: Mark Graban is author of the Shingo Prize-winning
book Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee
Satisfaction. He also teaches the workshop Key Concepts of Lean in Healthcare.
Previously, he worked as a consultant for numerous healthcare organizations
across North America and in the United Kingdom. He is an active podcaster and
blogger at the leanblog.

PR Contact: Chet Marchwinski
Title: Communications Director
Email: cmarchwinski@lean.org
Telephone: 617 871-2930

Mr.JohnWilkerson, Bellwether Services

John Wilkerson is Executive Director of Bellwether Services, a globally awarded
Lean Six Sigma, Supply Chain, and Quality Strategic Management Consulting and
Advisory Firm. He is a recognized expert by ISM, ASQ, APQC, NDTA and numerous
global clients. Wilkerson has planned or mentored more than 100 cost reduction
projects in both the private and public sectors including Retail Manufacturing,
Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, Food, Beverage, Electronics, Logistics,
Chemicals, and Computer industries as well as Defense, Education, and Public
Healthcare. Wilkerson has supported due diligence in Global Supply Chain,
Manufacturing, IT, Sustainability, Cost Reduction, and Performance Improvement.
His functional expertise includes strategic planning, strategic management,
demand planning, supply planning, operations turn around, strategic sourcing,
carbon footprint reduction, business transformation, and continuous improvement.
Wilkerson is a Certified Professional Supply Management, Lean Six Sigma Master
Black Belt, Principle Quality Auditor, and Lead International Management
Consultant.

Contact Information
Name: Mr. John Wilkerson
Title: Executive Director
Email: jwilkerson@bellwether-services.com
Telephone: 404-386-2437

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