The Lens

The COVID-19 vaccine is on the minds of everyone around the world. Here in the US the vaccine roll out can be very different depending on state, county, or event city. We hope that by sharing work that is going on in healthcare organizations we can help others that may not be as far along in the roll out, or help others improve their processes. Today I am joined by team members from Torrance Memor...

Dr. Eric Dickson, CEO at UMass Memorial Health Care, and John Toussaint, Executive Chairman of the Board at Catalysis. We have invited them both to help us discuss the difference between continuous improvement and new care model development. Both methodologies are important for healthcare systems to utilize in order to remain competitive and relevant in the future. "We need both evolution and revo...

Steve Shortell, of the Center for Lean Engagement and Research (CLEAR), joins us to share some of the most recent research findings. Their research indicates that hospitals who are practicing lean as their continuous improvement methodology perform better on many commonly measured performance metrics. They see evidence that the greater the degree of lean practice in an organization, the lower the...

John Toussaint, MD, shares information from a recently published article in the Harvard Business Review about The Better Care Plan. This plan is based on a fixed amount paid paid to providers for each covered patient in a capitated payment model. This model also includes financial incentives for providers would improve quality and reduce total costs. 

A panel of Catalysis faculty members, including Ted Toussaint, Adam Ward, and Pete Knox join us to discuss new care model development and why this thinking is the future of healthcare delivery. New care models must be designed to meet the needs of the future healthcare environment. Process improvement techniques will not make a large enough impact to meet future demands.

Dr. Jeff Thompson, CEO Emeritus with the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI, and Catalysis Board member, discussed the importance of culture and principles in effective and sustainable organizational change. As well as the steps necessary to operationalizing a principle-based approach to culture change and continuous improvement. A principle-based approach has been valuable to many healthcar...

Lisa Yerian, MD, Chief Improvement Officer and Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Pathologist at the Cleveland Clinic, shares about how Cleveland Clinic engaged 52,000 caregivers in a culture of continuous improvement on a quest to deliver safer, more efficient, and more compassionate care. Dr. Yerian also explains how this culture has enabled the organization to remain nimble and responsive throu...

Orry Fiume former VP of Finance and Admin at Wiremold and author of the Shingo Prize winning book “Real Numbers: Management Accounting in a Lean Organization”. We are discussing ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­the importance of good metrics and how to use them.  "Not everything that counts can be counted." - Orry Fiume

COVID-19 has impacted healthcare organizations across the globe in many different ways depending on the country or region they are in. We have found that those organizations who have a management system in place and are practicing the principles and behaviors of organizational excellence have been able to more rapidly adapt to the changing needs of their communities throughout the pandemic. For ou...

The Shingo Principles are the foundation to building a culture of continuous improvement. A big part of shaping a culture that drives organizational excellence is aligning the entire organization to its big goal – its why.

A recent article on HBR written by Ken Segel and John Toussaint stated that before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the US health care industry suffered more than 550,000 work-related injuries or illnesses per year. This number is significantly greater than any other industry. Healthcare leaders can prevent work-related injuries. In this episode Ken Seagel, Managing Director at Value Capture LLC, and...

Teams all over the world are now adjusting their huddles and works systems to meet their needs in a virtual environment. Jenn Christison, Senior Director – Improvement Strategy at Seattle Children’s, and her team have been experimenting with ways they can stay connected as a team and move the work forward in a virtual environment.

Healthcare is in the midst of a massive disruption. With financial structures in tatters and the future uncertain, this is the moment to begin the revolution. But first, leaders need to learn how to support staff at all levels as they make transformational improvements in care. John Toussaint and Kim Barnas are joining me today to discuss how healthcare leaders are implementing behavior-driven str...

Catalysis Healthcare Value Network member, Christie Clinic in Champaign, IL, used to see full waiting rooms as a sign of success, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed their perspective. They have put many process changes in place to limit exposure to the virus. Now their goal is to have empty waiting rooms as a way to keep patients and staff safe. In this episode Michelle Antonacci, Director of Clini...

The COVID-19 pandemic turned many of our lives upside down and inside out, which highlighted the need for leaders to be able to help their staff by translating behavior and shifting thinking to help keep work environments positive for everyone. Today Kerri Burchill, Organizational Development Leader at Southern Illinois Health, will share a methodology that leaders can use to help staff who are st...

Jeremiah Hargrave, Process Improvement leader at Torrance Memorial in California, will talk with us about how they were able to help meet two core strategies; no layoffs and meet PPE needs by practicing their core values and continuous improvement practices. Check out this related article " Can You Answer These Five Questions? ," by John Toussaint

Catalysis faculty member and author of Patient-Centered Strategy , Jeff Hunter to discuss some of the questions that he has been hearing from healthcare leaders on how COVID-19 is and should impact their strategy deployment process.

Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in New York City has built a culture of improvement on a foundation of principles. In this podcast Maytal Rand, Emergency Manager, shares the story of their Haircuts for Heroes program. This is just one of the ways that they are showing respect for their staff during the stressful time COVID-19 has presented. This story presents evidence of their strong culture and...

Jane Jerzak, a partner with Wipfli, CPAs and Consultants, shares funding opportunities that are available for healthcare organizations to help with the significant financial burden that the COVID-19 is causing. Jane works with healthcare organizations in both larger communities and rural settings.

We continue the discussion with Lucy Xenophon, Chief Transformation Officer, Brian Radbill, Incident Commander and CMO, and Art Gianelli, President, from Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in New York City. Being in New York City puts them at the heart of the crisis. They share what they are doign to support front line staff, how their improvement team has supported the organization during this time...

Lucy Xenophon, Chief Transformation Officer, Brian Radbill, Incident Commander and CMO, and Art Gianelli, President, from Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in New York City share learings from the COVID-19 pandemic. Being in New York City puts them at the heart of the crisis. Hear about the current state at the hospital as well as advice they have for preparing for a possible surge of COVID-19 pati...

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed lives for everyone across the globe and has hit the healthcare industry hard. Our Catalysis Healthcare Value Network members have shared a lot of standard work and other information with us that can be helpful for hospitals all over the world. We are grateful for the hardworking healthcare professionals who are working tirelessly under difficult circumstances. Cat...

In this episode we discuss the management system at the model cell level with Kim Barnas, author of Beyond Heroes, and CEO at Catalysis.  If you use the model cell approach to implementing a management system you are able to see where your opportunities to improve are and are able to work those out before you spread to other areas. Each time you spread the management system to an new area or...

The Model Cell is a critical first step in an organization’s transformation journey. It serves as a test center where operations can experiment with ideas, embrace failure as a path to learning, and put new concepts into action. This area will become the demonstration site as you spread continuous improvement throughout the organization. It is important to support this team to develop behaviors an...

The improvement team is more than a group of people who carry a toolbox to support operations with the improvement process. This team supports both the senior leadership team and that model cell through out the cultural transformation by teaching and coaching to ensure that everyone in the organization has the knowledge and skills, and practices the necessary behaviors to propel and sustain the cu...