Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement

As part of our ongoing commitment to advance the quality patient care, safety, and service excellence, the University of Rochester Medical Center became one of the first healthcare systems in the region to implement a Lean Six Sigma program into its corporate and clinical environments.

Many Six Sigma process improvement projects are now underway. These include pediatrics discharge, perioperative safety and surgical infection prevention, and acute care discharges to nursing homes for transition care.

Well-known in the corporate world, but less common in the healthcare industry, Six Sigma develops a culture within the organization that is committed to reducing defects and improving customer service. A rigorous and a systematic methodology, Lean Six Sigma utilizes information and statistical analysis to measure and improve a company's operational performance, practices, and systems by identifying and preventing defects in processes.

Increased performance and decreased process variation leads to defect reduction and significant improvements in operational efficiency, employee morale and quality of care, and ultimately in an excellent level of patient satisfaction. A process that operates at true Six Sigma levels produced acceptable quality levels over 99.9997 percent of the time.

Consistent with Strong’s longstanding commitment to deliver safe, high-quality care, implementation of a Lean Six Sigma program underscores the importance the health system places on excellence initiatives. Using this methodology, Strong is aiming to reduce process variation and "non-value added" activities in its clinical and business processes to shorten cycle times, reduce costs, and improve quality of care and patient outcomes.