In November 2008, SNI launched its Lean Core Measures Improvement Initiative. Funded by the California HealthCare Foundation, this program will increase the internal capacity of 4 public hospitals to continuously improve on current and future publicly reported hospital quality measures, or Core Measures through June 2010. The programhas introduced and spread the use of Lean as a management strategy to streamline processes and created a more patient-focused environment that supports timely delivery of treatment and other healthcare services with optimum quality at the least cost.
The first phase of the initiative sought to improve reliable delivery of discharge processes for congestive heart failure patients and reduce their preventable re-hospitalizations. Utilizing skills learned in the first phase, hospitals in the second phase willselect other core measures to improve, such as venous thromboembolism, reducing surgical site infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Contact: Mary Gregory, Senior Program Associate