Mindfulness is all about paying attention. It's amazing what can be accomplished when mindfulness is applied to systems that need all the attention they can get. If there's an industry that needs some CPR and TLC, it's healthcare.
Cindy Jimmerson is a 30-year trauma nurse who is passionate about streamlining healthcare processes. Her consulting company, Lean HealthCare West, is blasting through always-done-it-that-way thinking to reduce waiting time for patients, eliminate staff errors, and save hospitals and patients millions of dollars.
She is the Queen of Lean in hospitals, and she's on a mission to improve the health of our country's largest industry--$1.76 trillion in 2002, and soon to explode as the baby-boomers hit their sixties.
When it comes to looking for powerful tools for transforming processes, we're fortunate to have a proven model that continues to outperform peers around the world. The Toyota Production System was originally developed by an American, W. Edwards Deming, who couldn't get anyone in the U.S. to pay attention to his approach. The Japanese listened and learned. Today, TPS continues to propel industries toward greater productivity, less waste, improved quality, and increased workplace appreciation.
Cindy's firm takes TPS straight to the ER and beyond. Now, you might think that a model focusing on getting product moved through the assembly line more efficiently is completely inappropriate for handling human patients. You would be dead wrong.
TPS focuses on adding value to what matters most--in this case, caring for patients. In doing so, it takes a hard look at every step taken which results in less contact with those who need care. The customer is king, and in healthcare, the customer is the patient. Instead of developing ways to make hospitals more profitable by relegating the patient to widget status, TPS restores the patient as the primary focus. How refreshing!
There's a common misconception that people do not like change. I happen to love rearranging rooms every season. However, I'd probably get a little cranky if I walked into my house and found that someone else had moved all the furniture.
The real story is that people do not like change that is imposed upon them, but they appreciate being part of the solution. Employees using TPS love having the opportunity to creatively explore options that allow them to perform their work with greater efficiency. And why not? It helps them reconnect to the best parts of their job.
Toyota walks its talk. It would be one thing if the company had a policy of being "open to suggestions" while rarely making any changes. But Toyota consistently acts on its employees' recommendations. In fact, the most recent figures indicate that the company implemented 99% of its yearly total of over 700,000 employee ideas!
That same emphasis on valuing the knowledge and experience of employees and trusting them to develop better processes is the key to tackling healthcare's estimated waste--a whopping 50%.
TPS is mindfulness in action--paying attention to extra steps, inconvenient sequences, and indirect communication. The best part? Anyone can do it.
Doctors, nurses and other hospital workers are hard-working, compassionate people who are committed to providing their patients with top-notch care. Broken systems get in the way. Mindful management can repair those systems, and in the process, everyone wins.
Mindfulness at work? It works.
Talk to your doctor about getting lean.
About The Author
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse offering specialized mindfulness training to indiviuals and corporate groups in the Pacific Northwest. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com. To learn more about lean healthcare, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com
http://www.massageyourmind.com
cheap limo service Lombard .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare1. What is my BMI and how do I calculate... Read More
If you have recently found yourself fretting over your child's... Read More
Telling yourself you have to "struggle with this weight issue... Read More
Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make... Read More
I just finished working my quads on a weight machine.... Read More
The following are diet tips that can help you shape... Read More
Tip 1) DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACKThis... Read More
This is a continuation of the article entitled, "Making Diets... Read More
Food cravings are crafty -- they appear from nowhere and... Read More
I know, I know. What a crazy question!Considering that we've... Read More
With millions of people aiming for successful weight loss, many... Read More
America is in a health care crisis. More than 60... Read More
Have you heard about coconut oil diets yet? People are... Read More
My first article provided steps for fast healthy weight loss.... Read More
How would you like Julia Roberts to coach you on... Read More
All of the things we tell sick people so that... Read More
A few months ago, I set out to lose 22.6... Read More
One thing I really must say at the outset of... Read More
Speculating on the scientifically proven memory unreliability, the memory specialist... Read More
For the past 20 years, the American public has been... Read More
You won't believe what happened to me today!I was getting... Read More
Cellulite is probably one of the most embarrassing of all... Read More
There's a two hundred year history of people prescribing both... Read More
There are lots of dieters, trying every sort of plan... Read More
The most common and popular diet fad over the past... Read More
limo O'Hare Glen Ellyn ..Ephedra and Ephedrine consumers are still under the assumption that... Read More
Exercising too hardThis is probably the most common mistake. As... Read More
So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism... Read More
At around ?350 pounds a treatment, Lipo-Dissolve the so called... Read More
What is the best form of physical activity?The best form... Read More
When on a diet, snack attacks can hit hard and... Read More
Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More
This year, we all made some of the typical New... Read More
You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More
New Medical Research shows high-intensity exercise can increase the body's... Read More
Include in your diet things that contain more water like... Read More
If only we could solve this question, the world (for... Read More
What is negative calorie effect? Whatever food we eat,... Read More
When Instant Results Take TimeYesterday I decided to "get back... Read More
I'm sure you have pondered this question, for it is... Read More
Yes, my healthy diet has at times suffered at the... Read More
When embarking on a weight loss program people will almost... Read More
Are you committed to losing weight and keeping it off?... Read More
How to Estimate How Many Calories You Can Have and... Read More
I personal lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
Sometimes, just the thought of starting on a diet and... Read More
For those of you who aren't familiar with ephedra let... Read More
A common claim from gastric bypass detractors is that after... Read More
If you're taking a fiber supplement or eating a high... Read More
If winter hibernation tends to pack on the pounds, take... Read More
Weight Loss |