This is the first example of the lean system application in the healthcare system in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Lean Society Forum 2013. The curiosity of a doctor, also manager of the St. Joseph’s Hospital in San Daniele from Friuli, Italy, led him to contact auxiell’s lean experts along with the Hospital’s Management Board; thus arose a highly practical training program involving over 100 staff members including doctors, nurses and other medical staff, beginning with the general medicine units, and after with the surgery unit.
The 5Ss in the Emergency Room, internal medicine department and storerooms, made it possible involving everyone with unexpected results and enthusiasm.
Mapping the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, knee arthroplasty and hysterectomy flows made it possible to discover the hidden muda in every phase of the process and immediately set in with simple but effective standardisation activities.
Measuring takt-time in the ER showed that triage is not really the solution to the long waiting time problem (…indeed!) and allowed participants to map the future state that will, once implemented, ensure all patients’ access within maximum 20 minutes!
It was interesting noticing that some of the resources, initially not very fond of the project (“We save lives, we don’t build cars!”) became the changing drivers of the process, able to implement simple, yet effective visual management tools.
Thanks to (all) the staff involved, we can affirm that the auxiell lean system principles, techniques and tools are also applicable in contexts apparently unrelated to production of goods, and can be managed with a private enterprise mentality. An example.
