Six Sigma Healthcare Excellence

Lean SixSigma Healthcare Efficiency

Rising healthcare costs require a multi-pronged approach to control, including efficiency of the delivery systems. ...

... "Working with the area health systems to institute Lean Six Sigma to improve efficiency and quality at the major hospitals. " ...

Via Democrat & Chronicle: Medical Costs

6 Sigma Healthcare Study Shows Benefits

Healthcare association sees benefits from the application of Six Sigma methods to identify the critical levers for patient care. ...

... "In a retrospective study, Ms. Gamerdinger and colleagues from Mercy Medical Center evaluated the outcomes of a Six Sigma performance improvement project focused on compliance with JCAHO CAP Core Measures to ensure that each measure of care was met. Utilizing Six Sigma methodology, researchers identified critical processes and key stakeholders in patient care and utilized specific tools for process flow, cause/effect matrices, and outcomes analysis. The hospital also dedicated several full-time positions to the new methodology and trained more than 100 individuals in the Six Sigma program. When deviations from the Six Sigma protocol occurred, timely feedback was provided to care providers. After program implementation, researchers collected and analyzed data related to core measures, length of stay, and mortality in 1,550 patients with CAP admitted to the hospital during the study period. Results indicated that compliance scores for each JCAHO Core Measure improved from 70% to over 90%. CAP order usage improved from 40 %to 73%, yielding an 82.5% increase. Mean length of stay was reduced from 5.9 days to 5.1 days, a 13.56% reduction, which was associated with over $300,000 in cost savings. By the end of the study period, in-hospital mortality rates also decreased from 6.7% to 3.5%, a 47.8% reduction. " ...

6 Sigma decreases mortality in hospitalized patients

National Raking Attributed to Six Sigma

Fitch Ratings rates Valley Baptist Medical Center and considers the enterprise's management systems in its assessment. ...

... "Lastly, management has made Six Sigma its top strategic initiative in order to maximize performance and patient satisfaction throughout the health system. Management credits the Six Sigma method with Valley Baptist Hospital-Harlingen's #1 national ranking in the treatment of heart failure by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the recent pay-for performance demonstration project. More than 340 Valley Baptist employees have been trained in Six Sigma methodologies including 27 physicians. " ...

Via Fitch Ratings: Baptist Health System's, Texas, $94MM Ser 2007 Revs BBB; Outlook Stable

Black-Belt SixSigma at Hospital

ASQ will discuss use of Six Sigma at local hospital. ...

... "The American Society for Quality, Section 1109 will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Comfort Suites, Airport, 7619 Thorndike Road, Greensboro. ER Ralston will discuss Six Sigma Master Black Belt for N.C. Baptist Hospital. " ...

Via Winston-Salem Journal: ASQ Six Sigma Discussion

Patient Care Improvement Through Six Sigma

Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen is ranked number one in the US for treatment of heart failure, by the federal government. Six Sigma is their ingredient for success. Valley Baptist is one of the first health care organizations in the country to use the Six Sigma quality improvement program to maximize performance and customer satisfaction. Valley Baptist extends many of its services beyond its facilities and into local communities. ...

... "Valley Baptist was able to improve patient care for heart failure and heat attack patients through a process improvement program called Six Sigma. The Six Sigma method was pioneered in high-tech companies such as General Electric, with Valley Baptist being one of the first organizations in the nation to apply the program to health care. Under the leadership of its President and CEO James Springfield, Valley Baptist has made Six Sigma quality one of its top corporate initiatives in order to maximize performance and patient satisfaction throughout the health system. A total of 115 top-performing hospitals in the country will receive reward bonuses for their performance. Valley Baptist in Harlingen will receive $140,951 because of its performance in treating heart failure management and heart attack patients. " ...

Via Valley Baptist: Valley Baptist-Harlingen Ranked #1 in Nation for Heart Failure Management; Six Sigma Leads to Improvements ...

Healthcare Six Sigma Scorecard

Firms partner to control escalating health care costs through a Six Sigma program that streamlines administrative processes to lower health care costs for patients. ...

... "Drawing on a methodology called Six Sigma, used by manufacturing and other industries for eliminating procedural deficiencies, BJC HealthCare and UnitedHealthcare established a project team to identify areas for billing and payment process enhancements. The team is using Barnes-Jewish Hospital as the pilot site, examining every step of the health care process - from physician services to claims processing - to remove inefficiencies and associated costs. Using Six Sigma practices as a model, the project team has developed a scorecard to monitor progress and ensure proper implementation of the team's recommended solutions. After nine months of work, the project team's first phase was completed in the fall of 2006. BJC plans to implement the team's recommendations at all 13 of its hospitals. " ...

Via UnitedHealthcare: BJC HealthCare and UnitedHealthcare Partner to Streamline Administrative Processes and Lower Health Costs

Healthcare Six Sigma: Customer Needs ...

Hospital adds new diagnostic imaging capabilities, using GE's medical equipment, which has been designed to customer specifications using Six Sigma quality ...

... "GE Medical Systems used Six Sigma customer-driven quality standards to study the clinical needs of customers and create a product to meet those needs. " ...

Via Canton Daily Ledger: New PET/CT technology at Graham Hospital offers improved cancer diagnosis, treatment ...

Training Opportunity: Six Sigma Process ...

Funding grants are available for Six Sigma process improvement training ...

... "Business services and healthcare organizations are also encouraged to apply for funds to train employees in process improvement initiatives such as lean manufacturing, ISO and Six Sigma. Organizations in these industries can request up to $25,000 per application for training that can be completed in 12 months or less. " ...

Via Democrat & Chronicle: Business

Via ETA: Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Announces $195 Million for President Bush's Competitiveness Agenda: "The goal of the WIRED initiative is to transform regional economies by enlisting the skills of the numerous and varied players in those economies to research and produce long-term strategic plans that prepare workers for high-skill, high-wage opportunities in the coming years and into the next decade. "

Six Sigma Michigan Healthcare ...

MICHIGAN MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTER shares its experience with Six Sigma in local hospitals. ...

... "Throughout 2005/06, the MMTC orchestrated a state-sponsored LEAN/Six Sigma Healthcare pilot program involving four Northern Michigan community hospitals. The pilot improvement program was led by MMTC over an 8-month period, engaging more than 200 hospital personnel throughout the training and implementation process. Collectively, the hospitals anticipate $2.8 to $4.1 million in positive impact to their operations. Noted process improvements include: increased surgical capacities, improved patient satisfaction along with faster emergency room care, quicker lab results and shorter patient wait times for specialty clinic appointments." ...

Via MMTC: MMTC Seeks Participants for 2nd Round of LEAN/Six Sigma Healthcare Program With Hopes to Exceed Success of $2.8 Million in Positive Impact for Michigan Hospitals

Lean Six Sigma Culture ...

Upcoming seminar on Lean and Six Sigma culture ...

... "Aug. 17: ASSOCIATION FOR OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DINNER MEETING -- 5:30 p.m., Embassy Suites North on Michigan Road at Interstate 465. Program: Introducing the Lean and Six Sigma Culture to Healthcare. Speaker: Christine Corum. " ...

Lean Six Sigma Culture: Via Topics: Business planner ...

SixSigma Quality Healthcare ...

H. Edward Hanway, chairman and chief executive officer of CIGNA Corporation. seeks quality health and healthcare as a collaborative effort for employers, employees, health care providers and insurers. ...

... "In a keynote address delivered last week at the Global Six Sigma Summit in Las Vegas, NV, Hanway said, it's not a stretch to suggest that what happens at the micro level in the health care industry has an impact -- for better or worse -- of macro proportions. Refocusing on quality: Hanway called on the health care industry to stop focusing exclusively on costs, asserting that improving quality will actually reduce costs. As proof, he pointed to CIGNA's experience with continuous quality improvement, as engendered by Six Sigma principles. Since implementing Six Sigma and other quality-centered methodologies corporate-wide in 2002, CIGNA has realized annualized savings of $100 million, by significantly improving operations against a variety of metrics. At the same time, the quality of care and services delivered to CIGNA's members has been ranked at the top of the industry by independent organizations " ...

SixSigma Quality Healthcare: Via CIGNA: CIGNA CEO Links Health Care Quality to Nation's Economic Health: Says improving quality leads to better health and productivity, while reducing costs ...

SixSigma Healthcare Quality Improvement ...

Six Sigma improvement is enabled through seamless access for quality data. M.C. Moewe explores the improvement initiatives underway in healthcare, through information from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida CEO Dr. Robert Lufrano. ...

... "Lufrano also is a proponent of Six Sigma, a business improvement process popularized by former General Electric Co. CEO Jack Welch, whose book Winning sits on a shelf in his office along with titles by other leaders, such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Lufrano cited Six Sigma in explaining his company's recent announcement to cut administrative costs by 5 percent to 8 percent in 2006. " ...

SixSigma Healthcare Quality Improvement: Educating consumers: Via MSNBC ...

Healthcare Quality Program: Six Sigma ...

MedAvant develops healthcare quality program, based on Six Sigma. ...

Healthcare Quality Program: Six Sigma: Via Medavant: ProxyMed Now Doing Business as MedAvant Healthcare Solutions: Company Releases New Strategic Direction to Deliver Provider-Focused Solutions that Facilitate Real-Time Processing, Promote High Quality and Reduce the Costs of Healthcare ...

... "In addition, MedAvant will be implementing a quality program based on Six Sigma led by the black belts currently on staff. We are very excited to put these pieces together to lower the costs of healthcare for everyone and extend real-time processing capabilities to all our clients. " ...

MedAvant (NASDAQ:PILL - News) is a provider-focused healthcare technology company that delivers healthcare transaction processing, medical cost containment services and business process outsourcing solutions to physicians, payers, pharmacies, medical laboratories and other healthcare suppliers. To facilitate these services, MedAvant operates Phoenix(TM), a highly scalable and secure national information platform, which supports real-time direct connectivity and transaction processing between healthcare clients.

Operational Performance Management Software: Enable Six Sigma Initiatives ...

Pilot Software enables Sovereign's Six Sigma initiative with its operational performance management software. ...

Operational Performance Management Software: Enable Six Sigma Initiatives: Pilot Software Selected by South Africa-based Sovereign Health for its Performance Management Needs: Reinforces Pilot’s global presence, healthcare performance management expertise ...

... "Pilot® Software, the original provider of operational performance management solutions, today announced that South Africa-based Sovereign Health Pty Ltd has selected Pilot Software’s operational performance management solution to further its corporate objectives and leadership within the market. " ...

With more than 40 years’ experience in healthcare administration, Sovereign Health Pty Ltd remains focused on differentiating and distinguishing itself as the best and first at whatever it does. The company was the first healthcare administrator in South Africa to adopt Six Sigma process efficiency improvement initiatives; the first and only South African healthcare administrator to be conferred with the coveted ISO9001:2000 certification; and the first South African company to be certified to the internationally acclaimed information security management system, the BS7799 . Sovereign Health currently administers four open and seven closed medical schemes, accounting for over 105,000 members.

Pilot is the leader in operational performance management solutions for customer operations, public sector, and Web channel organizations. The culmination of more than 15 years of development and industry expertise — starting with the first-ever performance management solution deployed — Pilot’s patent-pending solutions dramatically improve performance by rapidly aligning day-to-day execution with strategic objectives. Pilot’s operational alignment framework includes software components for strategy plans and pathways; initiative management and prioritization; scorecards and dashboards; reports and ad hoc analysis; and modeling and integration.

Six Sigma RFID Read Rates: Pharma Healthcare Performance ....

TagSys is achieving Six Sigma performance levels with its RFID tag read rates in the pharmaceutical and healthcare environments. ...

Six Sigma RFID Read Rates: Pharma Healthcare Performance: Via TAGSYS RFID: TAGSYS Receives Product Quality Innovation Award for its Complete Turnkey RFID Solutions in the Pharmaceuticals Market ...

... "TAGSYS is involved in the development of RFID standards with various regulatory organizations such as the International Standards Organization (ISO) and EPCglobal, remarks Gouthaman. The company's product range conforms to the ISO 18000 standard specifications and it has also successfully achieved Six Sigma levels of performance on its read rates for various pharmaceutical and healthcare applications. " ...

Exec Appointment: Six Sigma Background: Del Global Tech ...

Exec Appointment: Six Sigma Background: Del Global Tech: Via Del Global Technologies Corporation: Del Global Technologies Appoints Christoper N. Japp Preseident of Del Medical Systems Group: Mr. Japp To Lead Company’s Strategic Global Sales Initiative ...

... "Mr. Japp comes to Del Global from St. Jude Medical International, where he served as Vice President, Cardiac Surgery since 2003. During his tenure, he led efforts to increase international sales, broaden new business opportunities, and develop and implement sales incentive plans. From 1990 to 2003, he held positions of increasing responsibility at GE Healthcare, including management and sales positions in Canada, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. Mr. Japp was promoted to General Manager, CT (Computer Tomography) Advanced Applications Products in 2001. Mr. Japp is Six Sigma Certified and has a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. " ...

SixSigma Quality Codelink BioArrays ...

SixSigma Quality Codelink BioArrays: Ambion and GE Healthcare Announce Licensing and Supply Agreeement to Advance Micro-RNA Microarray Research ...

... "Ambion, Inc., an Austin-based life sciences company that develops technologies for RNA analysis, and GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), today announced that they had entered into a license and supply agreement under which GE Healthcare will manufacture for Ambion microRNA (miRNA) microarrays utilizing GE Healthcare’s CodeLink™ Bioarray technology. ... GE Healthcare manufactures CodeLink bioarrays with Six Sigma tools to ensure that every bioarray complies to design and quality specifications. All CodeLink bioarrays are arrayed on an exclusive 3-D aqueous gel matrix, which ensures enhanced interaction between probe and target simulating liquid phase hybridization kinetics. The result is accurate and reproducible biological assays. " ...

Six Sigma Education: Center Learning Innovation ...

Via North Shore LIJ Health System: Hofstra Partners With North Shore-LIJ Health System To Launch New Healthcare MBA Programs: New Programs Indicative of a Growing Trend; Programs First of Their Kind on Long Island ...

... "The North Shore-LIJ Health System has demonstrated a strong commitment to educating its healthcare professionals as part of its ongoing mission of delivering superior quality healthcare to those it serves. In cooperation with GE Medical Systems and the Harvard School of Public Health, the health system has fostered a culture of lifelong learning among its employees through its Center for Learning and Innovation (CLI). The CLI is modeled after successful corporate universities in the business sector and is the largest of its kind in the healthcare industry. It includes a Six Sigma Institute to manage process improvement, change management, and a wide variety of clinical, management education and leadership development programs. " ...

Hofstra University is an independent, dynamic, private University with more than 13,000 students in more than 130 undergraduate and 140 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communications, education and allied human services, law, and honors studies. With a student-faculty ratio of 14:1, professors teach small classes that emphasize interaction, critical thinking, and development of judgment. At Hofstra, students have access to the resources they need: high-speed, readily available access to the Internet, excellent library resources, and state-of-the-art classrooms and learning and laboratory facilities. With a diverse mix of students, Hofstra University's vibrant campus hosts a wide selection of cultural, social, and athletic activities, providing students with the full college experience.

The nation's third largest, non-profit, secular healthcare system, the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System provides care for people at all stages of illness throughout Long Island, Queens and Staten Island – a service area encompassing more than five million people. The health system includes 15 hospitals, four long-term care facilities, a medical research institute, four trauma centers, five home health agencies and dozens of out-patient centers. North Shore-LIJ facilities house more than 6,000 beds, and are staffed by over 7,000 physicians, 10,000 nurses and a total workforce of more than 38,000 -- the largest employer on Long Island and the ninth largest in New York City.

Six Sigma Gains Accrue ...

Six Sigma Gains Accrue: ATS Automation Tooling Systems reports strong first quarter earnings growth on modest advance in revenue ...

... "As expected, the effect of some of these more significant initiatives will require time before the benefits will begin to be realized in the form of improved operating results. Gains are expected to accrue from its ongoing enhancement initiatives resulting from the application of Six Sigma, improved equipment utilization, and other cost savings measures. PCG continues to progress towards improved profitability; " ...

ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. is the industry's leading designer and producer of turn-key automated manufacturing and test systems, which are used primarily by multinational corporations operating in a variety of industries including: automotive, computer/electronics, healthcare, and consumer products. ATS is also an emerging leader in the rapidly growing market for solar energy cells and modules. The Company also makes precision components and subassemblies using its own custom-built manufacturing systems, process knowledge and automation technology. ATS employs approximately 4,200 people at 26 manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

SixSigma DFSS Disciplined Methodology ...

SixSigma DFSS Disciplined Methodology: Microvision: Alexander Tokman Joins Microvision as President and Chief Operating Officer; Former GE Executive Strengthens Management Team ...

... "As one of GE's Six Sigma and Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) pioneers, Mr. Tokman drove the quality culture change across GE Healthcare as a certified Black Belt and Master Black Belt in the late 90's. Six Sigma and DFSS are highly disciplined methodologies, processes and tools that focus on developing and delivering products and services that are characterized by high performance, quality, reliability and serviceability all of which result in higher customer acceptance and satisfaction. Mr. Tokman has a both a M.S. and B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. " ...

Headquartered in Bothell, Washington, Microvision, Inc. is the world leader in the development of high-resolution displays and imaging systems based on the company's proprietary silicon micro-mirror technology. The company's technology has applications in a broad range of military, medical, industrial, professional and consumer products. Microvision and its scanned beam display technology have been recognized by IEEE Spectrum Magazine as one of "10 tech companies for the next 10 years."

Six Sigma Pricing Settlement Software ...

ENTERGY IMPLEMENTS IQNAVIGATOR TO MANAGE AND CONTROL SPENDING IN MULTIPLE SERVICES CATEGORIES: IQNavigator6 supports field services and staff augmentation categories within a single platform: IQNavigator - Leader in Services Procurement and Optimization Solutions ...

... "Our field services require a flexible unit of measure pricing and settlement approach . Our suppliers may be paid by the number of miles they have trimmed or by a specific service they have provided, said Brian Duckett, manager of supply chain, process analysis, and six sigma for Entergy. IQNavigator6 supports these unique requirements while enforcing internal policies and procedures to provide consistency across our organization. " ...

Founded in 1999, IQNavigator provides services procurement and optimization solutions to Fortune 500 companies such as Shell, Northrop Grumman, Sony Electronics, Schlumberger and Alcatel. The company's award- winning suite of integrated applications enables companies to increase profitability by reducing and controlling costs for all types of outside services spending worldwide. IQNavigator has a successful track record for delivering a compelling and fast return on investment, as well as adaptable process control, enterprise-wide financial analysis and enhanced performance. The company is recognized as an industry pioneer and offers deep domain expertise in key market segments such as financial services, energy, healthcare, manufacturing and aerospace/defense. IQNavigator is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Six Sigma Healthcare Balanced Scorecards ...

Six Sigma Healthcare Balanced Scorecards: Atlantic Health System to rev up balanced scorecard with SAS

... "The SAS Performance Management for Healthcare solution enables organizational leaders to focus, communicate and collaborate on strategy and then to turn those strategies into action. Executives can implement balanced scorecards, Six Sigma or other quality frameworks to integrate traditional business data, like revenues and profits, with intangible measures such as the satisfaction of their patients, employees and physicians. SAS allows decision makers to communicate and measure, at an enterprise level, the degree of strategic alignment and the progress toward desired outcomes. Teams at several leading healthcare provider organizations employ SAS Performance Management for Healthcare to achieve quantifiable improvements in patient safety, clinical quality, physician engagement and employee satisfaction and retention. These providers include Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Virginia's Centra Health, Duke University Hospital, Maine Medical Center and Yale New Haven Health System. " ...

SAS is the market leader in providing a new generation of business intelligence software and services that create true enterprise intelligence. SAS solutions are used at more than 40,000 sites – including 96 of the top 100 companies on the FORTUNE Global 500® – to develop more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; to enable better, more accurate and informed decisions; and to drive organizations forward. SAS is the only vendor that completely integrates leading data warehousing, analytics and traditional BI applications to create intelligence from massive amounts of data. For nearly three decades, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know ®.

Six Sigma Programs: Healthcare Industry Readiness ...

Six Sigma Programs: Healthcare Industry Readiness: Many Healthcare Organizations & Executives May Not Be Prepared For Change ...

... "His presentation also included remarks concerning the continuing tendency of healthcare providers to focus on single concepts such as Six Sigma-type programs or value analysis initiatives as if they were solutions to the cost and quality problems they face. McFaul stated, Many of the initiatives adopted by providers are merely tools which can contribute to the long term needs of the organization. Unfortunately, most of these tools are quantitative concepts which fall far short of meeting the needs of addressing the subjective issues which are so prevalent in healthcare. As a result, providers are grossly deficient when it comes to organization-wide collaboration and cohesion. " ...

The Healthcare Materials Management Society of New Jersey is an affiliate of the Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management and the American Hospital Association. The Society meets routinely to conduct educational programs designed to enhance the skills and abilities of the profession.

Six Sigma Facilities Management in Healthcare ...

Six Sigma Facilities Management in Healthcare: Analyze This!: Applying Six Sigma concepts to facilities management: Health Facilities Management

David L. Stymiest, P.E., CHFM, SASHE, writes ...

... "So how can Six Sigma be applied to service-oriented facilities management processes? Some who have already considered this issue believe that the usefulness of the Six Sigma orientation, principles, methodologies and measurement practices will overcome the lack of huge amounts of repetitions in this area. " ...

Quality Improvement: Healthcare Industry ...

Technology and Innovation: Their Effects on Cost Growth of Healthcare

... "Meanwhile, best practices in manufacturing technologies and methods have undergone significant progress over that time, particularly in other high-tech industries. For example, the semiconductor industry also has a very low tolerance for impurities and inaccuracies in production. When its production processes were lagging because of high costs and too many errors that industry helped invent the 'six sigma' production methods. Through continuous quality improvement, those methods achieved enormous improvements in production cost and quality, and they have since been widely adopted in manufacturing industries. But continuous quality improvement in manufacturing hasn't been the subject of as much attention in the pharmaceutical industry, even though many experts on manufacturing processes believe that large savings in production costs could be realized while maintaining very high standards for purity and accuracy. " ...

Application of Six Sigma ...

Application of Six Sigma: ATS reports dramatic growth in fourth quarter automation systems and solar performance ...

... "PCG continues to aggressively pursue an earnings recovery and as noted, is streamlining its operations to create a stronger, more focused platform for the future. More gains are expected to accrue from its ongoing enhancement initiatives resulting from the application of Six Sigma, improved equipment utilization, and other cost savings measures. " ...

ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. (www.atsautomation.com) is the industry's leading designer and producer of turn-key automated manufacturing and test systems, which are used primarily by multinational corporations operating in a variety of industries including: automotive, computer/electronics, healthcare, and consumer products. ATS is also an emerging leader in the rapidly growing market for solar energy cells and modules. The Company also makes precision components and subassemblies using its own custom-built manufacturing systems, process knowledge and automation technology. ATS employs approximately 4,200 people at 26 manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company's shares are traded on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ATA.

Six Sigma Business Excellence ...

Six Sigma Business Excellence: CIGNA Quality Leader Speaks at the American Society for Quality Conference

... "Leslie Behnke, vice president of Six Sigma Business Excellence for CIGNA, was chosen to present at the American Society for Quality's annual conference taking place May 16-18 in Seattle. The World Conference on Quality and Improvement is the foremost conference on quality and quality improvement and highlights companies and organizations with innovative and strong quality programs. " ...

CIGNA HealthCare, headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut, provides medical benefits plans, dental coverage, behavioral health coverage, pharmacy benefits, and products and services that integrate and analyze information to support consumerism and health management.

Six Sigma Program Growth This Year ...

Six Sigma Program Growth This Year: Cross-Industry Study by Economist Intelligence Unit Finds More Companies May Undertake Six Sigma this Year ...

Recent Economist study, in collaboration with Celerant, shows that growth in Six Sigma programs is expected ...

... "Although Six Sigma programs totalled only 5% of all performance improvement initiatives undertaken in the past three years by companies surveyed in a major study, the statistically rigorous approach to operations excellence may be in for major growth this year. These trends emerged in a study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in collaboration with Celerant Consulting, the global firm renowned for implementing major operational performance improvements. Entitled Achieving Operational Efficiency: The CEO Agenda Implemented, the study queried executives from companies in the oil and gas, retail, manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, chemicals, telecom, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industries. " ...

Celerant helps leading companies worldwide achieve better business results by improving their operational performance. Our collaborative style truly connects us to each client’s business, while our can-do approach and the practical tools we provide change the fundamental dynamics of how people work, individually and collectively. The outcome? Rapid improvements in process and personal performance, leading to improved business results and sustained financial benefits - all within clearly defined timeframes. Celerant Consulting is an affiliate of Novell, Inc.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, the business information arm of The Economist Group, publisher of The Economist, is the world's leading provider of country intelligence, with over 500,000 customers in corporations, banks, universities and government institutions. Our mission is to help companies do better business by providing timely, reliable and impartial analysis on market trends and business strategies.

SixSigma Drives Healthcare Defect Reduction ...

Beth Lanham on Six Sigma in healthcare. Interview by Luc R. Pelletier. ...

... "Beth Lanham, BSN RN, is a Six Sigma Coordinator in the department of quality management, staff development and safety, at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, WI. Ms. Lanham received her bachelor's degree from Otterbein College in Westerville, OH and has an extensive clinical and management background in critical care nursing. In April 2000, Ms. Lanham completed the Six Sigma Black Belt training program through the American Society for Quality. She is currently working as a Six Sigma Black Belt and is actively involved with numerous committees and projects aimed at reducing medical errors and enhancing patient safety. Ms. Lanham has presented Six Sigma initiatives at the International Quality Congress sponsored by the American Society for Quality, the University Healthcare Consortium National Conference, the International Quality and Productivity Center National Conference on Six Sigma for Healthcare Providers, and the American Hospital Association Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship Retreat. " ...

Six Sigma Production Methods Translate Into Healthcare ...

2003.07.09: Technology and Innovation: Their Effects on Cost Growth of Healthcare

... "Meanwhile, best practices in manufacturing technologies and methods have undergone significant progress over that time, particularly in other high-tech industries. For example, the semiconductor industry also has a very low tolerance for impurities and inaccuracies in production. When its production processes were lagging because of high costs and too many errors that industry helped invent the six sigma production methods. Through continuous quality improvement, those methods achieved enormous improvements in production cost and quality, and they have since been widely adopted in manufacturing industries. "

GE Six Sigma Expert Advances Career ...

GE Six Sigma Expert Advances Career: Select Comfort Names New Senior Vice President, Global Supply ...

GE Six Sigma Program graduates many candidates into senior management and corporate leadership positions ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... the Americas. Prior to that, Roedel was general manager for global quality and Six Sigma for GE Healthcare Technologies. She has ...

... Select Comfort Corporation (NASDAQ:SCSS), the nation's leading bed retailer and creator of the Sleep Number(R) bed, today announced the appointment of Kathryn Roedel to the position of senior vice president, global supply chain, effective April 4. Roedel will replace Greg Kliner, senior vice president of operations, who will retire from Select Comfort after an orderly transition. Roedel joins Select Comfort after a 22-year career with General Electric, where she most recently served as general manager, global supply chain strategy for GE Healthcare Technologies. In this capacity, she led the development of a three-year supply chain strategy for all operations across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Prior to that, Roedel was general manager for global quality and Six Sigma for GE Healthcare Technologies. She has worked in two of GE's businesses including GE Healthcare and GE Information Services and has a broad background in manufacturing and service operations, sourcing and process reengineering. ...

Six Sigma Partnership Drives Culture Shift Transformation ...

Six Sigma Partnership Drives Culture Shift Transformation: Pelion Systems and the Lean Learning Center Partner to Help ...

Partners strive to transform the Lean Six Sigma culture within organizations ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... Systems Pelion Systems is the market leader in Manufacturing Process Optimization (MPO) software