Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership Conversations in Healthcare and Beyond

My guest for episode #168 is Carolyn McCulley, from CityGate Films, and  she is a co-director and producer of the upcoming documentary called "Breaking the Wall of Silence." Through March 31, you can sponsor this project through the Kickstarter website (with a minimum contribution of $15) and I hope you'll join me as a supporter of this important work. Learn more at www.leanblog.org/168. As Carolyn discusses with me, the film does not just focus on the problems of patient safety and poor healthcare quality... it focuses on the positive steps that MedStar Health (a large system in the Washington DC area) is taking to transform its culture to reduce systemic patient harm. This focus is why she calls this a "hopeful film" as opposed to being alarmist. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/168. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

My guest for episode #167 is Clare Crawford-Mason, the producer of the landmark 1980 NBC documentary that featured W. Edwards Deming,  “If Japan Can Do It, Why Can't We?” You can view the documentary here. I was fortunate to meet Clare and her husband Bob back in 2007 or so when I was teaching a Lean healthcare seminar near their home in Washington, DC. Clare and Bob led the efforts to create the “Deming Library” video series. They also created the PBS special “Good News: How Hospitals Heal Themselves” and the companion book The Nun and the Bureaucrat. We've talked for years about doing this podcast and I'm glad to finally being able to share this with you. Early in the podcast, Clare talks about meeting Dr. Deming and the production of documentary, which is a fascinating story and glimpse into his personality and work. Show notes and links: Atul Gawande MD article: “Testing, Testing” Deming Institute Time piece on “Why Healthcare Costs are Killing Us” The Nun and the Bureaucrat/Good News…How Hospitals Heal Themselves Book/DVD Set via Amazon For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/167.

My guest for episode #166 is Julie Bartels,  Executive Vice President, National Healthcare Information at the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. In this episode, we are talking about their new program, the Healthcare Clinical Business Intelligence Network (CBIN). Julie tells us about “business intelligence” and how data and transparency relate to Lean improvement efforts. Why is “the devil in the details” in making more data available to payers and patients? Listen to find out. Read an FAQ document about the CBIN  or see this PDF document.  You can also learn more on the Center's transparency page. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/166. Learn more about the Healthcare Value Network, the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, and their annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit  (registration now open). For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #165 is Chris Vogel, President & CEO of Compass Affiliates. I've met Chris before at an LEI Lean Transformation Summit and he is doing a learning session at this year's Summit, to be held March 13 and 14 in Orlando. Chris specializes in the Development of Lean Leaders and Administrative Lean. He has over 15 years of Lean Administrative and Process Improvement experience. During his 15 years at Wells Fargo, Chris led and used Lean to transform a division of Wells Fargo with 1,200 staff members. In our discussion, we'll talk about applying Lean to settings outside of manufacturing, including mortgage processing and government. I think this discussion will help reinforce the idea that Lean is Lean and Lean leadership is Lean leadership, regardless of the setting. In the episode, Chris says that “standardized work is misunderstood… it's not equal to creating documentation and it's not a constraint.” He emphasizes that standardized work is exactly the thing that allows people to “customize more quickly” when they have to. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/165. Learn more about the Healthcare Value Network, the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, and their annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #164 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Rachelle Schultz, CEO of Winona Health (based in Winona, Minnesota). Rachelle was a part of the CEO panel that I moderated at last year's Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit and her comments on leading a health system's Lean transformation were well received. In this discussion, she says, “Everything I do has to drive Lean,” as we talk about how her system is using Lean in these challenging times and what the impact has been – quality, satisfaction, financial. This episode is produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/164. Learn more about the Healthcare Value Network, Catalysis, and their annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #163 is Dr. Gregory R. Johnson, the Chief Medical Officer at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In this episode, we talk about how Parkview is using Lean to cope with today's challenging environment, how Dr. Johnson encourages Lean thinking among physicians, and the role of standardization in medicine. Dr. Johnson says Parkview is moving toward “having everyone operating in a Lean way, all 8200 co-workers” instead of just doing “Rapid Improvement Events.” This episode is produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network. Dr. Johnson and I also talk about Parkview's participation in the Network, including hosting a “gemba visit” by other members. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/163. Learn more about the Healthcare Value Network, the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, and their annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guests for episode #162 are Patrick Vlaskovits (@pv)  and  Brant Cooper (@brantcooper), previously guests on episode #99. I recently ran into them at the Lean Startup Conference and today we are speaking about their newest book (coming in February) The Lean Entrepreneur: How to Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Markets. You can learn more via their website: www.LeanEntrepreneur.co In this episode, we talk about: What is Lean Entrepreneurship? How does Lean create disruptive innovations? Why is it better to fail fast and learn your idea isn't viable sooner rather than later? Why is “follow your passion” really bad advice? What's a value stream in the context of a startup? Why would data “inform decisions” rather than “make” them for you? Their books: The Lean Entrepreneur: How to Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Market The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development: A cheat sheet to The Four Steps to the Epiphany For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/162. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Steve Bell, author (most recently) of the book Run Grow Transform: Integrating Business and Lean IT  is my guest for episode #161 of my podcast series. Steve is a fellow faculty member for the Lean Enterprise Institute and he is also a founder of Lean4NGO.org,  working with non-profits in the developing world. He is also founder of Lean IT Strategies, LLC, coaching IT professionals as they partner with their business colleagues to meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities in the rapidly changing, technology-enabled business landscape. In this episode, Steve talks about: Why “Lean Thinking” is important in IT What is “Lean IT,” including some success stories How do agile, scrum, Lean IT, and Lean Startups fit together? His upcoming LEI workshop in San Francisco this February Lean4NGO initiative Steve's Other Books: Lean Enterprise Systems: Using IT for Continuous Improvement Lean IT: Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/161. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for podcast #160 is Joseph S. Guarisco, M.D., FAAEM, FACEP. Dr. Guarisco is currently Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and System Chief of Emergency Services for the Ochsner Health System. Dr. Guarisco is a keynote speaker at the upcoming Society for Health Systems conference (which I'll be attending) and we are both part of the American Academy of Emergency Physicians annual scientific assembly in February (where I'll be co-presenting with my Healthcare Kaizen co-author Joe Swartz on E.D. process improvement strategies). Here is a Q&A, hosted by SHS, with Dr. Guarisco. In this episode, we talk about Dr. Guarisco's process improvement efforts at Oschner and how that was made necessary by Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath, where demand TRIPLED in their E.D. We also chat about standardized work and variation reduction fit in with the practice of medicine and improving E.D patient flow. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/160. Conference links: Society for Health Systems American Academy of Emergency Physicians Emergency Department Practice Management Association For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Guest Bio: Joseph S. Guarisco, M.D., FAAEM, FACEP. Dr. Guarisco is currently Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and System Chief of Emergency Services for the Ochsner Health System. He joined Ochsner as a staff physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine in August, 1980. In July, 1990, he pursued a fellowship in anesthesiology at Ochsner. In July, 1992, he returned to emergency medicine as Chairman and Medical Director of the Emergency Department and is currently serving in that position becoming System Chief Emergency Services in 2007. Dr. Guarisco has extensive experience in ED informatics automation pertinent to the design, development and implementation of ED information systems. He has published and lectured widely on the use of automation in workflow redesign and ED process improvement and is well known for his work in physician performance profiling and data driven ED management. The 2005 Ochsner Clinic Foundation award for outstanding achievements in patient satisfaction was awarded to the Department of Emergency Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Guarisco has been recently recognized by Press Ganey for innovative use of data and process design in improving patient satisfaction at Ochsner and is the winner of the Press Ganey 2005 National Success Story Award. In 2008, Press Ganey awarded the Ochsner Health System the Compass Award for the largest improvement in patient satisfaction amongst its client base. He has pioneered ED workflow redesign through innovative adaptation of Lean engineering principles to ED patient flow processes. He is also responsible for pioneering web based wait times for emergency departments nationally. Dr. Guarisco has a bachelor's degree in engineering and is board certified in emergency medicine. He is a fellow in both the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. In 2012, he was named Chair of the American Academy of Emergency Physicians (AAEM) Operations Management Committee.

A returning guest for episode #159 is John Toussaint, MD, the CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and the author of the books On the Mend: Revolutionizing Healthcare to Save Lives and Transform the Industry and Potent Medicine: The Collaborative Cure for Healthcare. John was a guest on episodes 54, 62, 72, and 146. Today's main topic is a new report, published last month by the Institute of Medicine, titled “Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America.” John was a reviewer of this report and has key insights to share, as always, about the problem and things we can do to improve healthcare around the world. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/159b/. Helpful links: IOM report main page  (with full report, briefs, sides, data, etc.) A pilot workshop I will be teaching at the ThedaCare Center in December on the fundamentals of Lean in healthcare Other workshops by the ThedaCare Center For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts.