Knowledge Transfer Services

In response to the ever-increasing need to understand the science behind innovation and quality in healthcare, the staff of the Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care has developed training programs and tools to help clinical units within the Johns Hopkins Health System make and sustain improvements in the way they care for patients.

Based on your needs, the Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care may be able to share our experience and collaborate with your institution to assist in healthcare improvement efforts. Please contact us for more information.

Knowledge Transfer Services (.pdf file)

Lean Sigma Prescription for Healthcare^SM

Through the Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care, Johns Hopkins Medicine has been utilizing Lean Sigma methodology for quality improvement projects for several years.

Johns Hopkins has realized notable gains through Lean Sigma projects over the past few years in the departments of Medicine, Pharmacy, Pathology, and Radiology, to name a few. Examples of project benefits include: reducing the number of feet it takes to process an order in the adult chemotherapy pharmacy from 223 to 53 feet per order; decreasing the average turnaround time for portable radiology exams from 52 to 26 minutes; reducing the number of wasted red blood cell units over two years resulting in a savings of 1,335 units totaling $250,000.

Johns Hopkins has dedicated a staff of Black Belts and Master Black Belts that continues to work on Lean Sigma projects throughout the institution and across campus sites. Projects which are currently in-process are targeting operating room efficiency and utilization, emergency department urgent care wait times, and pharmacy safety and efficiency.

Consulting

Johns Hopkins offers Lean Sigma Prescription for Healthcare ^SM consulting. For more information please contact Laura Winner, Lean Sigma Deployment Leader, Master Black Belt, at 443-287-7067 or lwinner@jhmi.edu.

Training

Johns Hopkins developed a Green Belt training program, "Lean Sigma Prescription for Healthcare ^SM," in collaboration with Medtronic Inc. that is customized with healthcare examples for healthcare professionals. This training focuses on optimizing flow, increasing speed, and reducing waste. This course is offered to external and internal audiences through the Office for Continuing Medical Education and confers OCME credits.

For more information on the course please click on the link below.

Lean Sigma Score Card (.pdf file)

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