|
|
LEAN AND MEAN
- Article from:
-
Healthcare Informatics
- Article date:
-
June 1, 2008
- Author:
- Albright, Brian
|
Copyright informationCopyright Vendome Group LLC Jun 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
In addition to strengthening the bottom line, process improvement methodologies are improving patient care.
Improving care while effectively managing costs is one of the central challenges faced by the modern healthcare industry. Over the past few decades, hospitals have slowly begun to adopt business and management practices from other industries, which has led to a reevaluation of the patient-provider relationship.
In 2000, executives at Virginia Mason Medical Center, a non-profit regional Healthcare system in Seattle, were tasked with finding a more patient-centric (as opposed to facility- or physician-centric) way of operating.
"Our board challenged us to take a closer look at our ...