Lean's Expanding Presence

HealthEast Applies Lean Concepts to Cut Waste and Improve Efficiencies

Long rooted in manufacturing industry processes, lean principles are now gaining popularity in new markets as well. A prime example is found in Twin Cities-based HealthEast Care System's emerging lean transformation, featured in the upcoming issue of Enterprise Minnesota  magazine to be published on Jan. 23.

President and CEO Kathryn Correia, who oversees the $1 billion integrated health care system, says its lean journey was ignited by a tour of window manufacturer Andersen Windows last spring. Correia and 15 colleagues were so impressed with the company's manufacturing system that they hired its lean expert, Didier Rabino, to bring similar efficiencies to HealthEast.

In his four months as Lean Sensei at HealthEast, Rabino has established small groups throughout the HealthEast system that meet daily to brainstorm improvement opportunities. When major inefficiencies were identified in the process of transferring patients who are leaving the hospital and entering home care, Rabino created a cross-departmental team that spent a week identifying the steps involved in the process, and analyzing what steps might be eliminated, combined, moved or simplified. One week later, they established a new process that eliminates departmental silos in favor of collaborative work cells.

HealthEast's lean efforts are in part a response to unsustainable cost increases in U.S. health care, which has been a hot button political issue on both sides of the aisle. According to a September 2012 Institute of Medicine report, Americans spent about $2.6 billion on health care in 2011, as much as $690 billion of which was attributable to waste and inefficiencies. While the implications of ObamaCare remain uncertain, Correia says lean is one way the company can take action now to serve patients better and remain competitive.

"If we create a community of problem solvers that work every day to create more value for patients, we will not only survive, but we will thrive," she says. "We need to take the waste out, remove costs and improve value for the whole community."

Growing Your Business Internationally - Exporting Strategies in 2013     

Wednesday, Jan. 23
8-11am
Uponor
5925 148th St West
Apple Valley, MN

Cost: Regular $119

Register Online

What to Expect: 

Exporting has great potential to grow a company's profitability. Come hear from these successful manufacturing executives to find out what companies are doing to create a proactive business strategy to sell internationally and how they're connecting with international business experts who help navigate the export process..

Speakers:

•    Allan Cronen, President & CEO, GVL Poly  
•    Peter Lyle, Vice President of International Sales,
     Schaefer Ventilation 
•    Mike Wilcox, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, 
     Delkor Systems 
•    Joel Wittenbraker, President, MacTech   

Register Online Today!

Have news or events for e-trends?  Contact Sue Roe at sue.roe@enterpriseminnesota.org