Lean Six Sigma Business Process Analysis Improved Patient & Employee Safety

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Improving Patient and Employee Safety through 5S Lean Six Sigma Methodology

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Client: A not-for-profit, premier regional hospital is located in the Midwest – Hematology/Oncology
Industry: Healthcare
Service: 5S

Challenge:
The client recognized assistance was needed for:

Improving patient safety
Streamlining staff activities
Organizing equipment and administrative resources
Identifying excess inventory
Improving quality to mitigate risk of potential medical errors

Solutions:

Utilize Lean Six Sigma 5S methodology as a key improvement toolset

Results:

300 square feet was re-claimed for equipment storage which cleared the hallways
$18,000 credit was issued to the unit for unused/obsolete equipment
Returned excess supplies for a credit of over $3,000

The Hematology/Oncology unit was charged with improving the environment for patients and staff members. As part of the hospital’s ongoing compliance readiness assessment, the unit was responsible for ensuring that all potential patient/employee safety concerns were resolved. Their goal was to improve the safety, quality and efficiency of the unit.

An event model was established that would allow maximum use of resources. The model consisted of a four-day event and one week for follow-up. Based on the assessment of the unit, a total of three events were scheduled. Each team member was trained on the Lean Six Sigma 5S methodology and the teams followed the 5S steps as described below:

Step 1 - SORT

Identified and removed all excess supplies throughout unit
Utilized the 3-tier tagging process which identified items required in the area, items not in their proper location and items that needed to be removed
Identified standard equipment for patient rooms

Step 2 - SET IN ORDER

Physical locations determined for blue and yellow tagged items
Arranged supplies and equipment for ease of use
Complete labeling/signage for all items so that it’s easy to find and put away
Installed power strips in the equipment room so that required equipment can be ready for use at all times.
Removed equipment that was located in the safety violation zone, including hallways

Step 3 - SHINE

Cleaned floors, walls and equipment for the supply room, utility rooms, equipment storage, med rooms, nurses’ station, employee lounge and other areas within the unit

Step 4 - STANDARDIZE

Completed foot printing and labeling for equipment storage locations
Patient rooms were standardized with supplies and equipment

Step 5 - SUSTAIN

Communicated changes to the entire unit
Implemented Daily 5S Checklist with Nursing Staff
Bi-monthly 5S Audits are completed
Opportunities for improvement reviewed and assigned during staff meetings

As a result of the 5S events, over 300 square feet was re-claimed for equipment storage which allowed the unit to remove all equipment from the hallways as well as establishing “No Equipment Zones” at the patient transport elevators. Additionally, an $18,000 credit was issued to the unit for unused/obsolete equipment. With the standardization of patient rooms and supply rooms, the team was able to return excess supplies for a credit of over $3000. An inventory tracking and replenishment system was implemented to prevent excess supplies in the future. With linen costs continuing to increase, the team was able to track linen usage and re-establish usage levels that reduced their monthly cost by 25%.