Improving the Patient Experience

Recently I was on site at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance in Ontario, Canada to facilitate a 5-S project in the Surgical Services area.  The 5-S process or Sort, Straighten, Sweep, Standardize and Sustain is a tool from the Lean Six Sigma Methodology.  This video demonstrates how the 5-S process helped Chatham-Kent create three additional bays for patient care and save money by pinpointing excess supply and streamlining ordering strategies.   This is a great example of a successful implementation because of passionate staff who were involved in the process of change which starts with the support and enthusiasm from key leadership: CFO, Sarah Padfield; Program Director, Eleanor Groh; and OR Manager, Janice Wilmott.