Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

A Lean Journey

Just three years ago, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center faced falling quality indicators, staff shortages, increasing turnover and declining reimbursement. The 564-bed medical center in Jackson, Miss., needed "more than a process improvement project," says J. Kempf Poole, R.N., vice president, ancillary and support services, Mississippi Baptist Health System. Lean principles and a Lean strategy were implemented, starting with the pharmacy department. Next, Lean processes were implemented in admissions and general surgery. And what a turnaround! These initial Lean projects not only transformed operations and improved quality at Baptist but also generated more than $800,000 in annual savings and created a new culture of accountability and continuous improvement. For more information, contact Tammy Amis, director of performance improvement, at tamis@mbhs.org.