"A Productivity Press book."

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The case for lean hospitals -- Overview of lean for hospitals -- Value and waste -- Observing the process and value streams -- Standardized work as a foundation of lean -- Lean methods : visual management, 5S, and Kanban -- Proactive root cause problem solving -- Preventing errors -- Improving flow -- Engaging and leading employees -- Getting started with lean -- A vision for a lean hospital.

Drawing on his years of working with hospitals, Mark Graban explains why and how lean can be used to improve safety, quality, and efficiency in a healthcare setting. Graban highlights the benefits of lean methods for patients, employees, physicians, and the hospital itself. The book explains how lean manufacturing staples such as Value Stream Mapping and process observation can help hospital personnel identify and eliminate waste from their own processes, preventing delays for patients, reducing wasted motion for caregivers, and improving the quality of care. Graban also describes how Standardized Work and error-proofing can prevent common hospital errors. The book also describes root cause problem-solving and daily improvement processes that can engage everyone in systemic improvement. Intended as a guide for hospital administrators, the book elaborates the steps they can take to begin the process of lean implementation.