UC Berkeley School of Public Health Opens New Center for Lean Engagement and Research in Healthcare

Posted on 10/13/2016 by CATALYSIS

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For More Information: Chuck Grothaus 612-770-0026 chuck.grothaus@c2comms.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UC BERKELEY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH OPENS NEW CENTER FOR LEAN ENGAGEMENT AND RESEARCH IN HEALTHCARE

Funded By ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, Rona Consulting Group and Lean Enterprise Institute, New Center Will Study Lean Healthcare Management Strategies

BERKELEY, CALIF. – October 13, 2016 – The UC Berkeley School of Public Health today announced its new Center for Lean Engagement and Research (CLEAR) in Healthcare. The center will identify new ways to transform healthcare delivery through continuous improvement strategies that enhance patient outcomes and reduce the growth in the cost of care. “The Center for Lean Engagement and Research in Healthcare will help achieve the triple aim of better healthcare quality and patient experience, improved population health and reduced growth of healthcare costs,” said Stephen M. Shortell, PhD, professor and dean emeritus at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “Our research will focus on lean methods designed to improve the healthcare system. We will examine new payment models that reward value, identify new ways to lead and manage healthcare organizations, and discover how care providers and health systems can create greater value for patients.” CLEAR will conduct research on lean whole system transformation initiatives. Lean is a management and operational system that fosters a culture that empowers frontline workers to create value by eliminating waste, developing standard work and solving problems. CLEAR researchers will:

Conduct research on lean in healthcare, beginning with the first national survey of lean in hospitals.
Collaborate with specific healthcare organizations and health services researchers to study the effects of lean in particular organizations and departments.
Facilitate research among other researchers and healthcare delivery organizations through resources and information available on the CLEAR website clear.berkeley.edu.

In addition, CLEAR will work with organizations that are in the process of implementing lean methodologies. Researchers will study implementation issues and identify solutions to help healthcare organizations become more efficient. Qualified researchers at leading universities and think tanks in the United States will be invited to submit research proposals to be jointly selected by lean organizational leaders and center directors. “We are excited to support new lean research, which will lead to actionable knowledge and information healthcare leaders can use,” said Helen Zak, chief development officer at the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. The nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, Rona Consulting Group, and ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value will provide funding support to the CLEAR program. CLEAR will be an affiliate of the Center for Healthcare Organizational and Innovation Research (CHOIR) at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health (www.choir.berkeley.edu). CHOIR is co-directed by Dr. Shortell and Hector Rodriguez, PhD, the Henry J. Kaiser Professor of Health Policy and Management, both of whom have done extensive research with healthcare organizations. Professor Emeritus Thomas Rundall will serve as co-director of CLEAR working with Professor Shortell. Professor Rundall has extensive experience working with and studying healthcare organizations. About UC Berkeley School of Public Health The first school of public health west of the Mississippi, the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health was founded in 1943 on the Berkeley campus. It is one of 50 schools accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. The UC Berkeley School of Public Health improves population health, especially for the most vulnerable, through interdisciplinary collaborations to meet health needs and achieve health equity, preeminent education that challenges convention and develops diverse leaders, and transformational research on the major public health threats and opportunities of today and tomorrow. About the Lean Enterprise Institute Lean Enterprise Institute Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Cambridge, MA, makes things better through lean research, training, publishing, and events. Founded in 1997 by management expert James P. Womack, PhD, LEI also supports other lean initiatives such as the Lean Global Network, the Lean Education Academic Network, and the Healthcare Value Network. Learn more at lean.org. About Rona Consulting Group Rona Consulting Group develops lean leaders and assists in transforming integrated healthcare systems, hospitals and clinics, medical suppliers and government organizations into lean enterprises. Rona Consulting Group is committed to helping its partner organizations achieve the highest quality through zero defects, increased patient and community satisfaction, empowerment of staff, and improvement of financial performance through the application of the Toyota Management System. Learn more at: ronaconsulting.com. About ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value The ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value is an education institute that believes in care delivery designed around the patient, payment and incentives based on value and outcomes and transparency of performance (quality and cost) throughout the healthcare system. Founded in 2008, the Center is a not for profit with a mission to help change the healthcare industry. Learn more at: createvalue.org.

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