Lean A3 Examples in Healthcare – Lean for Haiti

Russell Maroni, a Lean Six Sigma leader at The Akron Children’s Hospital Center of Operations Excellence (COE), had the opportunity to spend much time in Haiti as a selfless volunteer. During his time there, he wrote his thoughts in a journal, which he has since published as a Kindle Book.

When you buy and read his journal, you’ll be able to read Russell’s thoughts and how he applied the principles of Lean Manufacturing to specific tasks in the rebuilding of Haiti. All money will be donated to the Friends of the Orphans (friendsoftheorphans.org).

You can buy and read Russell’s Haiti experience here:

Lean Manufacturing: Practical Application of A3 Problem Solving

While in Haiti, Russell volunteered at a Haitian Field Hospital and because of the tremendous need, he ventured to solve the following two problems:

1. How can we increase patient turnover?
2. How can we increase film quality in radiology?

In his words,

Background: The field hospital had an inefficient radiology department that was producing suboptimal films. The mass of patients requiring quality x-rays was more than the current process could accommodate. An increase in both efficiency and quality was an absolute necessity.

With background complete and clarity around his main question(s) to be answered and solved, Russell then went on the map the current process, conduct root cause analysis, arrived at several countermeasures, an implementation plan for what will be completed and by whom.

What is fascinating about Russell’s experience is that this A3 was done in the field, not in an office cubicle – but in the field with a pen and paper and the outcome was to solve a very real and human problem.

Make no mistake: the principles of Lean can be absolutely applied to solve almost any problem.

Russell An example of how he applied Lean Manufacturing in Haiti is shown below – his A3 Report:

Please consider buying Russell’s Kindle Journal – the money will be put to good use to help the orphans of Haiti.