Taking Process Improvement Beyond the Quality Department

Case Study

Abstract: In 2005, Genesis Health System (GHS) adopted the Baldrige criteria as a framework for process improvement. Since then, GHS has worked to make processes more systematic by putting quality tools in the hands of employees. As its process improvement approach took shape, GHS captured two statewide bronze-level performance excellence awards, and in 2009 it took home the silver award. Using improvement tools such as benchmarking and the plan-do-checkact (PDCA) cycle, GHS has achieved continuing success with influenza vaccination clinics for area school children.

Keywords: Case study; Healthcare; Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award; Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence (IRPE) program; Criteria for Performance Excellence; Benchmarking; Employee education; Teams; Lean; Kaizen blitz; Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle

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