Like most people, I enjoy a good story. I especially like stories that have happy endings. While I usually read fiction for pleasure, I particularly enjoy true business case studies that showcase successful workplace problem solving.
In the February 2017 issue of the ISE Magazine, Navicent Health’s Casey Bedgood tells a great story about the use of performance improvement techniques (PI) to save lives, as well as save costs.
Georgia-based Navicent Health’s EMS department operates ambulance services in both rural and suburban settings across a four-county area. Their 911 call volume exceeds 40,000 calls a year!
While Navicent has long been a well-respected provider with a strong reputation for clinical excellence, the organization was experiencing a variety of operational inefficiencies in 2013. The PI team identified several areas for improvement, including an outdated pay and staffing model, response times, and the number of emergency calls lost to competitors due to these problems.
The team collected data to establish baselines and develop control charts. This information was then used to set key performance indicators (KPIs) for operational problems. The team also recommended changes to pay scales and shift lengths, allowing for better coverage in both rural and suburban settings.
One year later, the results of these efforts were quite significant. Navicent Health EMS saved almost $800, 000 per year while reducing emergency response times by more than 37,000 minutes, a 12% improvement. Bedgood states that well-defined goals and KPIs, measurable in real time, were essential in obtaining long-term, sustainable change.
For most companies, time is money. But for the patients of Navicent, quicker response times truly mean the difference between life and death.
This is just one of many success stories being written by the 6,000 employees at Navicent. The health system/academic medical center serves 800,000 residents in Central and South Georgia with 830 beds for medical, surgical, rehab and hospice care in more than 30 locations. In 2015, the hospital system created its Center for Disruption and Innovation, in partnership with Mercer University. The Center, where Bedgood is now a black belt leadership fellow, focuses on creative thinking and problem solving using Lean Six Sigma and other techniques to develop successful strategies — just like in the EMS case study — that ultimately will significantly improve care for patients.
How are you helping your company to work smarter by reducing the amount of time spent on non-productive activities and correcting errors? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive workplace.
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