Performance Improvement (3)


Virginia Mason staff members share their experiences implementing the Sepsis Power Hour protocol Sepsis is a factor in one out of every two to three hospital deaths in the United States1, killing 258,000 patients annually, and is the most costly condition for hospitals to treat. When sepsis occurs, each hour matters, and even an hour delay significantly jeopardizes patient survival. Tackling the barriers to quickly provide...
Empowering teams to identify and address sepsis,...
Recent Blog Posts
How Takt Time Can Help Health Care Organizations...

“Takt” is a German word that means “beat” or “pace.” My foundational understanding of pace takes me back to my early days of studying piano and using the mechanical...

Removing Muda From Daily Work

“Muda” is a Japanese term that, when considered in health care, describes wasteful aspects of processes that add no value for the patient. At Virginia Mason, we use...

Sustaining Improvements to Patient Safety

A couple years ago, we reported on the innovative lean work of Virginia Mason’s VTE Therapeutics Committee and the accomplishments of all the leaders, providers and...

Four Ways to Improve Financial Capacity in Health...

An interview with Marlon Borbon, partner at Virginia Mason Institute In your work with clients, what do you see as the key to improving financial capacity? MB: I’ve...

Measuring Success When the Lean Improvement Work...

When I talk with health care leaders about lean improvement work, I’m often asked, “How much should I expect to receive as a return?” At Virginia Mason, we don’t...

How Can Lean Improvement Work Engage Staff and...

An interview with Cathie Furman, executive faculty member at Virginia Mason Institute When you’re doing lean work, how do you measure ROI? CF: That’s a question we...

Why Is a Value Stream Map Important for...

A value stream map is a visual depiction of a process from a request for a product or services through delivery. At Virginia Mason, we depict this process not from...

Why Adding More Space Isn’t the Only Answer to...

The best health care leaders are always looking for ways to increase quality and run their business more efficiently. To understand their business, they need to...

How a Value Stream Can Help You Produce...

What is a value stream? A value stream is an improvement philosophy, a systemic way of thinking about the flow of delivering quality health care. Providing value to...

Selected Resources

Healthcare Improvement Insights

Explore articles, case studies, and research that help healthcare leaders drive sustainable improvement.

Mistake-Proofing Primary Care

Mistake-Proofing Primary Care

Start Your Lean Health Care Journey Learn More Problem Virginia Mason recognized that mistakes and ...

Mistake-Proofing Primary Care

Start Your Lean Health Care Journey Learn More Problem Virginia Mason recognized that mistakes and ...

Why a Midwest Health System Went to Virginia ...

Why a Midwest Health System Went to Virginia ...

“The fact that Virginia Mason is driven by the same purpose we are – serving patients and ...

Why a Midwest Health System Went to Virginia Mason Institute for Help

“The fact that Virginia Mason is driven by the same purpose we are – serving patients and ...

Managing Phone Calls in Primary Care

Managing Phone Calls in Primary Care

Problem Responding to patient phone calls at Virginia Mason consumed a great deal of clinic time ...

Managing Phone Calls in Primary Care

Problem Responding to patient phone calls at Virginia Mason consumed a great deal of clinic time ...