Lean in Alaska

This blog is a shout out to my online colleague Anna Roth, CEO of Contra Costa Regional Health Centers. Three Kaizen Teams reported out on Friday, September 2, 2011 for improvement processes centered around appointments and innovative solutions to visits such as “virtual providers.” My shout out is for the sharing. In 41 slides with pictures, I observed a fantastic job of serving patients by inquisitive and creative employees. Of course, this is what the Rona Group, CC’s consultants, advocate for if I know my Sensei, Dr. Tom Jackson and his partners.

Lean transformations are not easy, and require eternal vigilance by the leader. When I blogged about the Alaska Division of Public Assistance’s lean implementation, I was also proud about their work. But the difference I see is that the top leader in the State, our Governor, is not on record anywhere I can find as even being aware of lean management. This does not bode well for transformation at the state level.

In contrast, Anna is a learned and engaged leader with care and compassion. Of course, she is an RN as well and RN’s do strive to heal and serve. Anna participates in Kaizen and her teams invite patients into the culture. I encourage you to read her blog and look at the pictures.