Healthcare Value Network Members Help Transform Healthcare Through Lower Costs and Improved Quality

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Bottom Line Marketing

May 15, 2014, 11:00 ET

Appleton, Wisconsin (PRWEB) May 15, 2014 -- As the healthcare industry continues to pursue transformation, members of the Healthcare Value Network (HVN), a peer-to-peer lean learning community of organizations across the United States and Canada, are leading the charge with innovative change and significant improvements in care quality and value.

The HVN consists of approximately 60 healthcare organizations who interact with peer groups both onsite and virtually. “By utilizing the peer-to-peer value of the network, our members learn, share and connect with other organizations across system lines,” said Mike Stoecklein, director of the network. “We’re able to spread transformation more quickly and broadly throughout the industry.”

The acceleration HVN members experience in their continuous improvement processes is producing dramatic results for patients across North America through the application of lean principles. These results are sustainable when leadership designs better systems and through role modeling ideal behaviors. Some of the examples are shown:

AKRON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL (OHIO)

  • Eliminated 48,764 days of patient wait time since the inception of the Center for Operations Excellence in 2008 – that’s the equivalent of more than a century!
  • Eliminated over 4,500 hours of non-value-added time and improved turnaround time by 47% in the laboratory, resulting in savings of $97,000.
  • Space redesign in the Neurodevelopment Sciences Center led to an additional 2,000 patient visits and resulting positive financial impact of $750,000.
  • Increased the amount of patients seen face-to-face by financial counselors from 16 to 53 per week, resulting in more patients obtaining financial assistance and increased revenue of $220,000.

BLOODCENTER OF WISCONSIN (MILWAUKEE)

  • Opening a sickle cell clinic has reduced inpatient admissions by 50%, ED visits by 50% and readmissions within 30 days by 30% since 2011.
  • $1.3 million in hard savings in 2012, equating to a return on investment of 2.4X.
  • Improved Serotonin release assay same-day results reporting from 5% to >90%.
  • Redesign of transportation and pick up routes led to a 60% shorter lead time for blood product availability and new revenue of $75,000 per year.

 
PRESBYTERIAN HEALTHCARE SERVICES (NEW MEXICO)

  • Optimization of Rehabilitation staff patterns to improve billings/revenues by $47,877 annually.
  • Improved operating room turnover time at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center from 29% to 60% of desired turnaround time, allowing for more cases/day and improved orthopedic surgeon satisfaction.
  • IV pump management – implemented an inventory management and replenishment system, reducing nursing staff on-demand calls for missing equipment from 80/day to 0/day.
  • Improved clinical research billing charges from 0% correctly coded to 100% correctly coded.
  • Operating room charge capture improvement resulted in OR revenue from Presbyterian Hospital, DSU and Presbyterian Rust Medical Center performing at 105% of projected capture.
  • Presbyterian Medical Group registration optimization increased staffing efficiencies to ensure timely registration of patients while reducing staffing requirements by 4.0 FTE ($169,240) and sustaining quality metrics associated with timely rooming and visit time with providers.

“These accomplishments demonstrate the positive momentum happening every day in HVN member organizations, where frontline people are empowered to drive change,” Stoecklein said.

In an industry governed by the scientific method, too many healthcare executives repeatedly rely on random trial and error to survive. “It doesn’t have to be this way,” said John Toussaint, MD, CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. “Network members interact and learn alongside peers who have faced the same challenges.”

Established in 2009, the HVN was founded by the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and the Lean Enterprise Institute. It is now an integral part of the Center and its healthcare mission.

THEDACARE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE VALUE
The ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value is an education institute that believes we must have three essential elements for sustainable change in healthcare: Delivery of care designed around the patient; Payment and incentives based upon value and outcomes; and Transparency of performance (quality and cost) throughout the healthcare system. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, we are a small not for profit with a big mission to help change the healthcare industry. Learn more at: createvalue.org.

Nicole Singer, Bottom Line Marketing, 414-270-3000 x231, [email protected]