Providence uses Six Sigma to improve care

[view:node_ad=5]Providence Health & Services – California Region has been named as one of three finalists for The Global Six Sigma Award in Healthcare.

The Global Six Sigma Awards, provided by WCBF Six Sigma Solutions, honors the most outstanding organizational achievements through the application of Six Sigma methodologies.  Six Sigma, originally developed by Motorola, is an integrated, disciplined proven approach for improving business performance.

The Global Six Sigma Awards will be provided in six categories – one being health care. The winners will be announced in Las Vegas on Oct. 24.

“Using Six Sigma methodologies, we have been able to continually improve our clinical performance at the beside, thereby assuring our patients that they are receiving the finest care in the safest environment,” said Myron Berdischewsky, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Providence Health & Services – California Region.  “Being named as one of the three finalists for Best Achievement of Six Sigma in Healthcare is a great honor that reflects the excellent work accomplished by all the dedicated front line staff and managers at our four hospitals in Southern California.”

Providence Health & Services – California Region consists of four acute care hospitals as well as several skilled nursing and outpatient facilities throughout Los Angeles County. The four acute care hospitals are 556-bed Little Company of Mary San Pedro Hospital, 448-bed Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, 434-bed Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance and 255-bed Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills.

Like other companies, Providence Health & Services has used Six Sigma methodologies to eliminate defects and thereby increase efficiency and reduce waste, which it has done successfully in such projects as revenue cycle improvement and reducing the time for patients to receive a computer tomography (CT) scan after an order is placed.  However, much of Providence’s focus has been in using Six Sigma to improve clinical performances at the patient bedside.

Using Six Sigma methodologies, the Providence California Region has worked to  improve the care it provides to surgery patients by assuring that antibiotics are discontinued at the appropriate time, to pneumonia patients by assuring they receive antibiotics quickly, to congestive heart failure patients by assuring they receive adequate discharge instructions, as well as to emergency department patients and to patients susceptible to falls.