Here are a few events I'll be a part of in the next few months, maybe I'll see you there:
- Cindy Jimmerson's “Big Sky” Lean Leadership Retreat, Sept 20-22
- Michigan Lean Consortium's Lean Healthcare Event, Sept 28
- LEI “Key Concepts of Lean in Healthcare” Workshop, Oct 11-12
More details follow:
“Big Sky”
I'm excited to be attending Cindy's event for the first time and I'll be presenting. I think my talk will be a fun one and, considering the importance of healthcare quality and patient safety, it will have a lighthearted feel. The topic is “error prevention in healthcare” but the title of my talk is Warning: Signs! From Cautionary Circulars to Proactive Prevention.
I'll talk about how it doesn't count as “mistake proofing” or “visual management” to hang a bunch of warning signs around the hospital. I'll illustrate the point with a lot of pictures and discussion of Lean alternatives that work better and exhibit “respect for people.” Mistake proofing (error proofing) is one example of a Lean concept that works better, checklists can help too (instead of signs that say “don't forget to…”).
Maybe as a discussion point for this blog — do you see this as a problem in your organization, the abundance of signs? I actually see each sign as an opportunity to improve a process someplace. You can see some examples of signs like this on my photoblog “Be More Careful,” including examples like:
These are signs that don't quite get to the root cause of the problem – in some cases, somewhat silly problems and, in some cases, serious ones.
Dr. Richard Shannon will be presenting, as well. Sign up at Cindy's Lean Healthcare West site.
Michigan Lean Consortium
I'm appearing at an event in my home state of Michigan to give a 4-hour introductory lean healthcare workshop. You can learn more and sign up at the MLC website.
As I was quoted in a blurb about the event:
“As someone who grew up in Livonia and still has parents and friends there, I always hope for the best for Michigan. It should be a source of pride that Michigan has some of the early success stories of Lean healthcare, thanks to involvement of people from the auto industry,” said Mark Graban, author of Lean Hospital. “I am glad I can give back to further the spread of Lean thinking in Michigan and I'm looking forward to participating in the event.”
LEI Workshop
I'll also be teaching my two-day introductory workshop at the LEI office in Cambridge, MA on October 11 and 12. You can sign up at the LEI website and here is me blabbering about the workshop a bit:
Hope to see you there… but not all three events, that would probably be a bit weird :-)
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Good stuff, Mark. I need to get out to Big Sky one of these years. I have NAHQ and AME on the schedule for this year.