
Virginia Mason Medical Heart in Seattle has spent twenty years making use of a administration methodology impressed by the Toyota Manufacturing System. This method has turn out to be central to the hospital’s tradition, driving enhancements to high quality and security.
It has helped the hospital turn out to be one in all 12 within the U.S. to obtain 26 consecutive “A” security grades from The Leapfrog Group.
“Virginia Mason Medical Heart was based on a deep dedication to scientific high quality and affected person security, so that is the cornerstone of the tradition right here,” hospital President Monica Hilt advised Becker’s.
The hospital is dwelling to the Virginia Mason Manufacturing System, which trains workers in instruments and strategies to prioritize patient-centered care and enchancment. This has been the foundational ingredient in its constant security grade, Ms. Hilt mentioned.
The administration system has guided the hospital’s operations, influencing how staff members method their work and remedy issues, Chief Medical Officer Andrew Ross, MD, advised Becker’s.
Whereas parts of Toyota’s philosophy have been adopted by numerous hospitals, Tacoma, Wash.-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Well being was the primary to combine it throughout its system. Coaching is now supplied to others worldwide via the Virginia Mason Institute, in response to VMFH leaders. This method emphasizes protected, high-quality care via affected person and workers engagement.
“One of many foundational ideas of our administration methodology is to go to the folks doing the work to say, ‘Here is the place we have to go, however we have to have interaction you within the course of,'” Dr. Ross mentioned.
The hospital’s standardized administration system has led to enhancements in important areas. Throughout the system, all seven eligible hospitals obtained an “A” security grade in fall 2024.
As well as, as colorectal surgical procedure an infection charges had been discovered to exceed benchmarks nationwide, the hospital engaged workers to take a more in-depth have a look at this concern. By implementing normal work processes round perioperative care, surgical web site an infection charges decreased, Dr. Ross mentioned.
Popping out of the pandemic, size of keep was recognized as an space that wanted enchancment.
“Having that secure platform and administration methodology to permit us to implement the work in a standardized trend throughout all departments of our hospital, and all of our inpatient models allowed us to see the beneficial properties in length-of-stay discount,” Dr. Ross mentioned.
Ms. Hilt emphasised the significance of participating workers and suppliers within the hospital’s mission.
“We’re solely as robust as our groups, and so we stay dedicated to our worker engagement satisfaction, in addition to our doctor and superior apply supplier satisfaction,” Ms. Hilt mentioned. “As we’re working round advancing our efficiency, scientific high quality and affected person security, we all know that it’s simply as necessary to be advancing our dedication throughout the group and constructing and supporting a robust staff within the group as effectively.”
Dr. Ross highlighted the important function of tradition in sustaining the hospital’s success.
“It is not a matter of acing the take a look at or altering one metric,” he mentioned. “It actually takes a tradition to have this hardwired and ingrained in all the pieces that we do, to make sure that we meet the mark on an annual foundation. And I believe the truth that we have seen this security grade 26 straight occasions is a testomony to that.”