“You’ll be fine — you’re the most organized person I know,” a colleague at one of my last jobs said upon my promotion to editor-in-chief.
While it may not sound like the best pep talk in the world, it was exactly what I needed at that moment because, to me, the ability to define and systematize processes, streamline workflow, and template repeatable procedures, was the key to conquering my new challenges.
I thought to myself, “You’re right. I can handle this,” and never looked back.
During the last few years running healthsystemCIO.com, it’s been that knack for organization and systemization that’s helped me keep both the editorial and advertising sides of the business on track (until Kate arrived to the rescue). One of our offerings is a Webinar program. And while producing one might sound simple to those that see only the final product, the process or “formula” actually has dozens of steps, each with its own supporting materials.
Finally, after about two years of producing them, we’ve got the recipe down pat — each step is defined, the timing and deadlines are worked out, and, thus, the results are consistent. Of course, as with any process, there is an element of variability that comes into play, but the key is to keep that variability in non-critical areas, overall, to a minimum. The benefits of a largely templated process include not having to start from scratch every time a contract is signed, and being able to continually tweak and refine the recipe after each batch.
I got to thinking about standards of practice after interviewing Chuck McDevitt, CIO at Self Regional Healthcare. In what is probably not a coincidence, he is both a big proponent of standardizing processes through LEAN, and he’s got copious experience outside healthcare. As we discussed in our soon-to-be-published interview, his goal is not to take all the variability or “art” out of medicine, but rather to take as much out of the overall process (much of which encompasses non-clinical areas) as possible, without sacrificing the quality that comes from looking at each case individually.
When we combine the fact that we all want to feel special and that healthcare actually is special, we can see why many industry lifers eschew standardization on some level. But perhaps those whose experience attempting such transformations has largely been positive, and who haven’t been beaten down by doctors/artists over the years, can bring a less romantic perspective to the redesign of hospital processes.
In “The eMyth Revisited,” Michael Gerber notes that though about 90 percent of all small businesses fail within the first two years, that number is drastically decreased when looking at franchises. Why? It’s because they take the variability out of just about all processes. When you buy into a franchise, you buy “their way” — their supplies, their equipment and, most importantly, their methods. You buy their almost foolproof templates.
Gerber’s book was the inspiration for my quest to make all my repeatable processes as templated as possible. All businesses, he says, must think like franchises to survive, to free those who should be working on them from working in them.
These are sound principles and objectives for you to embrace. As much as possible, work to create your “recipe book” of operations that could be passed on to any new employee with little other explanation. Continually refine the book and make it your bible of IT operations. When you can exert influence over other operations, spread the gospel that squeezing out variability makes good sense for both patients and the bottom line.
McDevitt is working hard to bring his manufacturing experience to healthcare. Of course, he’ll run up against some encounters that you already know defy standardization. But, while he may fall short of the point he envisions reaching, Self Regional will doubtless be a better place for his having prompted the journey.
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