The virtual group discussions will include an overview of the articles, a review of the posted discussions and group questions, and will occur via Zoom.

Faculty: David Lucas, MD, MBA, CPE

Lean Six Sigma in Healthcare

Healthcare is uniquely suited to Lean Six Sigma because it is a process-driven industry where variation directly impacts patient outcomes, safety, and cost. Combining Lean's focus on eliminating waste (e.g., delays, redundant steps, unnecessary motion) with Six Sigma's focus on reducing variation and defects gives clinical and administrative leaders a structured way to improve quality without simply adding resources.

In practice, this means:

• Reducing diagnostic and treatment errors by identifying root causes of variation (e.g., specimen mislabeling, medication errors, turnaround time inconsistency)
• Improving patient flow by removing non-value-added steps (e.g., ED throughput, OR scheduling, discharge delays)
• Standardizing care processes to reduce unwarranted clinical variation while preserving physician judgment where it matters
• Lowering cost of poor quality—rework, readmissions, extended length of stay—by fixing processes rather than treating symptoms
• Engaging frontline staff in problem-solving, since they best understand the "voice of the process"

Ultimately, Lean Six Sigma reframes quality and safety not as compliance exercises, but as a disciplined, data-driven leadership competency—directly relevant to physicians moving into practice or health-system leadership roles.

Read the recommended articles, post your comments, and plan to join the live discussions on September 23. Visit the PAMED Learning Center now to access the materials and register for the Zoom meeting.