The International Association of EMS Chiefs (IAEMSC) 2011 Annual EMS Leadership Summit will convene this week in Washington, DC. Oct. 28-31 and feature topics timely to our industry. Elected officials will participate in an important session entitled, “EMS Advocacy from the Other Side of the Table” and provide a perspective of how the emergency medical services profession is viewed by both a state senator and United States Senator.
James Robinson, IAEMSC Vice President and Assistant Chief of EMS of the City and County of Denver (CO), will present an important lecture: Doing More with Less: Applying the Toyota Production Systems Lean Methodology to EMS. The current economic climate is forcing all EMS chiefs to re-evaluate their resources and current service delivery.
The Denver Health and Hospital Authority adopted the Toyota Production Systems “Lean” methodology as its process improvement toolset in 2005. From the beginning of its transformation until now, the Denver Health and Hospital Authority has become a national leader in applying Lean in healthcare, has derived nearly $120 million in financial benefit through process improvements. Earlier this year Denver Health was awarded the 2011 Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, the first healthcare organization to ever receive this honor.
Denver Health’s Paramedic Division, the EMS provider for the City and County of Denver, has also incorporated Lean into all aspects of its operation. These methods have resulted in improved performance, improved quality and a financial impact of more than $5 million in savings and additional revenue since 2006. The use of Lean tools has allowed the Denver Health’s Paramedic Division to continue to optimize its EMS services to the citizens of and visitors to the City and County of Denver, and to weather the difficult economic times the country is facing without a reduction in staff or services.
Lean’s focuses on quality at the source and on respect for people has led to line-level participation in almost all Lean activities. Incorporating Lean has been synergistic with the cultural transformation the organization has undertaken since 2005, culminating in improved morale, improved employee engagement and improved work life for employees of the Paramedic Division.
This presentation is timely, and may provide Summit participants with additional tools as they navigate through these difficult times.
For additional conference, registration and hotel information, go to www.iaemsc.org
