Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, California is reaching new heights as it recently became a Stage 7 facility on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM), something only achieved by 6.4% of hospitals in the United States. Their secret? Lean Six Sigma.

…something only achieved by 6.4% of hospitals in the United States. Their secret? Lean Six Sigma.

The Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) is a tool for assessing how efficiently a facility uses Electronic Health Records (HER). It was designed by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), an organization that helps to guide healthcare facilities in their process to become more efficient through the implementation of new technologies. Martin Luther King Jr. has been able to achieve the highest stage on the EMRAM through Lean Six Sigma strategies.

Many of the hospital’s leaders are well-versed in Lean Six Sigma methodology, such Tracey Donegan the Chief Information and Innovation Officer. She was already working on or 15 Lean Six Sigma projects before attempting to reach Stage 7 on the ENRAM. One project focused on improving patient admittance flow through the hospital from the emergency department. Their original median time was 471 minutes, and after utilizing Lean Six Sigma strategies to analyze and adjust their process, they reduced their median time by 22%! These results and their impact on patient care are incredible. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital is truly leading the pack on process improvement through Lean Six Sigma.

These results and their impact on patient care are incredible. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital is truly leading the pack on process improvement through Lean Six Sigma.

Read more at Six Sigma Daily.