Medical Clinic Pediatric Department Reduced Patient Rooming Time by 41% with GLSS
Washington
Healthcare
Operations
41%
- The problem: Long and inconsistent patient rooming times in the pediatric department were creating delays for patients, staff, and providers.
- By applying Lean Six Sigma tools through GLSS Training & Certification, the team reduced average rooming time from 17 minutes to 10 minutes, a 41% improvement, helping stabilize clinic flow and reduce patient wait times.
Healthcare organizations operate in fast-paced environments where efficiency and quality of care must work together. As patient volumes grow and staffing resources remain limited, even small delays in everyday processes can create longer wait times, disrupt provider schedules, and add stress for clinical teams.
Recognizing the need for improvement, the pediatric department at a Washington Medical Clinic launched a process improvement initiative. The team chose GLSS’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training & Certification to guide their efforts because of its practical, easy-to-apply approach to Lean Six Sigma and its focus on achieving real-world results quickly.
Through GLSS Training, the team learned how to analyze workflows, identify root causes, and test practical solutions that could improve efficiency without increasing staffing levels. The project also reflected the principles of Ethical EfficiencyâĒ, ensuring that improvements enhanced both operational performance and the patient experience. By focusing on smarter processes rather than simply working faster, the team aimed to deliver better care while supporting staff and patients alike.
The Pediatric Department was experiencing long and inconsistent times when rooming patients prior to provider visits. On average, it took approximately 17 minutes for Medical Assistants (MAs) to room a patient, and the time varied significantly from appointment to appointment.
These delays created ripple effects throughout the clinic schedule. When rooming took longer than expected, patients waited longer to see their providers, appointment schedules fell behind, and staff felt additional pressure to catch up throughout the day.
Several challenges contributed to the delays. Medical Assistants often followed slightly different workflows when preparing patients, documentation steps were not always standardized, and staff sometimes spent extra time locating supplies or confirming what information needed to be collected during intake.
Without a clear, consistent process, even small inefficiencies accumulated throughout the day. Leadership recognized that improving the rooming process could significantly improve clinic flow, reduce patient wait times, and create a more predictable schedule for providers.
Through their improvement analysis, the team identified several factors contributing to the longer rooming times.
One key issue involved system access permissions within the electronic medical record system. Some Medical Assistants did not have the appropriate access to complete certain steps independently, which meant they had to pause their work to ask colleagues for assistance or clarification.
Another important factor was the lack of standardized training and workflow expectations for pediatric rooming. Staff members often completed tasks in different orders or spent extra time determining what information needed to be documented during each visit.
These variations created unnecessary delays and made it difficult to maintain a smooth, predictable intake process.
To address these challenges, the team implemented several targeted improvements designed to standardize and simplify the rooming process.
- First, the department developed a standardized pediatric rooming workflow that clearly outlined the sequence of steps for preparing patients. This gave staff a consistent process to follow during every patient intake.
- Next, the team created a simple rooming checklist for both MA and RN staff. The checklist served as a quick reference guide to ensure all required steps were completed correctly and consistently.
- The department also standardized exam room setup, placing equipment and supplies in the same location across all rooms. This reduced the time staff spent searching for items and allowed them to prepare patients more efficiently.
- Finally, the clinic implemented standardized rooming training for clinical staff. This ensured everyone understood the updated workflow, the purpose of the checklist, and how the changes would support smoother clinic operations.
The improvements delivered clear and measurable results for the pediatric department.
After implementing the new workflow, checklist, and standardized room setup, the average Time to Room a Patient decreased from 17 minutes to 10 minutes, representing a 41% improvement.
These changes helped reduce variation in rooming times, improved clinic flow, and allowed providers to stay closer to schedule. Staff were able to complete intake tasks more confidently and efficiently, while patients benefited from shorter wait times and a smoother clinic experience.
with GLSS
This project demonstrated how structured improvement methods can create meaningful impact in healthcare operations. By applying the tools learned through GLSS Training & Certification, the team was able to identify the root causes of delays and implement practical solutions that improved performance without increasing staffing levels.
GLSSâs innovative instructional design equips teams with clear, actionable tools that help organizations move quickly from identifying problems to delivering measurable improvements. The project also reflected the principles of Ethical EfficiencyâĒ, improving operational performance while supporting both staff and patients.
With a more efficient and standardized rooming process now in place, this Medical Clinic is well positioned to continue improving patient care while expanding its culture of continuous improvement across the organization.
*We value our clients’ confidentiality. While we’ve changed their names, the results are real.
