Reviews

Mark Graban is the consummate translator of the vernacular of the Toyota Production System into the everyday parlance of health care. With each concept and its application, the reader is challenged to consider what is truly possible in the delivery of health care if only standardized systems borrowed from reliable industries, were implemented. Graban provides those trade secrets in an understandable and transparent fashion.

Mark Graban’s book has documented what is now happening in hospitals all across America as we learn to apply the Toyota Production System methodology to healthcare. This book lays out the nuts and bolts of the lean methodology and also describes the more difficult challenges, which have to do with managing change. Graban’s book is full of wins — these are the same type of wins that are happening at Thedacare every day. I wish I could have read this six years ago, as it might have prevented some of the mistakes we made in our lean transformation journey.

There is an enormous shortfall between the healthcare we could receive and what we actually get. Mark Graban explains how those in the system can make care delivery better for everyone — patients, providers, and payers.

The concepts outlined in this book are the most powerful tools that I have ever encountered to foster innovation, ownership, and accountability at the front line staff level. This is a must read for any leader in today’s increasingly complex healthcare industry.

Leaders of today’s healthcare organizations are on a continuous journey to improve results, requiring a relentless focus on improving the underlying process of care delivery and leadership practices.  Mark has written a book that provides compelling ideas to help create better places to work, practice medicine and receive safe, high quality care.

Mark Graban has been tirelessly studying the application of LEAN to health care, with an emphasis on respect for the people served by the system as well as the people who provide excellent care. He has an accurate sense of how things work in health systems, which makes his work more meaningful for people who want to make them better.

Many health care consultants have rebadged themselves as lean consultants and do not understand the real thinking behind the Toyota Production System. Mark Graban is an exception. He has worked hard to study the philosophy and stay true to the thinking of Toyota . His book is a welcome translation of the Toyota Production System into language any health care professional can understand.

The medical community has a tremendous opportunity to learn methods and techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of care and reduce costs, while at the same time engaging the staff in these efforts. Mark Graban has deep experience applying lean in the healthcare field, and in his book provides an outline of how to transfer concepts originally developed in manufacturing into the unique environment of medical care. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn and apply some great ideas in your organization.

It is obvious that Mark has spent time in the trenches of healthcare, and understands the complexities of applying the Lean philosophy and tools to that environment. If you want to improve your chances of surviving in today’s healthcare system (both literally and figuratively), read this book.

Finally! The healthcare industry has needed this book for many years. Informative, understandable, and timely, Mark’s book will leave you with an appreciation for what Lean is and what it can do for your hospital. After you read this book I’ll be surprised if you don’t make implementing Lean your highest strategic priority.