The entire healthcare environment is undergoing a rapid change in the face of growing public attention and pending political intervention. As a result, there is increasing pressure on healthcare providers to control or reduce costs in order to deliver affordable treatment while continuously improving the quality of patient care. Stricter accreditation requirements and changing reimbursement policies are also adding to an already long list of business challenges. For this reason, many hospitals are turning to a proven methodology adapted from manufacturing to provide a systematic framework for improvements. This methodology has been termed "Lean Healthcare" modeled after the concepts and practices of the Toyota Motor Company. It represents a practical way to:
* Eliminate waste and conserve energy
* Prevent defects and improve quality of care
* Reduce costs
* Improve patient flow and reduce wait times resulting in greater patient satisfaction
* Utilize equipment and facilities more efficiently to avoid unnecessary investment
Even with more efficient utilization, hospitals are often forced to upgrade or expand their facilities to keep up with technological advances and meet the expectations of patients. Due to the complexity of healthcare facilities, construction costs represent a substantial part of capital budgets for most medical facilities. Published estimates indicate tht construction inefficiencies, delays, and cost overruns amount to $120 billion per year. For this reason, "Lean Design and Construction" practices are extremely important to support the growing trend toward "Lean Healthcare". Votaw Electric began them on the medical installations. Mobile dust containment units; portable work carts with cordless HEPA-filter vacuums; and tablet PC's represent just a few of the ways that Votaw Electric applies lean methods to reduce waste at our level. Along with our own standardized work policies for healthcare facilities, such tools help us eliminate rework, reduce set-up and change-over time, practice point-of-use efficiencies, implement Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and deliver quality-at-the-source.