Date of Award

Spring 8-1-2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Industrial Engineering

First Advisor

Ming Zhou

Second Advisor

W. Tad Foster

Third Advisor

Ronald Leach

Abstract

The research was an attempt to apply lean manufacturing (LM) techniques, to the healthcare setting specifically to Emergency Department (ED) of a local hospital and to improve its performance. An ED is meant to attend/provide immediate care to a patient who needs medical care immediately and also balancing the care to patients with lesser acuity who arrive at the ED for treatment. The data was collected from the ED by direct observation. The data was statistically analyzed to find out the bottlenecks in the process during the course of a patient's treatment to further provide solutions and improve the performance of the ED. After data analysis for every sub-process the value added (VA) and non value added (NVA) activities were identified in order to minimize the waste of each and every sub process. Data analysis also helped to identify the variation so that the process variation can be stabilized and optimized gradually. Achieving the long-term goal of improving the health care system will require commitment of leaders in the health care community, including practitioners in all clinical areas, and leaders in engineering. This research resulted in certain recommendations to improve any healthcare setting in such a way that healthcare should be safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and cost effective.

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