Dr Kenneth Michael Yun-Chi Chew, consultant in the Department of Cardiology at the National Heart Centre of Singapore (NHCS) and clinical instructor at Duke-NUS Medical School, has been at the HUB with the aim of acquiring knowhow on innovation in process management and the application of this methodology to the processes of a high complexity hospital.
Currently, large companies in all sectors around the world, including leading healthcare organisations such as the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom, have incorporated the Lean Management. This is a commitment to creating a continuous flow, identifying non-value-added activities, increasing productivity, efficiency, quality and clinical safety through continuous improvement.
The HUB began with its implementation in 2017 with the aim of innovating in management and implementing the Lean methodology in all departments of the centre by 2023. Precisely, thanks to the Lean Construction methodology, several milestones have been achieved in the HUB, such as the construction of the new Delta Building in record time (3 months and 19 days), eliminating everything that did not add value in the design and construction of the building.
Dr Kenneth Chew visited the HUB Process Unit to learn first-hand about the improvement projects that the organisation is currently developing. The process team leading this methodology is made up of Rosa M. Sánchez, Francisco Cortes, Jerónimo Ruiz, Ivan Macia and Dr Ana Álvarez, who is in charge.
Some of the projects in which Mr Kenneth Chew has been directly involved are the digitalisation of the patient management and admission system, the Hoshin Kanri system as a strategic management tool for service/unit goals and indicators, and the Lean Kata model for Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery. As for the Cabinet Unit, the NHCS Singapore consultant has immersed in the digitisation and optimisation of management, of the scorecard and in the application of the 5s method to be more productive.