Achievement Dynamics Announces Lean Services That Address Health Care Industry Inefficiencies.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 2003

Recognizing the need to control soaring health-care costs, Achievement Dynamics (ADI), a nationally-recognized consulting firm, has announced the availability of lean transformation services proven to eliminate waste and increase productivity throughout the health care enterprise. Incorporating the principles and practices of lean systems, ADI's services are designed to streamline processes, improve patient care and reduce costs for hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies.

Implementation of lean rules and tools can address the following problems: excessive waiting for patient testing, treatment, referral, discharge, lab results, bed assignments; excessive transport of samples, specimens, patients for testing; and elimination of multiple bed moves, retesting, medication errors, wrong procedures. Specific areas that can be targeted for process improvement include:

-- Referral management process

-- Patient referral process

-- Emergency room cycle time

-- Discharge process

-- Charge entry and co-payment collection

-- ICU length of stay and more

"I believe there is easily a 30% to 40% waste factor in healthcare," says ADI Founder and Senior Vice President Andy Carlino. "With the bulk of health insurance premiums falling on the shoulders of manufacturers, who are already struggling against foreign competition, it is imperative that we improve this industry.

"Process improvements such as Cycle Time Reduction do require an investment, but statistics indicate that there is at least at 40 to 1 return on every dollar spent."

ADI has a proven track record within the healthcare industry and has worked with Toledo Hospital, Rockford Health Plans, Michigan Affiliated Health Partners, Rockford Health System, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, and Univera, to name a few. Some of the results of ADI's work include these identified areas for potential improvement:

-- A 65% reduction in ER cycle time

-- Annual savings of 23,170 manhours in-patient discharge

activities

-- A 66% reduction in referral process activities to realize

annual savings of $165,000

-- A 17% increase in ER capacity with very minor capital

investment

In addition to time and cost savings, process improvements also lead to increased patient satisfaction, improved employee morale, error reduction, quicker patient diagnosis, and improved quality of treatment.

Achievement Dynamics' expertise combines on-site assessment, lean project management, lean training and leadership development. By identifying opportunities within an organization and then using proven principles and practices of lean manufacturing, organizational development, human resource development and process improvement, Achievement Dynamics partners with their client organizations to deliver sustainable operational performance improvement. In combination with affiliate company The Lean Learning Center (Novi, Mich.), a provider of lean curriculum, the companies provide a full complement of lean transformation services. In addition to health care, industries served include aerospace, automotive, communications, public utilities, food processing, retail and more.