What is Lean?

Lean is a systematic approach to identifying and fixing broken systems. Lean has its roots in the auto manufacturing industry, specifically the Toyota Production System (TPS). The basic premise of Lean is simple: focus on increasing value from the customer’s perspective, lowering costs through the elimination of waste in our work processes, respecting people (both our patients and our staff), and striving continuously to improve.

The goal of Lean is to increase value in every aspect of care and service and do it in a way that engages and empowers individuals to become problem solvers.

In healthcare, the primary customer is the patient. Value is defined by the customer’s perception of how a service provided matches what he/she desires in terms of quality, price, time spent, and other factors. Waste, or “muda” as it is often referred to in Japanese, is defined as any expenditure of time or resources that does not contribute to the efficient delivery of quality healthcare to the patient

Oscar-nominated director Kief Davidson visits the busy eye clinic at Harbor-UCLA hospital, where patients were going blind waiting for medical services. He takes a look at the results of the hospital’s partnership with Toyota, quite literally through the failing eyes of Liseth, a diabetic patient hoping for a positive outcome.