Implementing Lean in a public hospital in Barcelona: Ana Álvarez Soto

Ana Álvarez Soto M.D. is a Doctor of Medicine and has also undertaken management studies in Health Systems. She is a senior manager at the Bellvitge University Hospital in Barcelona and been the Director for Processes at since 2017.

The Directorate of Processes was created with the purpose of changing the culture of the organization, orientating it towards continuous improvement with the participation of professionals and patients. The methodology used for change was Lean.

At the beginning the hospital hired external consulting companies, but what made the difference was the creation of an internal change team, with a very direct link with the Hospital's Healthcare Directorate. In recent times the hospital has taken a further step with the implementation of Hoshin Kanri in the strategic planning of the hospital and some departments.

Ana will explain the main obstacles encountered in five years of travel through Lean Management, the little 'tricks' that have made the journey easier and what new challenges they now face.

What we're about

This meetup is also about the Practice of Lean in Operational/Service settings. Where it is applied, how it has benefited the organisation, its customer and its employees.

Once you understand the concept of Lean, you will see that it is not a fad but something that is intrinsic and desirable for any organisation (and some would say even in your home!).

Lean is all about creating flow, by reducing waste around your end to end process. More importantly it gives you clarity in what your customer values from a service or product, so that you create value add for them for their whole journey. As a developmental method for an individual or team it is extremely valuable as it helps have a continuous mindset improvement but one that enhances the outcomes.

This group’s sole purpose is for Practitioners to share case studies of Lean based Change/Transformation and lessons learnt.

Our Case studies will be from Manufacturing, Service Operations, Health Care, Support Services, Distribution and Logistics. We aim to have case studies from around the globe.

PS: We understand that Lean is not the ‘be all and end all’. Lean has spawned/is connected to Agile, Six Sigma, Systems Thinking and Experience Base Design. In the spirit of continuous learning it has always been open to complimentary methods.

FAQ

Can I present?
Yes, if you are practitioner in an organisation. We keep this meetup to case studies and real experience not frameworks or methodologies (we are not saying these are not important though!) If you want help with preparing for your presentation we can support you.

Who can join?
*Anyone, but ideally practitioners in organisations. We keep this meetup to case studies and learning real experience not new frameworks or methodologies!
*We reserve the right to refuse entry to this group.

Who runs this meetup?
Ketan Varia is a practitioner of Lean having worked in manufacturing and service industries. He practices Lean every day by improving flow in his life. He is the author of ‘The Art of Transformational Change’ published in 2015. Ketan can be contacted at kvaria@kinetik.uk.com.

What do you do with my contact details (i.e. my email)?
We use your contact information to update you with events. If you wish for it to be removed, please do let us know at (bebetter@kinetik.uk.com). We will not pass your information to any marketing database or solicit you, without your express permission.