Sigma Breakthrough Technologies Inc. recently announced a major quality effort for the health care industry.

The consulting company has developed a strain of Six Sigma and lean principles that apply specifically to health care professionals, an initiative that will increase return on investment and ease implementation. The new project uses the Six Sigma methodology to streamline processes, save resources and improve patient care.

“Typically, the pressing issues facing our hospitals and health systems are [to] lower patient lengths of stay, increase patient satisfaction scores, increase survey scores, increase profit and reinvestment margins, increase patient volumes and [the] restrictive lack of resources to attain these important business goals,” says Ian Wedgwood, Ph.D. and executive champion. “Results vary process by process, but rolled up to a hospital or system level, 5–8 percent of revenue savings in 18 months to two years is not unusual.”

For more information, visit www.sbtionline.com.

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