The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center reports that a pilot lean and Six Sigma program it led in four Michigan hospitals saved up to $4.1 million.

Four northern Michigan hospitals took part in the eight-month program. They reported significantly increased surgical capacities, improved patient satisfaction, expedited emergency care and lab results, and shorter wait times for specialty clinic appointments. Together, the improvements saved the hospitals $2.8–$4.1 million.

“If this pilot program starts the engine of improvement within the health care industry, it will ultimately help the competitiveness of all businesses by eliminating the runaway price increases that have been occurring every year,” says Michael J. Coast, president of the MMTC.

The MMTC helps small and mid-sized Michigan organizations improve and streamline their processes using quality-improvement techniques. The organization plans to expand its health care improvement initiative to include hospitals in Southeast Michigan this month.

MMTC is on the Web at www.mmtc.org.

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