5S in action at CCRMC's West County Health Center

CCRMC’s, Lean Promotion Office (LPO), has been partnering with our West County Health Center managers and staff to implement 5S throughout the Family Medicine Clinic suites since late October, roughly a month after they first opened the new clinic. Here are the slides from their efforts.

 

It was noted that like many areas of our operation, there is a need to create a standard way of organizing supplies or rooms and work areas.  The WCHC manager and charge nurse, Caroline and Lolly, requested help implementing 5S in the clinic. With the input and efforts from front line staff,  standard templates for exam rooms, dirty utility rooms, equipment rooms, EKG Rooms and treatment rooms were developed.  5S is planned for the treatment room, EKG room, nurse’s station and triage room. Standardize templates –checklists on “how to” 5S -  will support spread to all other suites (with some customization for specialty clinics), train staff in 5S and support the process as needed to create a sustainable system. After maintaining a standard and sustainable 5S system, the next planned step is to roll-out 5S in other clinics across our system.

Developing a 5S organization system could not have been accomplished without the incredible support and help from WCHC administration (Caroline, Lolly, Arturo), front line staff who participated in the 5S process (Nick, Armand, Sara, Cassie, Jami, Lu, Maria) and input from providers, nurses and other clinical staff. Staff has put in many hours labeling, rearranging rooms and supplies and standardizing the clinic in order to optimize work flow and create a better environment for everyone to work in and delivery the best care.

Many thanks to our WCHC team and the CCRMC, LPO for leading this important improvement effort.

More very soon,

Anna