Innovation in action at Mayo Clinic

Picture source: www.leungdental.com

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER – VOLUME 47 NUMBER 1

BY AMANDA MEWBORN

It was great to learn about their various roles and how the Mayo Clinic’s commitment to excellence meant employing more than 100 improvement professionals, proving the old adage that actions speak louder than words.

The clinic’s Center for the Science of Healthcare Delivery includes several people with Ph.D.s in industrial engineering. The group focuses on ways to improve what the Mayo Clinic already does well.

We concluded by touring several areas around the Mayo Clinic. I enjoyed the flexibility that has been built into the facility, which supports changing operational models. For example, clinic exam rooms are standardized so that many different types of providers can use the same rooms at different times. Technology was integrated to facilitate good communication and ease patient flow and clinician workflow.

Everyone was kind and, more importantly, patient-focused. Every person we talked to explained his or her role in terms of the impact on patients. The focus on the patient and organizational commitment to continuous improvement and excellence made a lasting impression on me.