Book excerpt: DELIVER FASTER, BETTER, AND CHEAPER HEALTHCARE IN AS FEW AS FIVE DAYS 4 STAR DOODY'S REVIEW! "The main purpose is to present simple steps to help hospitals start getting faster, better, and cheaper in five days or less while achieving the goal of fast, affordable, and flawless healthcare. Healthcare has many opportunities for improvement and the use of Lean Six Sigma concepts can make a dramatic impact. This book provides the basic information to do that."--Doody's Review Service Lean Six Sigma for Hospitals: Simple Steps to Fast, Affordable, Flawless Healthcare explains how to use tested Lean Six Sigma methods and tools to rapidly improve hospital operations and quality of care and reduce costs. These proven strategies follow the patient from the front door of the hospital or emergency room all the way through discharge, examining key aspects of patient flow and quality. The trail of billing and collections is also followed to discover and eliminate cash flow leaks. This practical guide emphasizes both the clinical and operational sides to reduce the "three demons of quality"--delay, defects, and deviation. Real-world case studies from major hospitals illustrate successful implementations of Lean Six Sigma. Coverage Includes: Achieving a faster, better hospital in five days--emergency department, door-to-balloon time, operating room, medical imaging, lab, nursing unit, clinical staff, pharmacy, order accuracy, diagnosis, ICU Lean for accelerated patient flow Reducing medical errors with Six Sigma Creating a more profitable hospital in five days by reducing denied, rejected, and appealed claims Six Sigma for hospitals Excel power tools for Lean Six Sigma Identifying improvement projects through data mining and analysis Sustaining improvement using control charts Laser-focused process innovation Statistical tools for Lean Six Sigma Implementing Lean Six Sigma