The Emory Transplant Center’s focus on quality goes well beyond the ordinary. And, while it was the first transplant center to earn the prestigious National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)’s Patient-Centered Specialty Practice (PCSP) Level 3 Recognition – their highest level of distinction, Emory Transplant Center is committed to building upon its strengths, assertively working to enhance patient-centered care.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Cox Foundation’s Jim Kennedy, the Emory Transplant Center is well underway in building the best possible patient experience. The award is intended to streamline appointments and reduce wait times while providing the highest quality health care.
Toward these goals, the Emory Transplant Center is integrating the Lean Methodology quality principles into all aspects of its operation. The Lean Methodology is a quality improvement philosophy first developed by Toyota. It transforms the way organizations work and is increasingly being used in health care settings to build staff commitment and cut waste that can undermine care.
Lean processes include reviews of all activities which distinguish value-creating actions from those that misuse resources and point to opportunities for improvement, along with team-based problem-solving sessions focusing on identifying gaps and problems, brainstorming fixes, and executing as many solutions as possible. Learn more about Lean methodology.
To date, the Emory Transplant Center has led several value stream analyses that have strengthened patient-centered care.