Explore how you apply quality tools and methodologies to healthcare delivery issues such as patient safety, error reduction, cost reduction, and efficiency, Look for a new webinar every month, starting in April 2009.

These webinars are exclusively available to ASQ Associate, Full, Senior, and Fellow members. Join now for access.


Optimizing Problem Solving Using Common Cause Analysis

Identifying and implementing best practices from other organizations to solve local problems is a common improvement strategy in healthcare. Yet best practice implementation without identification of underlying causal factors of the issue can result in problem continuation…and leave the organization wondering why the “best practice” didn’t work! This webinar will examine common cause analysis (CCA) as a tool to improve problem-solving effectiveness. Apply it to problems, such as falls with injury or medication errors, to understand root causes.

Presenter: Carole Stockmeier, Partner and Practice Director, HPI
Shannon Sayles, Consultant, HPI

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Rapid Evaluation Units: Uncrowding your ED and Creating Capacity

Emergency Department overcrowding is a national problem. Often, patients wait for hours. Some leave in frustration. There have even been reports of patients dying in the waiting room. This webinar focuses on reengineering the flow of patients using Lean principles, and the Rapid Evaluation Unit (REU). REU has been effective at reducing EMS diversion hours, improving “door to provider” times, and increasing the functional capacity of the Emergency Department.

Presenter: Joseph Twanmoh, MD, Chairman, Emergency Medicine, St. Agnes Hospital, Baltimore, MD

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Quality Management System (ISO 9001) for Healthcare

Today’s quality management guidelines are much more “healthcare” friendly than earlier versions, and have led to numerous success stories within the industry. Achieving certification to an ISO standard (such as ISO 9001), however, is still a challenging process for many organizations.  This webinar addresses how to get the most value from implementing a quality management system in a health care organization, highlighting the story of American Legion Hospital in Crowley, Louisiana.

Presenter: M.M. “Mickey” Christensen, MSME, P.E. Retired, President, TQM Systems

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The Human Side of Lean

Focus on the human side of lean healthcare and how a lean culture empowers and motivates employees. Understand "training within industry" and how it supports the culture of continuous improvement and learning organization.

Presenter: Carol Lepper, RN, MBA, President, Solutions for Lean Healthcare Inc.

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Practical Application of FMEA

Introduce yourself to the application of failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) in healthcare to improve efficiency, patient safety, and effective implementation of process improvements.

Presenter: Keith Poole, CQA, CQE, CSQE, CSSBB, CMQ/OE, Corporate Manager Lean Six Sigma, Sisters of St. Francis Health Services

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Integrating Magnet and Baldrige

Magnet and Baldrige are proven models for recognizing excellence and providing a framework for continuous and sustained improvement – something every healthcare provider needs. The models compliment and reinforce each other. This webinar demonstrates how the two models can drive organizational excellence through a patient-focused workforce, process management, and defined expected outcomes.

Presenters: Barry Johnson, MBA, CSSBB, President, Knowledge Engineers
Ellen Pitcher, RN, MSN, MBA NEA-BC, Vice President of Patient Services, Chief Nursing Officer
Moderator: William Denney, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Quality Texas Foundation

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Basic Quality Improvement Tools for Public Health

Quality improvement (QI) in public health needs a deliberate and defined process, such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. Ongoing efforts like this need to achieve measurable improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, quality, outcomes, or performance of services or processes. The ultimate goal is a positive impact on the community’s health. These QI efforts can seek "incremental” improvement over time or “breakthrough" improvement all at once.

See how the Orange County Health Department used the Plan-Do-Check-Act improvement process to meet a public health challenge.

Presenter: Grace Duffy, MBA, CLSSMBB, President, Management and Performance Systems

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Decision-Making in the Face of Variation and Uncertainty

MD Anderson Cancer Center set out to determine the number of exam rooms per clinic in the new Ambulatory Clinic Building. The results showed that no clinic could grow under the operational status quo. The clinics had to rethink operations. Efforts are now underway to decrease variation and increase room utilization in the clinics. You CAN make good decisions – even when you’re faced with variation and uncertainty.

Presenter: Wayne Fischer, Ph.D., Perioperative Quality Analyst, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

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Optimizing Problem Solving Using Common Cause Analysis

Available November 2009

Identifying and implementing best practices from other organizations to solve local problems is a common improvement strategy in healthcare. Yet best practice implementation without identification of underlying causal factors of the issue can result in problem continuation…and leave the organization wondering why the “best practice” didn’t work! This webinar will examine Common Cause Analysis (CCA) as a tool to improve effectiveness in solving local or global problems (such as falls with injury or medication errors) by understanding root causes of the problem.

Presenters: Carole Stockmeier, MHA, CMQ/OE, Partner & Practice Director, Healthcare Performance Improvement and Shannon Sayles, RN, MA, Consultant, Healthcare Performance Improvement


Gating – A Focused Approach to Identify Improvements

Available December 2009

As part of their customized program, SP3, Shriners Hospitals for Children – International uses “gating” as an aide in identifying improvement opportunities. Gating narrows the focus and evaluates various factors impacting performance; it is used to identify targets that align with core business to choose improvement projects that can make the broadest impact.

Presenter: Roger Noble, CPI Architect, Kforce Government Solutions


Root Cause Analysis in Healthcare: Step by Step

Available January 2010

Explore how and why root cause analysis (RCA) is the most widely used quality "tool" in healthcare. Review the relationship between RCA and adverse event reporting. Review the advantages, limitations, and common misuse of this tool.

Presenter: Martha (Marti) E. K. Beltz, Senior Consultant, Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Performance Excellence