Success Stories

SHODAIR CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

I did quite a bit of research on Six Sigma programs before choosing the University of Wisconsin-Madison Executive Education, and I can say emphatically that the program exceeded my expectations. If there was one thing I felt really stood out about the program, it was that each of the instructors really understood adult learning. The material was relevant and presented so that it was immediately applicable to my work. The best things I took away from each of the courses were the “tools”—I find that techniques such as value stream mapping are quick and useful in helping my managers to identify waste and improve a process. We’ll use the project management process to develop our electronic health record and meet the federal requirements for meaningful use. We are also using the techniques to reduce turnaround time for tests in the laboratory so that we can provide results to oncologists more quickly. That will strengthen our market position. I work in a children’s hospital, which means one of the biggest challenges that lies ahead will be implementation of health care reform. The thread of paying for quality is found throughout the health care reform legislation, and the Accelerated Six Sigma course gave us a good foundation to work in that direction.