mem·o·ry·less·ness

via chlady:

The system is just one example of how Seattle Children’s Hospital says it has improved patient care, and its bottom line, by using practices made famous by Toyota and others. The main goals of the approach, known as kaizen, are to reduce waste and to increase value for customers through continuous small improvements.

…

Brian Lucas, a spokesman for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, says the lean efforts have been used to reduce unnecessary tasks and have not resulted in lower nurse-to-patient ratios. “To the contrary,” he said, “they have allowed nurses to spend more time delivering care to patients.”

It’s good to see that OR/IE is alive in healthcare.  While I agree with the nurses who think time studies are inappropriate for hospitals, inventory management could greatly benefit healthcare providers from both a cost and a patient care perspective.

Now if someone would just implement this.  :-)