Six Sigma Training Takes Healthcare Facility Design to a New Level

Previously, we’ve discussed how Lean Six Sigma is transforming the healthcare industry by decreasing patient wait times and improving emergency room admissions flow. But did you know that some of the nation’s leading architects of healthcare facilities are also using their Six Sigma training to improve healthcare delivery?

According to a recent press release from Array Architects, 25 percent of the firm’s staff is now green belt or black belt certified, including its senior leadership. The company states that its approach to lean-led design carries a focus on sustainable business solutions for the healthcare environment. The firm hopes to positively impact the facility’s ability to deliver effective care by carefully evaluating every task and how it fits into the overall flow. The areas in which the firm uses Lean Six Sigma include the c-suite, practice area leadership, studio directorship, interior design, and project architecture.

Healthcare delivery has shifted from a volume driven process to a value driven one, the company states, and the design of the healthcare facility should do the same. The company’s belt practitioners are able to identify a problem and then use value stream mapping and a host of other tools to obtain input from their group and to reach a consensus.

Array Architects began in 1983 and is committed solely to the design of healthcare facilities. Through the years, they have completed a number of healthcare facility projects, including specialty surgery centers, behavioral health centers, cancer care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and much more.

Architecture is yet one more industry that is positively impacted through the use of Lean Six Sigma methods.