PROBLEM
Delayed admissions were making it difficult for an addiction treatment center to fill its beds despite having a great reputation and being in a community with a sizable population in need of treatment. Staff were burned out and being poached by other care facilities. The client asked for help identifying the sources of their breakdowns and creating a process that resulted in faster admissions and a better experience for both staff and patients.
ANALYSIS & INTERVENTION
We conducted a series of cross-functional work sessions involving the full Executive Team, their direct reports, and the staff members responsible for admission-related tasks. Working as a single team, we created a physical process map using whiteboards, butcher block paper, and sticky notes, using different colors to indicate each function’s actions. The maps were later converted to electronic form, but the large scale physical map enabled immediate recognition of bottlenecks, rework, and unnecessary steps. Having the full leadership team in the room also allowed for real-time approval of some process changes and prioritization of projects which would require more work.
RESULT
The admission time from initial contact to “head in the bed” was reduced from a range of 3-7 days to 8 hours.
The process proved so valuable, we continued work to map through the discharge and payment processes, and the team used those maps to improve operations for the next year.
