On the Mend
Our new book On the Mend: Revolutionizing Healthcare to Save Lives and Transform the Industry, by John Toussaint, MD, and Roger Gerard, PhD, is now available. It shares the story of how ThedaCare applied lean principles from the manufacturing industry to care delivery.
The book’s intent is to define the technical and cultural framework necessary for a system-wide transformation. Most organizations that fail in this transformation do not pay adequate attention to how this new way of thinking affects their staff. If staff is actively engaged in problem solving, remarkable performance improvement results.
On the Mend describes how to achieve that engagement. Although ThedaCare has been very successful in its implementation of lean, we learned many lessons the hard way. Our hope is that readers can bypass our mistakes on their way to successful implementation of a lean culture.
Order the Book
You can purchase On the Mend through Lean.org and Amazon.com. It also is available to download in Kindle format for $9.99.
See What People are Saying About it
I started the book one morning over a cup of coffee, and it was either a large cup of coffee or a very engaging book. —Business901
The subtle attention to detail and the preciseness of the statements made for a true Lean Learning experience. The difficult steps that you can imagine in taking a Healthcare facility of this size and character through a Lean Journey were well documented. —Business901
I happen to believe that the greatness of On the Mend lies in the fact that it is not technical. Rather, it is a practical illustration of how an organization can realize gains from using few tools, and at the same time, utilize the best capital it already has: the experience and involvement of the organization's own people. —Amazon Review
They had me at page vi in the Foreword: "Lean transformation is all about Dr. Deming's Plan Do Study Act (PDSA), otherwise known as the scientific method." Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. —Amazon Review
Had I the money, I'd buy a copy of this book for everyone in my company, and for all of my family and friends. —Amazon Review
Whether you are a physician, nurse, lab tech, pharmacist or a patient; if you have ever been in an ER or a hospital (or not), this book is a Must Read! —Amazon Review
This wonderful and insightful book has a PLAN! We have been waiting for Government health care reform for some time and nothing is happening. "On the Mend" shows a several-year work in progress that is actually making much needed improvements in many hospitals. —Amazon Review
I was most impressed with the ThedaCare team's demonstration of two key principles of lean — Respect for People and Humility! This book should open the eyes of healthcare leaders and politicians alike in seeing the possibilities of lean (Continuous Improvement) in lowering costs in healthcare, while improving quality of care, patient satisfaction and employee engagement. —Amazon Review
