In 2000, Virtua adopted a unique tool kit for continual process improvement through its strategic partnership with General Electric. The Six Sigma Tool Kit is a statistical problem-solving approach driven by patient/customer expectations in order to improve business operations.
"Six Sigma" was developed by the Motorola Company in 1987, and this highly successful approach has since been widely adopted and praised throughout corporations including General Electric, duPont, Johnson and Johnson and Dow Chemical.
Virtua was one of the first healthcare organizations to adopt Six Sigma. The Six Sigma Tool Kit comprises the following, which are unique to better address improvements:
- Change Acceleration Process (CAP)
- WorkOut
- Lean
- Six Sigma
- Design for Six Sigma
Virtua highlights:
- Through the use of internal consultants, Black Belts, Green Belts and Master Blacks work on initiatives that focus on the Virtua STAR and the organizations' strategic imperatives to deliver the best quality of care
- There have been more than 100 Six Sigma and Design for Six Sigma projects to date
- Measurable results having a positive impact on patient care, employee morale and the organization's bottom line have been realized through the use of the tool kit
- To date, Virtua has seen results of more than $27 million in new dollars since implementing the Six Sigma methodology
- In 2008, Rich Miller, CEO and president of Virtua was recognized by Worldwide Convention and Business Forums as the Lean Six Sigma CEO of the Year for his leadership around the outstanding organizational advancements through the application of Lean and Six Sigma business models