Dr. Gary Kaplan is recognized as a remarkable healthcare leader. Dr. Kaplan took over as the CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC), a facility in Seattle, Washington, in 2000 (Kelendar, 2020). At the time, the hospital was collapsing following its financial and workforce challenges. VMMC had been a top care provision center, but in the late 1990s, the management failed due to a rapid economic collapse and demotivation of the staff and, consequently, poor outcomes.
As Dr. Gary took over, he attempted to achieve change in the center. Dr. Kaplan envisioned VMMC as the leading care facility, and as the administrator, he wanted to lead the transformation. His primary attraction to the hospital was based on the contemporary culture of the hospital of a collective approach. This trend was established in the early 1900s and played a significant role in promoting the facility’s growth until it started having issues (Kelendar, 2020). At this point, Dr. Kaplan reviewed the plan and recognized that it had to be altered. He, therefore, adopted the Toyota Production System management style (Kelendar, 2020). Through this model, he envisaged the formation of the Virginia Mason Medical Center Production System.
The scheme was aimed at enhancing patient satisfaction and care outcomes. Further, it could promote staff morale, including physicians, nurses, and support staff. TPS model also was influential in freeing the workforce schedule and giving them adequate time that they could use for personal interests such as associating with the patients and families or upgrading their education levels (Kelendar, 2020). Dr. Kaplan set the objectives to be more emphasize reliability and member engagement. Additionally, he was trying to achieve the change while maintaining the unique culture held over the years. Despite the challenges they faced with his leadership teams, Dr. Kaplan’s achievements have termed the industrialization of healthcare.
Reference
Kelendar, H. (2020). Lean thinking from Toyota manufacturing to the health care sector. Research in Medical & Engineering Sciences, 8(5), 913-923. Web.