Penn State to host symposium on Lean Six Sigma in health care

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State student chapter of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) is hosting a symposium on the application of Lean Six Sigma principles and methodologies in health care from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 22 on the University Park campus.

Representatives from Hershey Medical Center and Minitab have already registered for the event, which is free and open to the public.

Hospital administrators are taking a closer look at Lean Six Sigma approaches to solve the challenges and inefficiencies that result in high costs and quality deficits in their operations.

In response to the demand, students enrolled in the I E 436 Six Sigma Methodology course have undertaken a case study challenge to examine how hospitals across Pennsylvania can apply the principles of Lean Six Sigma to identify potential projects to health care practices to implement and to deliver solutions to these dilemmas.

Funding for the challenge is being provided by Xerox and the professional chapter of the ASQ. The first-place team will share a $1,000 prize, $500 will go to the second-place team, and the third- and fourth-place teams will share prizes of $300 and $100, respectively.

Lauren Knobloch, an alumna of the Penn State Colleges of Engineering and the Liberal Arts as well as the Penn State Six Sigma minor, will serve as the keynote speaker and a panel of health care professionals will detail their experiences in working with Lean Six Sigma and outline the importance of using the methodologies to solve some of the unique challenges that arise in health care settings.

The symposium will start in Room 114 of the Earth and Engineering Sciences Building and will move to Room 242 of the Leonhard Building for lunch and afternoon presentations.

Harriet Nembhard, professor of industrial engineering, director of the Penn State Center for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems, faculty adviser of the ASQ chapter at Penn State and director of the Six Sigma minor, will oversee the day’s festivities.