Systems Intelligence: How to Heal Hospitals

["Jim Clauson, Breakthrough Systems" <jim@jclauson.com>]

Forwarding for Bob Mason at CC-M:

I have read the discussions about the utility of the DEN and sympathize with
people who express frustration, powerlessness, and pessimism about the
course of events. The truth is that 15 minutes or 15 years of fame count
for little in the long run. The transformation we desire, like all true
revolutions will take decades. Short of fascistic solutions, which some
people in the Middle East are toying with as a possible solution to their
frustration and long-term humiliation, we have to deal with the messiness of
our hyper-individualistic capitalism.

Dr. Deming's name has appeared less and less in the popular or business
press. But his ideas are at work below the surface.

I'm attaching a summary of the public television report now in production,
"Systems Intelligence: How to Heal Hospitals." It's for for the DEN.

[Moderator's Note:  For security reasons, we do not process attachments - 
so I will be posting this to the web site shortly]

Readers will see that nothing is said about Deming or Profound Knowledge.
Yet our research indicates his philosophy is employed in those scattered
hospitals that will be covered in the report. There is no need at this time
to attribute the ideas we observe to Dr. Deming or anyone else. We know
where they came from.

What we are trying to do is observe the national crisis in health care
through the lens of clinical facilities that are exceptions to the
prevailing practices--where so much waste and suffering occurs--and suggest
to the television audience that the solutions are not what they think they
are.

Paul O'Neill commented that the nation probably spends $1 trillion on health
care, wasting easily 50 percent. That's enough money to provide care for
every citizen and retire the national debt. Tinkering with the system or
spending more money won't change it.

So this documentary (and those that follow in the series) is about why we
have to change immediately the way we work together in hospitals (and
schools, businesses and public service). The report describes a
revolutionary, more effective and efficient work system, which also provides
pleasure and meaning in work for all. This, of course, is not familiar to
anybody except DEN members and the like. Making these connections will be
very difficult.

We believe that the medical leaders to be interviewed will say that if we
don't learn and practice this approach, our standard of living and quality
of life will deteriorate. This is a demanding work system (as all you DEN
people know), not a simple, quick-fix program. It requires a long-term
change in attitude and methods and requires discipline, study, and
commitment.

Recent reports provide evidence that good intentions in clinical care
situations have become dangerous.
It is critical that we frame the issues well and explain "systems" and
"systems thinking" so that viewers don't turn off but glimpse how the
national system contains the hospital and clinic systems where they
experience 50% chances of receiving the care they desire. Explaining and
teaching systems, as many of you know, is extraordinarily difficult. We
can't get bogged down in attribution and must avoid jargon.

Maybe members of the DEN can help us with the thinking in this project even
if we have to avoid some of our most favorite terms of the Deming
philosophy.

We're pleased, by the way, to announce that Linda Doherty, who led the
Navy's TQL effort, has joined our production team.

Thanks.
Bob Mason


<>=====================<><><>===================<>
Jim Clauson --------------------- jim@jclauson.com
Breakthrough Systems ----- http://jclauson.com
<>=====================<><><>===================<>