Lessons Learned about LEAN in Healthcare with Dr. Jack Billi

Dr. Billi

serves as Professor Emeritus in Internal Medicine and Learning Health Sciences

(Medical School), Health Management and Policy (Public Health), and Integrated

Systems and Design (Engineering) at the University of Michigan. Dr. Billi's

management and research interests are in health services delivery, especially

the use of lean thinking to improve quality and efficiency, the use of

community collaboratives to improve quality and population health, clinical

practice transformation, the creation and use of evidence-based guidelines, and

conflict of interest management. 

For 18 years Dr. Billi

led the Michigan Quality System, the University of Michigan Health System’s

(UMHS) business strategy to transform clinical operations through deployment of

scientific problem solving and coaching at all levels.  MQS built on

classic continuous quality improvement, incorporating holistic principles of

lean thinking such as supporting workers and managers to take initiative to fix

root causes of problems daily, supported by daily management systems, value

stream management, and strategy deployment.  The goal of MQS was to

improve safety, quality, timeliness, financial stewardship, and people engagement

in healthcare delivery through problem solving by every worker and leader,

every day.

Dr Billi has helped hundreds of teams of physicians, other clinicians,

administrative leaders, and trainees learn practical problem solving through

hands-on A3 workshops using their real work problems. Dr Billi led workshops

on lean thinking within and outside UM, including a joint program with the UM

College of Engineering with a nationwide draw.

Dr. Billi has

contributed to many statewide initiatives to improve quality and efficiency of

care, especially the use of community collaboration to support

improvement.  UMHS serves as the coordinating center for over 20 statewide

Collaborative Quality Initiatives (www.bcbsm.com/providers/value-partnerships/collaborative-quality-initiatives.html) funded by Blue

Cross Blue Shield of Michigan; for almost  20 years Dr. Billi served as

Medical Director for the University’s coordinating role. For 20 years he

co-chaired the Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium (www.mqic.org/), which develops

common, one-page practice guidelines endorsed by the Michigan Department of

Health and health plans in Michigan. He serves on steering committee for the

Washtenaw Health Initiative (