Best Practice Case Study: Soulful Six Sigma

In 2000, Mount Carmel Health System took a calculated risk and began a $650,000 Six Sigma initiative throughout the three-hospital system in Columbus, Ohio. In a sense, Mount Carmel was "working without a net" since at the time there was no road map for the application of Six Sigma in health care.

Although Six Sigma had been successful in other, largely manufacturing, industries, health care had yet to attempt Six Sigma on a large scale. The risk paid off – big time. With more than $20 million in validated process improvement savings through March 2003, Mount Carmel's program is a national model for the application of Six Sigma in health care and the subject of wide-spread publicity.

Mount Carmel created its own twist on Six Sigma by emphasizing that it be implemented based on the organization's Higher Ground Leadership philosophy. Mount Carmel's "Soulful" Six Sigma initiative carefully considers the impact of changing processes on patients, employees and physicians.

Soulful Six Sigma is now being adapted at other Trinity Health hospitals in Ann Arbor and Livonia, Mich. Staff from Mount Carmel are working to provide internal consulting support for these efforts.