Sustaining Lean in Healthcare: Developing and Engaging Physician Leadership

Michael Nelson, MD spent 28 years practicing pediatrics while building the practice from a solo physician office to seven pediatricians. He has served as a hospital medical staff president and in various medical director positions. For the last 13 years, he has devoted increasingly greater time to quality improvement in healthcare. For the last 5 years of employment with Presbyterian Healthcare Services, he worked full time in quality improvement and became a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. He was a physician leader for Lean Systems implementation at Presbyterian.



He is credited with:

• Creating a health and chronic disease management system resulting in national benchmark performance in diabetes care



• Developing a curriculum and teaching more than 200 clinicians and senior leaders advanced tools and techniques in quality improvement



• Implementing elements of the advanced medical home



• Creating a patient-centered care environment through the creation of patient and family advisory councils in PMG clinics



• Leading and supporting successful Lean implementations resulting in dramatic improvements in ambulatory clinics and inpatient settings

He currently owns a Lean consulting business, Blue Corn Professional Services, LLC, and is a physician coach for the Studer Group.