What it Takes to Bring Lean Thinking to Healthcare: One Leader’s Candid Reflections

About Keith Murphy

Keith Murphy has 15+ years of healthcare experience, working in both hospital and ambulatory care settings. He spent the last 3 1/2 years at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates as a Senior Lean Process Improvement Leader. Since starting their Lean transformation in 2008, HVMA has generated over 70 million dollars of improvement by utilizing classic Lean tools such as: Value Streams, Kaizen Events, Managing for Daily Improvement (MDI) Boards and Strategy Deployment. Keith’s primary focus areas are organizational Strategy Deployment (Hoshin-Kanri) processes, Daily Lean Management System development, and leadership coaching.

Prior to joining HVMA in 2011, Keith help to create and then oversaw the Patient Experience Program at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, RI. The program was responsible for the hospital’s Patient & Family Centered Care program, Patient & Family Advisory Councils, and patient satisfaction surveys. In his early years at Women & Infants,, Keith worked in the hospital’s Organizational Development & Learning (OD&L) Department as a Senior Employee Development Specialist. In this role Keith facilitated team-building activities, managed various organizational improvement initiatives, and facilitated leadership and staff development courses.