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 (washtenawhealthinitiative.org/), a local collaboration for improving care and health, health equity, and social determinants. For over a decade Dr Billi served as the senior faculty advisor for the Michigan Data Collaborative (michigandatacollaborative.org), a multi-payer claims/clinical data repository and analytic service serving statewide population health programs including PGIP, CPC Plus and the State Innovation Model. He serves on the St Joseph Health System Regional Integrated Network (Trinity CIN) Board. From 2018-2020 he served as Chair of the Board of the Corner Health Center, an adolescent community health center in Ypsilanti. Dr. Billi helped found and for 10 years co-chaired the board of the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation (CHRT – www.chrt.org). Originally formed as a joint venture between UMHS and BCBSM, now an influential independent non-profit, CHRT’s goals are to improve the quality and cost of healthcare delivery through policy analysis and education essential to creating effective health policy at the state and national level. Since 2012 Dr Billi has served as a founding member of the AMA’s Professional Satisfaction and Practice Sustainability Task Force, dedicated to ensuring clinical practitioners have the skills and knowledge to lead their local teams to improve their practice and prevent burnout. He previously chaired the Michigan State Medical Society's (MSMS) Committee on Health Care Quality, Efficiency, and Economics. He served 12 years on the MSMS Board. He serves on the Blue Cross of Michigan Physician Relationship Advisory Committee. For over 35 years, Dr. Billi has contributed to American Heart Association emergency cardiac care committees and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR – www.ilcor.org/). An international scientific collaboration, ILCOR develops the evidence-based consensus on resuscitation science used worldwide to develop practice guidelines and educational programs to improve outcomes in cardiac resuscitation. Dr. Billi developed and leads conflict of interest (COI) management activities for ILCOR’s worldwide consensus on science process. He chairs ILCOR’s COI committee. Past University management roles include 15 years as Associate VP for Medical Affairs and 26 years as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs for the Medical School. Dr. Billi practiced over 40 years as a primary care general internist at UM. Jack is an avid tandem bicycler, cross-country skier, and fly fisher. He sings bass in the Temple Beth Emeth Choir (Kol Halev), and in Harmony (a community chorus that performs at nursing homes and assisted living facilities). Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3 CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release date Contact [email protected] if you have any questions about claiming credit.