Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/731691
144 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Corner Office: Virginia Mason Health System Chairman and CEO Dr. Gary S. Kaplan on Relentlessly Fighting Waste and What He Learned Working in a Hardware Store By Tamara Rosin P roviding high-quality healthcare requires a balance between clinical expertise, technical management systems and effective communication. Gary S. Kaplan, MD, a self-proclaimed "optimistic extrovert," wants his health system to ace each of these elements. Dr. Kaplan took the helm of Seat- tle-based Virginia Mason Health Sys- tem as chairman and CEO in 2000. A board-certified internist, he also practic- es medicine at Virginia Mason, where he completed his residency and served as chief resident in 1980 - 1981. Over the last 16 years, Dr. Kaplan has shepherded his organization through significant change — culturally and clinically. Virginia Mason's culture values teamwork and actively seeks to eliminate waste. Under Dr. Kaplan's leadership, the health system adopted the Virginia Mason Production System, inspired by the lean methodology of the Toyota Production System, in 2002. Since then, the hospital has recorded im- provements in patient outcomes and waste reduction. For instance, us- ing VMPS principles, the health system was able to increase the amount of time nurses spent with patients to 90 percent, compared to 35 percent prior to instituting VMPS and the new, nurse-designed processes. Care is also safer as a result of the implementation of the Patient Safety Alert system, which requires all staff to immediately report and cease any ac- tivity that is likely to harm a patient. In addition to his tenure at Virginia Mason, Dr. Kaplan is chair of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Board of Directors and chair- man of the National Patient Safety Foundation Lucian Leape Institute. He is also a founding member of Health CEOs for Health Reform and has held leadership roles with various other organizations, including the Medical Group Management Association and the Washington Healthcare Forum. Here, Dr. Kaplan took the time to answer our seven questions. Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. What's one thing that really piqued your interest in health- care? I grew up working in my father's hardware store. I really enjoyed talking to customers and relating to people. When I was a teenager, one of our customers — a primary care physician — offered to take me on rounds at the hospital where he worked. From there, I really fell in love with the profession of medicine and the opportunity to interact with people and help them during their most vulnerable moments. It's a real privilege for patients to let us into their lives during those per- sonal times. Every day I am inspired by our patients as well as our team members who work continuously to improve the patient experience, quality and safety of our hospital. What do you enjoy most about Seattle? My wife and I moved here from Ann Arbor about 38 years ago. Aer just a month or two here, we loved the Northwest. We knew it was the right place for us. It's a great place to raise a family. ere is so much natural beauty, and the recreational pursuits the Pacific Northwest has to offer are really aligned with the things we love to do. But most impor- tantly, it is the intellectual vibrancy of the community. ere is a strong spirit of innovation, with many pioneering companies nearby: Amazon, Microso, Starbucks, Boeing — companies changing the world. It's a very exciting place to be. If you could eliminate one of the healthcare industries problems overnight, which would it be? is should come as no surprise to people who know me and our work at Virginia Mason, but it's waste. Healthcare is full of waste. e lowest estimate I've seen recently is waste accounts for 30 percent of what we do and how we spend our precious resources in healthcare. at waste comes in many forms, such as wasted time and diagnostic procedures and tests. We believe that by using the Virginia Mason Production Sys- tem, we can identify and eliminate waste in a very systematic way. What's so exciting is doing this results in higher quality, safer care and a better patient experience. At the same time, there is a lower burden of work for our team members and lower costs. e mythology that you have to pay more to get better quality has gone by the wayside. By relentlessly and systematically focusing on eliminating waste, we can make healthcare better, more affordable and safer. What do you consider your greatest talent or skill outside of the C-suite? I believe this is applicable in the C-suite, but I would say I am an opti- mistic extrovert who derives tremendous energy from interacting with people. Maybe that skill began to develop working in the hardware store beginning at age five, but I love people, engaging in dialogue — includ- ing challenging conversations, debate and discussions that bring in di- verse opinions. I'm good at synthesizing, guiding others to find com- mon ground and translate that into action, whether in my personal life dealing with friends and family or at work. It's something I've worked hard to be good at. How do you revitalize yourself? I have a lot of things I enjoy doing. First and foremost, I love spending time with my wife and family, particularly my grandchildren now, who are seven and five. It is during that time that you have to be present. One of the key things is finding activities that allow you to check out for periods of time. I'm never without my work — it's a 24/7 job — but I've gotten good at compartmentalizing in a way that allows me to be present with family. My wife and I enjoy going for hikes, cycling, skiing and traveling.