Dr. Patricia Gabow Joins Simpler Consulting As Senior Advisor

PITTSBURGH, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Simpler Consulting, L.P., a leading global management consulting firm, today announced the appointment of Patricia A. Gabow, M.D. to senior advisor. In this new role, the former Denver Health CEO will provide critical insight into the healthcare delivery system and strategic guidance to Simpler and its clients using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Triple Aim framework.

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"Simpler Consulting develops and delivers its services to provide breakthrough, innovative health system design in the relentless pursuit of safe and effective patient-centered care. Using a Lean management approach requires leadership engagement and new leadership behaviors to drive culture change, and Simpler is committed to providing exceptional leadership coaching to guide industry C-level leaders as they seek Lean leadership knowledge and lead change in complex organizations," said Marc Hafer, CEO of Simpler Consulting and author of the Simpler Healthcare book. "Dr. Gabow is a true Lean leader whose efforts to reform healthcare have not only inspired Denver Health to believe in change, but have motivated leaders across the globe to emulate Denver Health's relentless journey to improve patient care. We are confident that Dr. Gabow's Lean expertise and dedication to health reform will make her an invaluable coaching resource to our clients."

Despite a growing uninsured population, declining reimbursements and an uncertain future for healthcare reform, Dr. Gabow inspired clinicians, administration and staff at Denver Health to do better than industry standards and become a model in the delivery of care for the nation. In 2005, the public hospital system embarked on its Lean transformation journey, creating a community of problem solvers, able to identify wasteful process steps and redefine care in the eyes of the patient.

Under Dr. Gabow's direction, Denver Health experienced a financial benefit of more than $190 million through Lean and transformed the health system and delivery quality for the patients its serves. Denver Health since earned several awards for its efforts to improve patient care, including a 2012 Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Care Innovation Award and the 2011 Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence Bronze Medallion. Additionally, the National Committee for Quality Assurance awarded Dr. Gabow with the 2012 Health Quality Award for her pioneering use of Lean management in healthcare. Highlights from Denver Health's Lean transformation include:

• The implementation of a new EMR system for bar coding medication two months ahead of schedule helped to not only improve workflow efficiency, but also achieve almost zero medication delivery errors.
• By reducing venous thromboembolism (VTE) rates through Lean, Denver Health experienced an estimated total cost savings of $6.2 million in 28 months. Moreover, the incidence of VTE decreased markedly during the same period.

"The ability to contain costs without sacrificing the quality of patient care is an important but difficult puzzle that many hospitals and health systems are currently trying to solve," said Dr. Gabow, who also recently joined the newly launched Simpler Healthcare Advisory Council. "I am looking forward to becoming a part of the Simpler team, to share the missing pieces with other industry leaders, by aiding them on their journey to eliminate waste and transform their delivery of care."

Recently retired from Denver Health, Dr. Gabow is a member of the Medicaid and CHIP Access and Payment Commission (MACPAC), the Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Value and Science Driven Health Care and an advisory group to the National Governors Association. She is also a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

About Simpler Consulting, L.P.
Simpler Consulting, L.P. is a leading global management consulting firm that helps companies improve processes to stimulate business-impacting results. Unlike traditional management consulting firms that specialize in developing strategy but fall short on execution, Simpler plays an active role helping clients to create an organizational culture that continuously seeks out opportunities to make improvements. With its proprietary Simpler Business System^®, Simpler® has delivered the fastest and most enduring lean transformations at hundreds of organizations around the world. To learn more, visit http://www.simpler.com.

© 2012 Simpler Consulting, L.P.

SOURCE Simpler Consulting