Always interesting and informed, national award-winning journalist Mark Hagland demonstrates how pioneering organizations are combining new tools with a new way of thinking to reinvent the way we deliver health care services in this country. Through exceptionally well-documented case studies, this insightful volume —

• Puts the current journey towards industry-wide quality transformation into an understandable context for executive, board, and policymaking audiences
• Explores how performance improvement methodologies borrowed from other industries, including Six Sigma, Lean management, and the Toyota Production System are transforming care delivery processes and administrative operations nationwide
• Examines the strategic role that information technology will play in the transformation of clinical care quality and patient safety

The case studies contained in this book document the surprising strides being made by pioneering hospitals and health systems, advances that have the potential to transform the delivery of health care in the United States. Offered in a context that frames the current state of health care quality in this country, they are indispensable reading for anyone working in the trenches to improve that quality.