The Immune System

Charles Kenney

Transforming Health Care: Virginia Mason Medical Center's Pursuit of the Perfect Patient Experience

For decades, the manufacturing industry has employed the Toyota Production System -- the most powerful production method in the world -- to reduce waste, improve quality, reduce defects and increase worker productivity. In 2001, Virginia Mason Medical Center, an integrated healthcare delivery system in Seattle, Washington set out to achieve its compelling vision to become The Quality Leader and to fulfill that vision, adopted the Toyota Production System as its management method. Transforming Health Care: Virginia Mason Medical Center's Pursuit of the Perfect Patient Experience takes you on the journey of of Virginia Mason Medical Center's pursuit of the perfect patient experience through the application of lean principles, tools, and methodology. Over the last several years Virginia Mason has become internationally known for its journey towards perfection by applying the Toyota Production System to healthcare. The book takes readers step by step through Virginia Mason's journey as it seeks to provide perfection to its customer - the patient. This book shows you how you use this system to transform your own organization.

Sharon Ruben

Awakening Ashley: Mozart Knocks Autism on Its Ear

At eighteen months, Ashley Ruben still didn't talk. She wouldn't respond when her name was called; she didn't appear to hear either. She fixated on tiny pieces of dirt and ate only crunchy foods. She was enveloped in a thick fog-impenetrable by everyone except Barney the Dinosaur. She worked puzzles like a kindergartener and was computer-savvy before she was two years old. Her mother's late-night searches on the Internet hinted at a reason for her lack of engagement with the outside world. And then a developmental specialist confirmed it: autism, a diagnosis that shook the foundation of a family and shattered a mother's world. Ashley could hear, but she couldn't listen. In order to address that, a therapy retraining her ears to perceive sound better took her back to the time in the womb- where listening begins. With the help of specialized recordings of Mozart's music, Ashley gradually awakened. Her brain's desire to communicate was kindled, fostering a connection with her body, her family, and the world around her. Ashley had recovered, developing the ability to talk, to listen, to communicate- to become an engaging child. But how could Sharon Ruben, a clinical researcher in her ...

APS (American Psychological Society)

Principles of Analgesic Use in the Treatment of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain