How Bruyère cut costs and increased care with Algonquin’s Lean program

For decades the team at Bruyère has remained dedicated to providing high quality, efficient care to residents in the capital. Whether it’s rehabilitation, complex care or senior care, the team adheres to a set of stringent protocols to ensure the well-being of its patients. 

In trying to keep up with the steady demand for healthcare services and growing need for resources, the team at Bruyère engaged Algonquin College Corporate Training (ACCT) to take a closer look at the hospital’s organizational structure in hopes of spotting – and remedying – any inefficiencies. 

Bruyère embarked on a Lean project with ACCT – a program that helps teams minimize time and resource waste, with the goal of creating more efficient, aligned work processes.

By undergoing Lean Green Belt training, staff were taught how to improve patient satisfaction and care outcomes while reducing costs.  

Mark Donais, a procurement coordinator at Bruyère, launched the Lean project in 2018 to gauge how the hospital’s linen distribution program could be improved. 

Protocol dictates that all linens must be changed whenever a patient is discharged or moves rooms, resulting in costly linen turnover and high energy consumption, says Donais.

“We wanted to see if there were any gaps where we could stop using linen or using as much, without impacting patient care,” he says. “Without Lean training being made available to Bruyère, this project wouldn’t have happened.” 

Sparking significant change

With the quality of care at the forefront, it became increasingly important for Bruyère to prevent losses, unite multiple departments under one goal and embrace an improved process of supply chain management.

Through the support and guidance of Algonquin College’s licensed Lean professionals, Donais and his team were able to make substantial improvements to their system, surpassing the initial goal of the project. 

“The customized Lean program we developed is a great example of the value we bring to clients,” says Marilyn Currie, senior learning consultant at ACCT. “We listen to their specific needs, identify an appropriate solution and deliver high-quality training that produces lasting results.”

Through Lean training and implementation, Bruyère saw financial savings and reduced staff time spent on linen services. The team was also able to learn valuable skills that will help them spot inefficiencies in the future.

“The project was so important because it impacted the productivity of several departments within the hospital,” says Donais. “It touched our warehouse team, who does the orders, our housekeeping, who remove all the linen from the patient rooms, as well as our porters and clinical teams. I even noticed a difference in my own time saved.”

Since Bruyère first began working with Algonquin College Corporate Training in 2014, 100 hospital employees have completed Lean Green Belt training, arming them with project management skills, the ability to reduce bottlenecks, improve efficiency and implement rapid change.

“Bruyère’s work with Algonquin is ongoing,” says Donais, adding that the hospital has started another Lean project with the college this year. “The relationship is excellent, so we keep bringing them back.”