Integrating Lean Exploration Loops Into Healthcare Facility Design

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Design
• Operations Management
• Lean Methodology

Background:

• Case study at a large academic hospital during surgical tower design.
• Focus on 19 operating rooms (ORs) and associated support spaces.
• Project leadership requested Lean practitioner support during design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the value of Lean methods and tools during the design programming phase.
• To provide resources and support to project leadership and architectural teams.
• To optimize operational and design decisions for new healthcare facilities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Lean exploration loops (LELs) to generate evidence for decision-making.
• Focused analyses on footprint (large/few floors vs. small/many floors) and space collocation.
• Involved stakeholders in analyses to support design choices.

Main Results:

• Quantified key operational and design features, including travel distances and elevator use.
• Facilitated stakeholder buy-in and consensus through active participation.
• Complemented the architectural design process with data-driven insights.

Conclusions:

• Lean tools and methods are most valuable in the programming phase for high-level issues.
• Lean approaches help establish stakeholder buy-in and consensus.
• Accurate analysis may be limited by insufficient design detail in early stages.