On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Dr. Jim Cole joins the podcast to share how process improvement has guided his work in both military and healthcare settings. Dr. Cole introduces tools like the Marine Corps Planning Process, OODA loops, and operational risk management. Jim shares how these military methods helped him tackle challenges in civilian healthcare. To that end, Dr. Cole reflects on creating efficient systems for bed availability and managing variation to establish standard work. This conversation highlights how practical tools and strong leadership can transform even the toughest situations into opportunities for improvement. Plus, for you music fans, there are references to AC/DC, Cheap Trick, and Stray Cats!
In this episode, you will hear about:
2:41 - Jim's background in the military and medicine
4:39 - Growing up in Suburban Chicago
7:05 - College, the military, and medical school
7:53 - The Navy Seals
10:52 - Process Improvement and Fleet Marine Force Warfare Officer Training
15:28 - The OODA Loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act
16:45 - Operational Risk Management
19:57 - Using military training in Process Improvement for civilian healthcare
24:02 - Addressing hospital bed availability
29:17 - Introducing Process Improvement to an initially reluctant team
31:33 - Variation and Standard Work
34:07 - Reviewing the data and performance metrics
35:59 - Keys to leadership
38:17 - Depictions of surgery in movies and TV
41:21 - From chaos to order
Additional Resources:
Trauma: My Life as an Emergency Surgeon
Dr. Jim Cole at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
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Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn
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