The quick draw approach to quality improvement.

In 1996, the North Heart Center, part of North Memorial Health Care in Robbinsdale, Minn., invested over $30,000 in a quality improvement project. Hospital administration put its support behind the effort when results began to show better outcomes, more efficiency, improved patient and provider satisfaction, and cost reduction in the system. The purpose for North Heart Center was to reduce mortality rates by 50 percent. A team of between eight and 12 people met weekly and kept to a focused and aggressive schedule. A fast-paced, action-oriented schedule helped the team maintain, its momentum throughout the process, allowing a steady stream of smaller accomplishments that moved toward the overall goal. The team found that though there was resistance, people ultimately joined when they saw the process worked. A process-flow diagram helped chart every step of any given process. The team found that people focus better on one or two variables rather than attempting to do too much at one time. Examining results to see what works and what doesn't was the next step, followed by summarizing and then redesigning the cycle to try again. Posting data in appropriate areas proved effective in eliciting support throughout the organization. The team worked hard to cultivate trust for the ideas people brought to the table. Completion of North Heart Center's initial project took several years and focuses now on reducing atrial fibrillation in cardiac surgery patients.