Lean Enterprise Institute – The Lean Post

UMass Memorial Health Transformation Journey

In 2013 Dr. Eric Dickson took the helm of UMass Memorial Health as the system teetered on the brink of default and faced declining patient and caregiver satisfaction. He introduced a CEO‑driven lean management system that standardized nine core processes and created three tiers of engagement across the organization. By embedding continuous improvement into daily work and launching the Innovation Station platform, frontline staff submitted over 132,000 ideas, driving measurable gains. The effort lifted patient experience scores, secured the highest bond rating in the system’s 35‑year history, and proved the power of culture‑centric transformation.