The Innovative Use of Six Sigma in Home Care

Abstract

The Prospective Payment System had significant impact on home healthcare agencies throughout the nation. Virtua Home Care, located in Southern New Jersey, realized the need for process improvement in order to remain viable. Six Sigma was introduced to the agency and the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control processes were initiated to achieve sustainable results, and within 9 months, Virtua Home Care improved regulatory compliance, experienced a deficiency-free survey, and recognized a 1.2 million dollars financial gain.

Use of Six Sigma for Eliminating Missed Opportunities for Prevention Services

“…33 Recent evaluations suggest that there is a commercial value to keep populations healthy. 34 This supports the viability of applying Six Sigma methods to preventative services in the future.…”