Staff shortages that have persisted for years. Wait times that exceed standard limits. Administrative tasks that keep piling up, while the time available for patients shrinks. In healthcare, waste is not an abstract concept: it’s the conversation a nurse didn’t have, the surgery that takes place a week later than necessary, the handover that has to be done twice because the system can’t keep track.

For over 20 years, LMI has been helping healthcare organizations address these issues systematically. Not by introducing new systems or adding extra layers, but by working with frontline staff to identify the real challenges and improve them step by step.

Many of the organizations we work with recognize the same challenges. The staff shortage is felt in every department, but hiring more people is not an option. The turnaround time for care processes—from intake to discharge, from referral to treatment—is riddled with waiting times caused not by the patient, but by the system. The logistics are off: pillows are missing, beds are in the wrong place, and supplies are ordered twice.

New employees spend weeks shadowing others before they can work independently. And the digitization that was supposed to make things easier has actually increased the administrative burden for many healthcare providers. These aren’t problems you can solve with a training session or a new protocol. They require a different way of looking at the work. That is exactly what Lean .

How the LMI works in healthcare:
We always start on the front lines. Our consultants go to the places where care actually takes place: the nursing ward, the OR, the outpatient clinic reception, the warehouse. Not to write a report, but to work with your team to identify where waste occurs and what the fastest path to improvement is.

Then we build something that lasts. This means that we don’t just improve processes; we also empower the people in your organization to continue doing so on their own. Through our Lean—ranging from targeted workshops to a full Lean Green Belt —you’ll train internal improvement specialists who can carry on independently after our collaboration ends.

In thehealthcare sector, we use methods such as Kaizen, A3 problem-solving, Gemba Walking, daily improvement board management, and—for broader strategic issues—Strategy Deployment (Hoshin Kanri). These approaches are always tailored to the context of your organization, whether it is a teaching hospital, a mental health facility, a home care organization, or a nursing home.

Lean various healthcare sectors

Hospitals and University Medical Centers (UMCs)
‍Inhospitals, Lean on reducing operating room turnaround times, improving patient flow in the emergency department, reducing readmissions, and minimizing duplicate administrative entries. LMI has experience with academic and top-tier clinical hospitals, including Amsterdam UMC, UMCG, Erasmus MC, and Radboudumc.

Nursing, Care, and Home Care (VVT)
‍Inlong-term care, Lean improve daily planning, provide clarity on logistical processes, and reduce travel and search times for staff, leaving more time for residents or clients. Alliade and Livio are examples of VVT organizations that LMI has already supported.

Mental Health Care (GGZ)
In mental healthcare, waste often stems from intake processes that take too long, handoffs that aren’t smooth, and treatment pathways where waiting times for clients increase unnecessarily. Lean these bottlenecks and helps teams work together to find structural solutions.

Well-being and Social Services
Lean alsoprovides Lean for well-being organizations, neighborhood social teams, and youth services. The combination of tight budgets, rising demand, and bureaucratic pressures calls for an approach that delivers concrete and rapid results.

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