Six Sigma Project Reduced Prescription Wait Times and Increased Efficiency in the Endocrinology & Diabetes Clinics
Date Posted: Friday, August 16, 2024
Nate Farrington is Supervisor of the UMass Memorial Endocrinology & Diabetes care teams at the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) on the University Campus as well as the newly renovated Endocrinology and Metabolic Weight Clinics in the UMass Memorial Jacquith Building off Oak Ave.
He recently completed a successful Six Sigma Green Belt lean project that led to a promotion from his Ambulatory Service Representative (ASR) position, then Lead ASR, and now Supervisor.
Nate created a tool that has decreased the wait time of the prescription in-basket queue in the Division of Endocrinology & Diabetes by 83%. He built a productivity report in the Epic electronic health records system that monitors how many tasks are entered into the in-basket each day compared to how many get completed. His “Rainbow Report” received positive feedback from upper management at UMass Memorial Health who have encouraged Nate to pursue his Black Belt certification. They also requested that he share his report with other department supervisors to help them monitor their staff's productivity. So far he has trained Supervisors at the Eye Care Center & Dermatology Services at the Hahnemann Campus, and the Gastroenterology Department. Other departments have reached out to learn about the productivity report and he will train them as well.
As a result of his success, Nate was awarded two grants to further his education and professional development.
“Working in this department has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Farrington. “The management team and support staff are exceptional. I look forward to contributing even more effectively to our team and the entire medical center.”