IEHP Leaders Share Best Practices During Live Q&A

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., June 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) leaders will share key business improvement insights during a live Q&A on Wednesday, June 16, at 9 a.m. The event, titled "Making Virtual Lean a Reality," will be hosted by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), an international organization focused on sharing Lean best practices and results.

Lean, also known as Lean Six Sigma, is a method seeking to improve organizational performance by systematically removing waste and reducing variation. After embarking on its Lean journey with the support of Simpler Consulting in 2015, IEHP has facilitated continuous momentum and growth throughout the pandemic. Even after more than a year of remote work, the health plan's Lean Process Improvement practices have remained intact and active, sustaining their innovative spirit and commitment to providing optimal and vibrant healthcare.

"Lean is an integral part of our everyday work culture and COVID-19 didn't change that," said Susie White, IEHP Chief Operating Officer. "When we transitioned our 2,400 Team Members to remote work, we were thrilled at how quickly our teams adjusted, figured out how to practice Lean virtually, and used Lean methods to continue providing quality care for our Members and Providers."

Improvements made during the health plan's remote work period include: the establishment of an Asthma Pilot Program, an improvement to Member's Asthma Medication Ratio, an increase in nurse productivity of concurrent case review to expedite member care, and adjustments to streamline Member Service and Care Management processes.

The implementation of IEHP's virtual Lean practices also guided the health plan's work to utilize their 400,000 square foot headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, transforming it into one of San Bernardino County's COVID-19 Super Vaccination sites.

IEHP also held its first 100% Virtual Lean Conference in 2020, recognizing and engaging with nearly 400 Team Members to share their enhancements from 2019, inspiring continued improvements and goals. 

"A reliable and trusted community health plan needs well-built systems and hearty processes," said Jarrod McNaughton, IEHP chief executive officer. "During this time of great uncertainty, our mission to heal and inspire the human spirit has never been clearer, and our implementation of Lean to continue to provide optimal care and vibrant health has never been more critical. I hope that sharing our efforts with AME inspires other health plans and organizations to make positive changes to better support the communities they serve."

IEHP panelists for the Q&A will include Jarrod McNaughton, CEO; Susie White, COO; Mike Grant, Senior Director; and Andy Nguyen, Director. They will be joined by Simpler Consulting Executive Coach, Craig Weathers. To learn more visit https://www.ame.org/event/making-virtual-lean-reality

About IEHP
IEHP, Inland Empire Health Plan, is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. With a network of more than 6,400 providers and 2,300 employees, IEHP serves over 1.4 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan). Through a dynamic partnership with Providers and community, award-winning service and innovative products, IEHP is fully committed to advocating for our Members and providing them with quality, accessible and wellness-based health care services. For more information, visit www.iehp.org.

SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP)