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Heroes

Toyota's car production system inspired a hospital to make big changes — with big results.

'She's young, and she didn't have access to care.'

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Toyota

Question: How can a car company improve health care? Answer: Just ask Liseth Urias.

Liseth has been diabetic for 15 years. But after not being able to afford the medications necessary to manage her condition for nearly five years, her eyesight had deteriorated significantly, resulting in severe blurriness.

She came into the county-owned Harbor-UCLA Medical Center with high blood pressure, diabetes out of control, and — it was discovered — bleeding in her eye. If she didn't receive the treatment she needed soon, she would end up completely blind.


Listen to Liseth's emotional voice tell her own surprising story, and then scroll down to learn more.

Liseth needed surgery, and she needed it now.

But "now" wasn't an option — not for her and not for hundreds of patients seeking treatment at the medical center's eye clinic whose mission is to "serve the underserved."

The facility had a surgical waiting list that was hundreds of patients long. Patients like Liseth were routinely waiting months — yep, months — for surgery.

All images via Toyota/YouTube.

As a major medical hub, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center sees a large volume of patients, many of whom have limited resources and, because of their inability to pay for ongoing care, are often in an advanced state of their disease.

As a result, there was a constant backlog of often very sick patients in the eye clinic. Doctors were spending more time looking for supplies and paperwork than they were with patients. Nurses and patient administrators were frustrated, key resources weren’t flowing to patients, morale was suffering, and people like Liseth were at risk of medical complications caused by the prolonged waiting periods for treatment.

Unfortunately, Liseth's story isn't unique, and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center isn't either.

"Liseth is a great example of our patient population," says Susan Black, chief improvement officer of the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. "She's young, and she didn't have access to care."

A host of factors caused by the exorbitant costs of health care have put a strain on working-class Americans and, consequently, on the hospitals that serve them. Backlogs and waiting lists are common, and so is the constant risk that low-income patients may not receive the surgery or treatment they need in a timely manner.

But this is where the story takes an unexpected turn with the help of a surprising character: Enter Toyota.

Yes, that Toyota. The car company.

As part of their ongoing commitment to share knowledge and innovation that they know can reach into sectors far outside their own, Toyota engineers responded to the call for help from the hospital. They were certain there was much the hospital could gain from the Toyota production system, known for its efficiency and productivity, and they were eager to use their philosophy to address the clinic's concerns together.

Toyota team members worked with the medical staff to adjust their systems in ways big and small to improve work and patient flow.

Tweaks as seemingly small as introducing color-coded systems and repositioning the placement of supplies to save nurses and doctors time made a huge difference.

Applying the car company's production philosophy ultimately:

  • Cut clinic cycle time (the time a patient checks in to the time they are discharged).
  • Increased the number of patients they see every day.
  • Eliminated the backlog of patients (in the hundreds) waiting for surgery.
  • Allowed the staff to see patients within clinic hours and not have to work late every night.

Ultimately, the eye clinic was able to have a greater impact — improving daily operations, helping more people in need, and eliminating the backlog. With the new system in place, the clinic staff was able to focus on what matters: delivering vital health services to improve the lives of community members.

And if that's not impressive enough, here's what it meant on an individual, human level:

Liseth received her surgery — before going completely blind.

While there will always be many factors involved and many systems at play in a story of a person receiving the health care she desperately needs, there's no doubt that the introduction of something as unique as an auto manufacturer's production philosophy was a critical factor. And as a result, the changes that were implemented in the eye clinic are now being tested out across the entire hospital.

To hear directly from Liseth, her doctors, and the Toyota team member who worked on this project, watch their story above. It isn't just an example of a company doing good, although it is certainly that.

It's also a reminder of what happens when people think outside the box, share wisdom, and innovate to solve problems.

The results can be, quite literally, eye-opening.

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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