JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
For three days in late September, the leadership of Naval Health Clinic Charleston conducted annual strategic planning at Club Charleston, at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base. Facilitators from Navy Medicine East and Bureau of Medicine and Surgery applied continuous process improvement tools with Lean Six Sigma concepts to develop goals and assign specific projects to teams required to deliver products addressing support of the Command's mission and vision.
The mission statement of NHCC was revised to state, "We provide quality patient and family health services for those entrusted to our care." The commanding officer's guiding vision is, "Leading the way in delivering the best healthcare services."
Vigorous deliberations defined four strategic goals: People, Fleet Support, Family Centered Care and Communication.
Additionally, the aim of the participants was to ensure that care delivery systems are accessed with ease by our customers while collecting data that allows the clinic to stay on track for future success. Active duty officers and government service employees collaborated with the assistance of regional Lean Six Sigma black belts. NHCC has two internal Black Belts and six Green Belts on the team.
Captain Mary Kim Kenney-Gutshall, NHCC commanding officer, explained that the quality model of Lean Six Sigma was important to utilize as the foundation of decision making when raising issues to the highest levels of strategic military leadership in support of national security assets calling Charleston home.
Our strategic process at NHCC is to have sound business practices embracing our line colleague's needs as well as continuing our strong partnership with the Veterans Administration and our community healthcare partners - never forgetting that our patient's needs remain the center of everything we do.