Buy new:
$33.69
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$33.69
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Friday, May 10. Order within 7 hrs 6 mins
Only 20 left in stock (more on the way).
$$33.69 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$33.69
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$10.91
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Monday, May 13 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$33.69 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$33.69
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Kim Barnas
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Beyond Heroes: A Lean Management System for Healthcare 1st Edition

by Kim Barnas (Author), John Toussaint (Editor), MD (Editor),
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 139 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$33.69","priceAmount":33.69,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"33","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"69","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"IVp889MFWHr9ykcJ%2F2noOCJR6YUHgx8XtnhtFoDgSlW4zUQCUZYCLJo3lFnGeJGGsGJzH1EapNh3g9wwlmC81Q4i9NDZ0BA5KELu38ryctymGNoNteqW8pUSIpSKMjrFBYAOnLHCXn3Z%2FB4L1Ra7Lw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$10.91","priceAmount":10.91,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"91","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"IVp889MFWHr9ykcJ%2F2noOCJR6YUHgx8XXY0oaSvMs6C4U4K2ZoJRqa2lU9s0M52G2P1q5XKF3jVo0N%2B2K5V1QiEKF6LA9gE2VtbnPpoblGV6gS7yzIasHzfmTTNSOaotmkgZ%2F2a%2FNldMNxFo4oUUzimpVohclCVOXlEeujITddq6SIqDm72M1DjqB986Qeyk","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Beyond Heroes explains how the ThedaCare Health System, based in Northeast Wisconsin, transformed their culture by redesigning their system of daily management.

Hospitals have long relied on the heroics of one brilliant nurse or doctor to save the day. Such heroics often result in temporary workarounds and quick fixes that leave not only patients and quality care at risk, but also increase costs. This is the story of an organization breaking that habit. Like a growing number of healthcare organizations around the world, ThedaCare, Inc. has been using lean thinking and the principles of the Toyota Production System to improve quality of care, reduce waste, and become more reliable. But lean thinking was incompatible with ThedaCare's old top-down, hero-based system of management. Kim Barnas, former SVP of ThedaCare, shows us how she and her team created a management system that is stable and lean, to spur continuous improvement.

Winner of a Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award!

Beyond Heroes shows the reader, step by step, how ThedaCare teams developed the system, using the stories of its doctors, nurses and administrators to illustrate. The book explores each of the eight essential components of the lean system, from front-line problem solving with the scientific method to daily team huddles and creating standard work for leaders all the way to the top of an organization. Finally, the author introduces four executives from healthcare systems across North America who have implemented ThedaCare's system and share the lessons they learned along the way.

Beyond Heroes is not just a call to action or an argument for a better healthcare system. It is a necessary roadmap through the rocky terrain ahead, one that healthcare leaders can customize to their special needs.

Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0984884823
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0984884827
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value
  5. Publication date
    May 15, 2014
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  8. Print length
    200 pages
  9. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Frequently bought together

Beyond Heroes: A Lean Management System for Healthcare
$33.69
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
Only 20 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Management on the Mend
$31.51
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by ASTAR EXPRESS and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
Becoming the Change: Leadership Behavior Strategies for Continuous Improvement in Healthcare
$22.30
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Every healthcare system in the United States should master the ideas in this book and practice them every day. If they did, we would see a revolutionary improvement in medical care outcomes and massive cost reductions. -- --Paul O Neill, 72nd Secretary of the U.S. Treasury

Beyond Heroes is a practical and helpful guide for all leaders in healthcare. It fills a wide gap in the lean literature, and offers applicable steps for leaders no matter where they are in their improvement journey. -- --Maureen Bisognano

If you are in the midst of a lean transformation in any industry you must read this book! … Kim is a natural storyteller and we feel the struggles, resolution, and great joys of success! --Jeffrey K. Liker, Professor, University of Michigan and author of The Toyota Way --Jeffrey K. Liker, Professor, University of Michigan and author of The Toyota Way

From the Inside Flap

Hospitals have long relied on heroics to save the day on one brilliant nurse or physician to fix the problem at hand. The result is a lot of people rowing in opposite directions, putting safety and quality at risk while increasing costs. This is the story of an organization breaking that habit.Like a growing number of healthcare organizations around the world, ThedaCare, Inc. has been using lean thinking and the principles of the Toyota Production System to improve quality of care, reduce waste, and become more reliable. But lean thinking was incompatible with ThedaCare s old top-down, hero-based system of management. Kim Barnas, president of the hospitals, shows us how she and her team created a management system that is stable and lean, from frontline supervisors to the president, to spur continuous improvement.Beyond Heroes shows the reader, step by step, how ThedaCare teams developed the system, using the stories of its doctors, nurses, and administrators to illustrate. The book explores each of the eight essential components of the lean system, from frontline problem solving with the scientific method to daily team huddles and creating standard work for leaders all the way to the top of an organization. Finally, the author introduces four executives from healthcare systems across North America who have implemented ThedaCare s system and share the lessons they learned along the way.Beyond Heroes is not just a call to action or an argument for a better healthcare system. It is a necessary road map through the rocky terrain ahead, one that healthcare leaders can customize to their special needs.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value; 1st edition (May 15, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0984884823
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0984884827
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 139 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Kim Barnas

Kim Barnas

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Hello. I’m Kim Barnas, CEO of Catalysis, a nonprofit organization helping health systems achieve organizational excellence through principle-driven leadership. As a former president of hospitals at a major health system, I helped create a fully integrated management system that has been replicated in dozens of healthcare organizations around the world. As a speaker and teacher, I am dedicated to empowering those in healthcare to uncover and correct problems in an environment of respect and collaboration.

As an author, my goal is to bring you real-world examples of organizational excellence, told in part by the people that created these systems. There are stumbles and tears and triumphs, lessons learned from patients and practitioners, and a firm belief that we can create better, more consistent care for our patients.

Titles include:

Becoming the Change: Leadership Behavior Strategies for Continuous Improvement in Healthcare, John Toussaint, MD and Kim Barnas (McGraw Hill: 2020)

Beyond Heroes: A Lean Management System for Healthcare, by Kim Barnas (ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value: 2014)

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
139 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Alex Lim
5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Can Change your Outlook On Management
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
Used Beyond Heroes: A Lean Management System for Healthcare as I am looking into a job in the field. Needless to say, it offers great guidance! Brimming with actionable insights, Beyond Heroes is a game-changer for healthcare leaders navigating the complex landscape. It masterfully unveils a Lean Management System, providing a roadmap to elevate healthcare delivery. A compelling blend of theory and real-world application, this book earns its stripes as an invaluable guide for those committed to revolutionizing healthcare practices.
Helpful
 Report
Gone fission
5.0 out of 5 stars Blueprint for success
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
Great read! Kim Barnas details ThedaCares's lean journey with frankness and insight. She shares a vision of where our healthcare system is headed and how to get there. The most difficult part of our US healthcare system transition is a shared vision of what the future will look like; what are we moving toward and how do we get there?
Thank you Kim for sharing your success and failures, your journey will surely inspire others to create the system we all aspire toward.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jonathan
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
This makes a transformation seem doable. Difficult, but doable. There is plenty of specific solutions to prime thinking for procedures in my organization, but there is no specific training in here. This is a case study (with some short anecdotal cases studies at the end). I'm glad I read it.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Eric S.
5.0 out of 5 stars This book shows how lean shoudl be used in hospitals and also points out why it can fail.
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Implementing lean in a hospital is extremely difficult. Everyone thinks they understand lean and are open to these types of process improvement but the reality is change freaks people out, especially in healthcare. This book does a great job of what is necessary nay, mandatory for any large operational change. She really centers on standardizing processes and being pushed by leadership. Based on my experience I can see the success they had their executive leadership lead these processes not managers or a "lean department".

This is a great book for an executive team to read prior starting any lean initiatives, programs, or training. Without executives pushing lean as described in this book managers will run out of steam and quit due to the push-back that will hit them.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
PST MD
3.0 out of 5 stars Boring and pedantic
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
Nothing new to learn here. It is self-congratulatory without imparting any wisdom.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
cornelis oosters
5.0 out of 5 stars very readable guide how to lean in a hospital
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2014
Verified Purchase
Also for a non English reader, this is a very readable book about the key elements of (the introduction of) Lean in a hospital. The logic of the chapters offers the instruments to help me implementing (my own) business performance system in my part of the hospital. I ordered copies for my management team so we will have a common guide to help us in our journey.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Conover Marcus
5.0 out of 5 stars Great picture of Lean in a healthcare setting
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book reads easy and shows Lean transformation in multiple departments. Great info and recommendations I intend to use as we implement Lean at our facility.
Helpful
 Report
Whitney D.
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is a great look into ThedaCare. I appreciated the transparency into their success and the challenges along the way.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Bell Nordic Inc- Jean-Marc Legentil
5.0 out of 5 stars good reading to move to daily management system key to ...
Reviewed in Canada on August 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
good reading to move to daily management system
key to illustrate from the culture of being a hero to depending on the processes and the team
Report
Karina
5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond héroes
Reviewed in Mexico on August 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
La meta es desarrollar colaboradores, resolver problemas y mejorar el desempeño, - KIM BARNAS, Theda Care Center For Healthcare Value
Report
Mr. Ross Maynard
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on lean implementation I have read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
There are loads of books out there on lean “tools” and quite a number on the lean philosophy. But relatively few books cover the practical issues faced by organisations trying to implement lean in their already busy businesses. This is the area that “Beyond Heroes” addresses and it does it heroically well.

It is a marvellous book, written in an easy chatty style that is very easy to digest and yet contains many fantastically useful learning points, while honestly facing up to the challenges to be tackled. And you don’t get many more pressured, resource-constrained environments than healthcare - “We were heaping on more work, expecting managers to guide lean efforts while performing the same managerial duties as before, in the same way as before”.

As the author states - “We like being heroes. But it is a problem to have 6,000 well-meaning heroes tackling problems in 6,000 different ways, often without regard to the needs of upstream, downstream or parallel processes”.

By “heroes” the author means managers and supervisors who constantly jump in to solve problems and fight fires - behaviours which many organisations reward and encourage; and which many individuals relish (it gets us noticed). But lean is not about heroes, it is about a stable, organised approach to identifying and addressing problems and planning and implementing improvements.

Although the book is “about” healthcare, it’s lessons can be applied to any organisation. The book describes the approach that ThedaCare took to implementing lean in their busy working environment. Essentially, their approach involved 8 elements which are described in detail. These include daily management status reports, daily team huddles, structured problem solving, and standard work.

The book also gives some valuable tips on involving those professionals who might normally be resistant to such “initiatives”. In the case of ThedaCare these are physicians, but the points could apply equally to any highly trained, very skilled and experienced professional groups who often like to stand aloof from team based approaches.

There are no easy solutions, but the book does a great job as describing an approach which is both achievable and practical, and shows how it can work in a busy hospital environment (and, thus, could work anywhere).

At £4.50 for the Kindle version this is an absolute bargain and has instantly become one of my top three lean books.

If you are interested in how lean might work in practice, or already working with lean, then download the Kindle app for your PC, phone or tablet and get this book. It makes a sometimes tricky and rather ethereal concept approachable and achievable. I believe it is the best book on lean implementation ever written.
Report
Corinne A Haack
4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!
Reviewed in Canada on November 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
Great simple and useable information. This is the second time I’ve read the book. Each time I find something else that I hadn’t thought of before.
Report
JHM
5.0 out of 5 stars Provides great insight
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
An enjoyable read as well as being highly instructive. It was so useful to understand how lean and employee and customer orientation was implemented. The author takes you through the approach, the successes, the failures, the thinking, the behaviour and then provides case studies from other businesses.
There is much that can be learnt here.
Report