HPP Team - Lean Healthcare Experts

Charles Hagood, MBA, President and CEO of Healthcare Performance Partners, LLC (HPP), a Lean Healthcare Europe Affiliate Company, has overseen the introduction and implementation of Lean Healthcare systems in numerous healthcare organizations including some of the largest non-profit hospitals, national systems, small critical access hospitals, clinics, and large for-profit systems. HPP is one of the few organizations that have successfully translated Lean manufacturing and the Toyota Production System (TPS) to the healthcare industry. Charles also is a founding Principal of The Access Group, LLC (TAG), which is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee USA area along with HPP, and has worked with Fortune 100 companies throughout the world (GE, Tyco, Cessna, Nissan and many others) in their Lean transformation and process improvement initiatives. Charles also oversees the application of Lean/TPS methodologies into the planning, design, and construction phases of a wide range of clinical and hospital renovation and construction projects .  Charles received his MBA from Belmont University's Massey School of Business and is on the faculty of the Belmont University Lean Healthcare Certificate Program. 

Dwayne Keller holds the position of Vice President of Healthcare Performance Partners (HPP). Dwayne has overseen the introduction and implementation of Lean Healthcare in various hospital and clinical systems throughout the USA. He coaches at all levels of Healthcare organizations, from CEO to front line staff to deliver improved outcomes via Lean. His deep understanding of Lean as a holistic process improvement “system,” and leadership guidance in connecting Lean implementation to each organization’s specific business case needs in a visual way, sets him apart in the industry. Dwayne has also been a speaker and lecturer at various Lean Enterprise conferences as well as a presenter at the Shingo Prize Conference. Dwayne began his career with DuPont as an Engineer, working directly with Maintenance Mechanics to solve difficult equipment problems. As an Industrial Engineer and Production Manager at Michelin Tire Corporation, Dwayne worked to introduce Just-In-Time and Teamwork into two of their largest manufacturing operations. After earning his MBA, he spent three years in Michelin’s Marketing Department helping to transform it into a customer-focused research and data-driven organization. Dwayne joined Alcoa’s AFL Telecommunications Division in 1998. As Plant Manager and later Director of Operations responsible for two plants, he drove implementation of the “Alcoa Business System” (ABS), which is its Lean Enterprise system, to meet business goals. Dwayne joined Alcoa’s corporate ABS (Lean) office as a Sr. Consultant across the corporation and in a leadership position was responsible for driving business results through ABS implementation in five Alcoa business units. Dwayne holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University (1985), and a MBA from Clemson University (1995). Dwayne lives in Williamson County TN with his wife, an RN and has 4 children.

Cindy Jimmerson is a pioneer of lean healthcare, having initiated her work with a grant from the National Science Foundation, 2001-2004. She is the founder and president of Lean Healthcare West, an HPP-LHW company which consists of healthcare and industry professionals offering education and implementation of TPS/lean principles in hospital, clinic and long term care facilities. She is the author of the reView© course and workbook and many journal publications. Although she travels both domestically and internationally for work, she prefers not to budge from her office on the beautiful Blackfoot River in Missoula, Montana.

Mike is a managing principal with The Access Group (TAG) and a Partner with Healthcare Performance Partners (HPP). Mike has had a dual background in both the manufacturing industry and the military where he served as a pilot of various aircraft including the F-15 and C-130. The organization and discipline developed in the military has transitioned well into Mike’s career in Lean Enterprise development and implementation. This experience provided a great foundation for developing, implementing, and training organizations in the use of checklists and standardized methods for developing efficient, risk averse, and safe operations.

Mike has led various business process and Lean Enterprise related improvement projects for companies, including those in the healthcare, industrial, and administrative business sectors. Mike has over 30 years experience in significant areas of growth and leadership during his career. He has held leadership positions in manufacturing, strategic planning, consulting, staffing, and marketing. As a Director of Program Management for a major international aerospace manufacturer, he attained significant foreign and international trade experience. He has also managed numerous planning and industrial projects in the automotive, consumer goods, defense, boat, aircraft, and truck industries. Mike earned his B.S. degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an MBA from Troy State University.

Richard Tucker is a Director with HPP-LHW and has served as a coach, facilitator, and project manager for healthcare clients in the training of Lean/TPS as well as implementation. Prior to joining HPP, Richard had over sixteen years of business and industry experience in operational and leadership positions. His experience includes new program installation and launch, operations improvement, lean manufacturing implementation (internally and with suppliers), leadership development and supplier program management from prototyping through launch. Richard has extensive intercultural experience working with Japanese and German counterparts at the OEM and Tier 1 level including Nissan, Bridgestone/ Firestone, Robert Bosch and General Motors Powertrain. Richard's educational background includes BS and MS degrees from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee. Richard has attended formal training courses in the Toyota Production System, Lean Manufacturing, Shainin Statistical Engineering

Before joining HPP, Bradley was serving as Vice President of Operations & Quality for Infinity Resources Inc. where he pioneered the application of Lean, Six-Sigma, Work-Out™, and CAP (Change Acceleration Process) in the retail market sector. Bradley began his career in manufacturing with GE Healthcare and was working as a Manufacturing/Quality Engineer when GE adopted the Six-Sigma methodology from Motorola. In 1995, GE Healthcare began providing consulting services based upon these tools to its customers through its Performance Solutions business unit, pioneering the application of Six-Sigma in healthcare. Bradley joined Performance Solutions in 1996 during its infancy and remained with the business unit for seven years. During that period Bradley provided significant leadership to Performance Solutions to adapt the firm’s products to the unique needs of healthcare clients and to translate the firm’s published materials out of the language of manufacturing engineering and into the language of healthcare. Bradley’s educational background includes: a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Post Graduate Certification in Quality Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering, a Master of Arts degree in Business Administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Six-Sigma Master Black Belt Certification from General Electric, and Front-Line Leadership Development Certification from Achieve Global.

Scott Jordan, MD has an incredibly unique background which sets Healthcare PERFORMANCE PARTNERS (HPP) apart from all other Lean Healthcare firms. With a Bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from the Massey School of Business at Belmont University, Scott worked in manufacturing for over eight years. He served in the aerospace industry as an APICS certified materials manager and then a manager of Supply Chain Management for Nissan N.A, where he became accustomed to Lean concepts firsthand as an entrenched leader in the Lean philosophies and practices of a major Japanese automaker. With a life long burning desire to practice medicine, he returned to school and earned his Medical Degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Dr. Jordan is the founder of Family Medical Care located in Middle Tennessee, and is President of Tennessee Medical Partners, LLC.. With experience in both Emergency Medicine and General Practice, Dr Jordan has applied much of his past Lean experience and practices with the auto industry to his organization and is on staff at HPP to bridge the gap for HPP clients as experienced Lean practitioner to those future Lean Healthcare providers. He has focused on the application of Lean Healthcare principles from a physician’s perspective.

Dave is a licensed Engineer who brought over twenty-six years of Lean Healthcare experience in the Lean intensive automotive industry to the healthcare industry. Dave has successfully overseen the implementation both for profit and non profit health systems. David, previously an Associate with The ACCESS Group, LLC (TAG) has held positions such as President, Plant Manager, Director of Product Planning and Program Management, Product Manager, Senior Engineer, Project Engineer, and Senior Staff Engineer. David has worked with companies such as BJKC-Americas Corporation, AlliedSignal/Bosch and AlliedSignal (a leader in the Six Sigma initiative throughout the world). Dave has worked with a number of HPP healthcare clients throughout the USA, as well as numerous other successful Lean Healthcare client engagements.

Dave, a Six Sigma Master Blackbelt, has been instrumental in helping healthcare organizations apply and integrate Lean Healthcare and Six Sigma principles into their organizations. Dave was responsible for leading the team in the reduction of waste and processing time in clinical departments as well as other successful Lean Healthcare client engagements. Dave has a BS and MS Degree in Statistics from the University of Tennessee, and brings almost 20 years of engineering, quality engineering, and Lean experience to Healthcare PERFORMANCE PARTNERS (HPP). Dave worked for a number of years with Allied Signal, a world leader and pioneer in developing Six Sigma techniques and applications. Dave is a proven professional that provides training, Lean Healthcare and Kaizen event facilitation, as well as Six Sigma and Master Blackbelt support for healthcare and clinical organizations.

Marshall, a Six Sigma Black Belt serves as HPP’s Director of Project Support and has overseen numerous Lean Healthcare client engagements. As a former multiple year “top-ten percent” performer at General Electric, Marshall brings clients the much needed tools and techniques needed in any industry, including healthcare. Marshall is also a graduate of General Electric’s Operations Management Leadership Program; he has experience in various supply chain capacities including quality engineering and global sourcing for both GE and Procter & Gamble. Marshall has led cross-functional Lean and Six Sigma teams in North America and Europe with a track record of delivering process improvements and bottom line results. In addition, he brings a strong Lean background coupled with experience in Kaizen facilitation, Lean Enterprise implementation and Six Sigma application. Marshall worked side by side with former Toyota Japanese Sensei’s in identifying, developing solutions, and overseeing implementation of waste reducing systems and much improved processes throughout value streams. Marshall’s expertise in both Six Sigma and Lean enables him to apply a broad spectrum of process improvement tools tailored the healthcare industry’s needs. He holds a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).

Bill Lowstuter, who received his B.S. degree in Engineering from the University of Illinois, brings HPP clients many years of experience from numerous industries, including Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Service companies. His skills and talents in the area of improving quality while maximizing productivity through the development and implementation of Kaizen and Lean enterprise principles are superior. Bill was also a pioneer in applying Lean to the Healthcare setting with much success. Bill’s multi-disciplined background includes direction over functional organizations such as operations, quality assurance, materials management, purchasing, environmental, health and safety, and human resources. His experience in these areas provides a unique perspective that allows perfect complimenting between strategic and tactical plans.

Terri, a licensed RN and certified in Critical Care, brings 20 years of clinical experience to Healthcare PERFORMANCE PARTNERS (HPP). Terri has worked in various healthcare and clinical organizations such as Pediatrics, Neuro, Critical Care, Med/Surg, Assisted Living Facilities, and Home Health Services. Terri provides advice and counsel to HPP and its clients to insure clinical procedures and practices are adhered to. Terri attended Belmont University and Tennessee State University where she received her nursing degree.

Susan Sheehy is an associate of HPP and its affiliate company, Lean Healthcare West. Susan became a Lean champion because of her frustration with healthcare systems and their relative lack of focus on the patient as the central tenant. Susan possesses over 30 years of experience as a leader/administrator and has significant experience as a clinical practitioner of emergency, trauma, flight, and acute rehabilitation care. She has served nationally as a board member and president of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). Susan’s education includes a BS (Nursing) from Boston College, a MSN (Cardiovascular Nursing) from The Catholic University of America, and MS (Clinical Outcomes Research & Health Policy) from Dartmouth College, and a PhD Candidate (Nursing Research) from Boston College. Susan has received recognition from numerous awards including the Emergency Nurses Association Lifetime Achievement Award, Boston College Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Medicine, and recipient of the Eliza beth Scanlon/Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services First Annual Award for Excellence in Nursing. Susan is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing as well as the Academy of Emergency Nursing. Susan is also the author of three nursing/trauma textbooks and over 80 journal articles.

Dorothy Weber facilitates clients in their implementation of Lean/TPS, and teaches lean principles and tools in healthcare with HPP-LHW's reView course. In addition to quality improvement, Dorothy has extensive experience in leadership and team development, strategic planning , coaching and Human Dynamics training. Prior to joining HPP/LHW Dorothy was a senior organization development consultant with Intermountain Healthcare where she also serviced as the director of strategic planning and CEO of behavioral health services. Dorothy earned her B.A. from Rutgers University and her M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work from the University of Utah.

Teresa Belsky, RN is the Director of Lean Clinical & Facilities Design and brings a unique perspective to lean healthcare as a registered nurse with extensive architectural design and facilities planning experience. Teresa began her career in healthcare working through the ranks from Admitting Clerk to Patient Care Director of various critical care units, medical-surgical units, and support departments such as Respiratory Therapy and Cardiac Rehabilitation in several South Carolina facilities. With over 12 years experience in the acute care environment, Teresa moved to our Nashville area where she spent almost a decade as Clinical Operations Coordinator for an internationally recognized leader in healthcare architectural design. Teresa facilitated process engineering services as a component of the design process for hospital renovations, as well as large-scale green field and replacement facility projects. Among these projects, she was the lead planner on the nationally recognized St. Joseph's Hospital in West Bend, Wisconsin, the world's first hospital designed to reduce medical error.   Teresa assists hospitals and healthcare systems in all aspects of applying Lean to the master plan, design, and operational aspects of a facility design or clinical expansion.
Teresa holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the College of Charleston, and a degree in nursing from Trident  College in Charleston, South Carolina. As the Director of Lean Clinical Design with HPP, Teresa serves as an educator, advisor, advocate,  and interpreter for Lean healthcare integration into a wide range of clinical and hospital renovation and construction projects . 

Before joining HPP, Tom served as President of Transformation Group, Inc,. Tom Stoffel developed TGI Healing Healthcare – a brand of Lean Healthcare training tools designed to make lasting improvements. With over 10 years of continuous improvement experience, Tom has helped hundreds of organizations make lasting improvements. He has developed an excellent working knowledge of Lean practices and principles by working with a diverse client base - Fortune 100 companies down to less than 15-employee manufacturers. In the healthcare environment, Tom has led healthcare organizations in both the development of high-level Lean Strategies down to hands-on implementation of Lean in a clinical setting.

Tom has achieved the levels of Certified Lean Specialist from the Business Improvement Group and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), along with being an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer. These certifications build on an Engineering Degree from the University of Michigan. Training experience includes Lean, Quality, and Leadership Training, as well as serving as an Adjunct Faculty Member at Waubonsee Community College.

As a consultant/trainer for HPP, Naida Grunden brings over 20 years of experience as a writer and teacher. She served as Communications Director for the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative for five years, where she also taught the Lean healthcare curriculum. She is the author of several articles and one book, The Pittsburgh Way: Improving Patient Care Using Toyota Based Methods Prior to her work in health care, Naida directed communications for a large suburban school district, various engineering firms, and a unit of the Air Line Pilots Association. She holds a B.A. in English from California State University, East Bay, and a California secondary teaching credential from California State University, San Francisco.

Don brings over twenty years of experience in automotive manufacturing to Lean Healthcare. This includes seventeen years with Nissan Motor Manufacturing where he made strides in industrial engineering, supervision, supplier development and Lean Manufacturing. Don was instrumental in Nissan’s Lean Manufacturing techniques where he taught Kaizen Methodology, utilizing tools such as 5S and Standardized Work. While at Nissan, Don spent time in Japan on new vehicle model projects, benchmarking Japanese vendors and training. Don was with General Motors for three years where he helped to implement their Lean Global Manufacturing System at St. Catharine’s Engine plant in Ontario, Canada. Previously, Don was an Associate with The ACCESS Group, LLC (TAG) an affiliate company of HPP. Don holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology and Math from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. He earned a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification in 2007.

Marilyn brings over thirty-five years of clinical practice and nursing leadership to Healthcare Performance Partners. The first 15 years of her nursing career included clinical practice in critical care, obstetrics, emergency medicine, inpatient rehab, medical –surgical nursing and peri-operative services. Marilyn’s leadership roles began 12 years ago in acute and non-acute healthcare, coordinating JCAHO survey readiness, Director of risk management, case management, medical staff quality improvement and house-wide CQI. Her executive roles include compliance officer, quality improvement officer and chief nursing officer. Before joining Healthcare Performance Partners, she spent 8 years as a consultant with VHA, a healthcare alliance of more than 2,300 healthcare organizations across the country. The focus of Marilyn’s work was in operational assessment and process redesign for teaching and non-teaching hospitals. Marilyn’s broad clinical experience, executive leadership and proven record in process redesign provide valuable expertise to the application of LEAN principles in healthcare. Marilyn holds a master’s degree in Nursing Administration and Adult Health from Andrews University and is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality.

Maureen Sullivan brings 28 years of healthcare experience in clinical nursing, management and quality leadership to Healthcare Performance Partners. Maureen, as the director of lean and quality improvement for Exempla Lutheran Medical Center successfully led the implementation of Lutheran’s Lean production system from 2004 to 2008 demonstrating improvements in clinical quality, employee engagement, and financial stewardship. Maureen is skilled in coaching Lean principles at all levels of an organization integrating strategic planning, best practice and process improvement. As a registered nurse, Maureen’s clinical experience is in medical surgical nursing with progressive responsibilities in nursing management at the front line, middle management, and administrative levels. Maureen is passionate about improving processes so that front line staff consistently meet and exceed the patients’ needs. Maureen began her quality management career in 1996, coordinating, facilitating and managing improvement and accreditation programs at a departmental, site and system level within Exempla Healthcare. Maureen’s nursing education started with an associate degree in Nursing from Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois followed by a bachelor of science in nursing with an emphasis in healthcare management at Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado. Maureen achieved certification from National Association for Healthcare Quality, certified professional in healthcare quality (CPHQ), Colorado State University in process mapping, and University of Michigan in lean healthcare.

Before joining HPP, Alex’s professional experience included process improvement, operational, and leadership positions in the medical delivery systems and appliance manufacturing industries with Baxter Healthcare and Whirlpool. Alex has had a successful track record in improving results-driven processes with an emphasis in personnel training, project leadership, and operating systems designed to improve customer service and sustainability. He has led the development and implementation of processes to support Lean initiatives that reduce critical path lead-time, reduce expediting costs, capital improvement projects, inventory reduction, and trained and educated staff/employees in Lean Methodology. Alex is well recognized in the following areas: Value Stream Mapping, Hoshin Strategic Planning, Office and Floor 5S, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Process Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (PFMEA), Quality Improvements and Mistake Proofing, Six Sigma, Cellular Design, Standardize Work, Pull Systems (kanb an), Equipment Design and Installation (DFLMA), and Safety Programs. He has a B.S. in Industrial Technology Engineering from Mississippi State University and has also completed the Six-Sigma black belt program.