Lake Superior College News Releases

Funds will go toward “Lean Healthcare” training at St. Luke’s

(Duluth, Minn.) – A major state grant promises to increase efficiency, enhance quality, and improve employee satisfaction at St. Luke’s, one of the region’s largest health care systems. The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) has awarded a $287,897 grant to Lake Superior College to develop “Lean Healthcare” training for St. Luke’s hospital and clinics.

A grant-signing ceremony will celebrate this collaboration on Thursday, May 15, at 2 p.m. in St. Luke’s 3 East Conference Room with Dr. Kathleen Nelson, Lake Superior College president; St. Luke’s President and Chief Executive Officer John Strange; and Paul Moe, director of Minnesota Job Skills Partnership program, presiding.

“We are excited to partner with Lake Superior College through the MJSP grant to implement Lean Healthcare principles,” said Strange. “It gives us a common approach to improving processes for the care of our patients through the St. Luke’s system.”

Over the course of the three-year grant, 192 St. Luke’s employees will learn the Lean Healthcare principles and share them across the health system. “St. Luke’s is implementing Lean Healthcare in response to the increased industry pressure to serve their clients more efficiently, while improving quality and reducing costs,” said Nelson. By eliminating unnecessary steps and having the right resources at the right time, employees will be more satisfied with their work. Patients will ultimately benefit from a more effective and efficient health care provider.

Health care experts around the country are embracing the Lean Healthcare concept, which was originally based on the Toyota production system for improving manufacturing processes.

The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership acts as a catalyst between business and education in developing cooperative training projects that provide new job training or retraining of existing employees. MJSP grants are given to educational institutions with businesses as partners. The program is part of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the state’s principal economic development agency.

St. Luke’s, a comprehensive regional health care system, has built a reputation on providing quality care and putting the patient first. St. Luke’s hospital, along with 34 primary and specialty care clinics, offers a comprehensive continuum of care that includes trauma, medical, surgical, diagnostic, therapeutic and rehab services in the Twin Ports and the 17-county region of northeastern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

Reprinted from the spring 2008 edition of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Magazine

“¿ Dónde le duele? (Where does it hurt?),” asked the concerned nursing student in Spanish, bending over the life-sized dummy lying in a hospital bed. The dummy moaned in response. “Me duele el estómago y la cabeza. También tengo escalofríos (My head and stomach hurt. I also have chills.),” he answered weakly and then vomited.

Much smarter than a typical dummy, SimMan is a computerized patient simulator primarily used by Lake Superior College’s nursing program. He has taken on a new role as Senõr SimMan, helping to teach health care students and professionals specialized Spanish language skills in a clinical setting. Senõr SimMan not only talks but has measurable vitals including breathing, temperature and blood pressure. He can be programmed to exhibit symptoms of varied illnesses and conditions.

There are 30 million Americans whose first language is Spanish, and by the year 2010, one out of four Americans will be of Hispanic heritage. “Clearly there is a growing need for professionals who work in life-and-death situations to expand or enrich their language and communication skills,” said Michele Keane, a Lake Superior College faculty member and Spanish instructor. “We’ve had health care professionals from all areas take this course. I’ve taught pharmacy students, nursing and EMT/fire rescue students, and even veterinary students,” Keane said.

During the semester-long course, students learn basic conversational Spanish and then move to specific medical terminology. Some students have studied Spanish before; others are new to the language.

“We learn basic anatomy, and then we move into more graphic terms like nauseous, dizzy or anxious,” Keane said. “This type of vocabulary helps health care workers get a better understanding of how a patient is feeling.” Once students have the language basics down, they progress to practice their conversational skills on Senõr SimMan.

Nicole Verdugo, a student training to become an EMT/firefighter, recently completed the course. “I hadn’t heard of SimMan before, so I was interested to see how he worked. I was nervous because now I had a ‘real’ patient, which meant that I had to check his pulse, watch and listen for respirations, and take his blood pressure. It made it more challenging that this patient was going to express his pains and feelings in fluent Spanish. Not only did I have to be an EMT, but I had to be a Spanish-speaking EMT.”

Students go “live” with Senõr SimMan, who is installed in an exam room separated by a viewing window next to a computer control booth. “The students would take turns talking to him. They didn’t know what I was going to have him say or do, so they had to be on their toes,” Keane said. “My students liked being tested on the spot. It really put them through their paces.”

“This hands-on approach worked for me in several ways,” Verdugo said. “It increased my retention of the language while providing me with a safe learning environment. I knew I could make a mistake and not worry about the possible consequences affecting a person’s life. I found this experience invaluable.”

Originally published in the Outlook Edition of the Duluth News Tribune on 3/23/08. Written by Janet Blixt.

Lake Superior College has been awarded two Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) grants totaling $489,181 to provide customized workforce training programs over a three-year period for St. Luke’s and Northstar Aerospace of Duluth.

“We’re pleased to partner with St. Luke’s and Northstar Aerospace. Both healthcare and aviation are growing industries in the Arrowhead region and we plan to support their workforce needs with this intensive training,” said Steve Wagner, LSC’s vice president of workforce development and customized training.

Lake Superior College will provide training to eighty Northstar employees in machine operation and machining. Northstar Aerospace specializes in aircraft seats, precision machined components, parts and assemblies for the aerospace industry. The training program will compliment the company’s plan to develop a career pathway program that incorporates strategic recruitment of entry level employees, career laddering of existing employees through skill development, and the development of a customized training program that teaches the knowledge, skills and abilities that Northstar employees need to be the best in the industry. “We want to provide our employees with the tools and training to produce the highest quality machined components, parts and assemblies for the aerospace industry,” said Kevin C. Snyder, vice president of human resources for Northstar Aerospace. “Receiving the MJSP grant represents the cornerstone of Northstar’s six strategic employment and training initiatives running concurrently over the next five years.”

Lake Superior College will partner with St. Luke’s hospital and clinics to develop a customized Lean Healthcare Training Program. St. Luke’s is a comprehensive health care system with more than 2,200 employees serving a 17-county region in three states.

Over the course of the three-year grant, 192 employees will learn the Lean Health principles and share them across the health system. “We are excited to partner with Lake Superior College through the MJSP grant to implement Lean Healthcare principles at St. Luke’s. Lean Healthcare gives us a common approach to improving processes for the care of our patients through the St. Luke’s system,” said John Strange, president and chief executive officer of St. Luke’s.

Health care experts around the country are embracing the Lean Health concept, which was originally based on the Toyota production system for improving manufacturing processes. The process eliminates unnecessary steps and works to provide the right resources at the right time for patient care and employee satisfaction. Several years ago this same model was modified and implemented in the healthcare industry. Lake Superior College has already partnered with Itasca Community College and three other colleges in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system to develop the core of this curriculum.

The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership acts as a catalyst between business and education in developing cooperative training projects that provides new job training or retraining of existing employees. MJSP grants are given to educational institutions with businesses as partners. Grants are awarded by the MJSP Board to educational institutions who partner with businesses to develop new job training or retraining for existing employees. All training projects pair at least one public/private accredited Minnesota educational institution and one business. The program is part of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the state’s principal economic development agency.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota

Kathy Griffin, Director of the Lake Superior College Dental Hygiene program, has been named to serve on the Commission on Dental Accreditation. She was appointed by the American Dental Hygienists Association to serve in the post, and is the only dental hygienist on the 30-member commission. Her term will run until October of 2011.

As part of this appointment, Griffin will chair the Review Committee on Dental Hygiene Education and the Ad Hoc Committee to Update Documents Related to Revised Standards for Dental Hygiene Education Programs. She will also serve as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Alternative Site Visit Methods, a member of the Task Force on Communication, and an ex-officio member to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association Council on Education.

The mission of the Commission on Dental Accreditation is to serve the public by establishing, maintaining, and applying standards that ensure the quality and continuous improvement of dental and dental-related education and reflect the evolving practice of dentistry. The scope of the Commission on Dental Accreditation encompasses dental, advanced dental, and allied dental education programs. It is a commission of the American Dental Association, the world’s oldest and largest national dental association. More information is available online at http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/accred/commission/.

(Duluth, Minn.) — Have you wondered if global warming will affect you and your health? Do you think about how the decisions you make today will affect your health in the future or the health of your grandchildren?

Explore the relationship between ecosystem health and human health, as Lake Superior College (LSC) hosts an Eco-Health Workshop on Saturday, October 27. Speakers from the community will present individual sessions followed by an interactive panel discussion.

Presenters include:
• Dr. Timothy Burke, SMDC, on “Emerging Infectious Diseases”
• Dr. John Pastor, University of Minnesota Duluth, on “Climate Change and Effects on Northern Minnesota That Can Affect Health”

Sponsored by the Lake Superior College Environmental Council, the workshop is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room S2964. It’s free and open to the public. CEU credits will be offered. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

For more information, contact Deanne Roquet, d.roquet@lsc.edu, 725-7780 or Lorrie Fox, l.fox@lsc.edu, 733-5919.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,100 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

Funds will go toward “Lean Health” training at SMDC Health System

Duluth, Minn – A major state grant promises to increase efficiency, enhance quality and improve employee satisfaction at the region’s largest health care system. The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) has awarded nearly $400,000 to Lake Superior College to develop “Lean Health” training for SMDC Health System. Itasca Community College will also take part in the project as an instructional partner.

A grant signing ceremony celebrated this accomplishment on Tuesday, May 29, 2007. Lake Superior College President Kathleen Nelson and SMDC Chief Administrative Officer John Smylie discussed the benefits for their organizations and the community.

John Smylie, Kathleen Nelson and Paul Moe, representing the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership, formalized the grant funding by signing a contract.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our employees and our patients,” Smylie says. “With the excellent training from Lake Superior College, we will be better positioned to meet the workforce challenges of the future.”

The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership acts as a catalyst between business and education in developing cooperative training projects that provide new-job training or retraining of existing employees. MJSP grants are given to educational institutions with businesses as partners.

Over the course of the three-year grant, more than 200 SMDC employees will learn the Lean Health principles and share them across the health system. By eliminating unnecessary steps and having the right resources at the right time, employees will be more satisfied with their work. Patients will ultimately benefit from a more effective and efficient health care provider.

“SMDC is implementing Lean Health as an answer to the increasing pressure being put on the industry to serve their clients faster, while improving quality and reducing costs,” Nelson says.

Health care experts around the country are embracing the Lean Health concept, which was originally based on the Toyota production system for improving manufacturing processes. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System is working with several healthcare institutions around the state to implement these techniques, including Park Nicollet Health Services, the Mayo Clinic and Grand Itasca Hospital.

SMDC has already applied these concepts in a few areas around the health system. One initiative has improved the efficiency of preparing patients for surgery once they get into the operating room at St. Mary’s Medical Center. These efforts have helped surgery scheduling to be smoother and on time.

Health system leaders are excited that this collaboration with LSC will allow them to incorporate these techniques across all areas of patient care. And by developing this comprehensive curriculum, Lake Superior College will be able to offer the “Lean” training to other local companies in the future, creating community benefits for years to come.