Overview
Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model
A model that was developed, tested, and refined with more than 5,000 caregivers across the Cleveland Clinic Health System enables us to create practices through which every caregiver is capable, empowered, and expected to make improvements every day.
The application of this model enables us to improve all aspects of our care.
- Patient Safety
- Patient Quality
- Patient Experience
- Caregiver Experience
- Affordability
Download your copy of the Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model
Our method that drives improvement across the enterprise.
About Us
The Continuous Improvement Department is a group of professionals with backgrounds in lean, six sigma, and project management. We support the enterprise by building capability for all caregivers to solve problems. Led by our Medical Director Dr. Lisa Yerian and Senior Director Nate Hurle this team aligns their support to the organization’s priority areas.
Videos
See and hear the cultural impact of the improvement model on both our patients and caregivers as our CEO visits with the teams across the enterprise.
Upcoming Event
Leading a Culture of Improvement: From Knowledge to Practice
Cleveland Clinic has become a world leader in developing and applying methods to continuously improve healthcare. Learn our approach to building a culture where every caregiver is capable, empowered, and expected to make improvements every day.
Date: May 21–22, 2020
Register NowPublications
Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model in Writing
Lean Enterprise Institute – the path to create the model & view from the ground floor
- Transforming Healthcare: What matters most? How the Cleveland Clinic is cultivating a problem-solving mindset and building a culture of improvement.
- View from the Hospital Floor: How to build a culture of improvement one unit at a time.
Mark Graban’s Blog – the elements of the model and their tie to best practices
- Podcast #282 – @LisaYerianMD & @NateHurle from Cleveland Clinic on #Lean
- Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model, Part 1: Alignment & Visual Management
- Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model, Part 2: Problem Solving & Standardization
- My Visit to Cleveland Clinic: Seeing Leaders Engaging Staff in Meaningful Improvement
Lean Manufacturing Times – brief article about how lean is being used in health care
Association for Talent Development
Catalysis – Inspiring Healthcare Leaders Featured Article
Awards
SolVE - 2016 Clinical Care Innovation Award Recipients Announced
The AAMC has named six institutions that will receive the 2016 AAMC Clinical Care Innovation Award, which recognizes and supports AAMC-member medical schools and teaching hospitals in their efforts to advance care delivery through quality improvement. The winning projects align with the AAMC's Optimizing Graduate Medical Education initiative by focusing on improving quality in a range of key areas within the clinical learning environment. All awardees will be recognized at the 2016 AAMC Integrating Quality Meeting in Rosemont, Ill. on June 9-10.
Improvement Model
Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model in Action
Continuous Improvement is transforming the way Cleveland Clinic caregivers approach their work. It is a way of thinking supported by tools that engages caregivers to deliver better quality at a lower cost.
Cleveland Clinic is working to build a culture in which every caregiver is empowered and expected to make improvements every day. Those improvements come in all sizes and take place in every corner of our organization.

Contact
Contact Information
- Contact us at [email protected]
- Follow us on Twitter: @NateHurle or @LisaYerianMD