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A representative from Robert Wood Johnson Hospital conducted ������ý����’s first-ever seminar on Six Sigma philosophy, resulting in 18 ������ý���� students receiving their yellow-belt certification on April 20, 2017.

Six Sigma is a set of management techniques and tools to improve business processes. The concept was made central to General Electric’s business strategy and is now used across many sectors.

For the health care management students, receiving a yellow belt Six Sigma certification will provide them with management tools that identify ways to add value, quality, speed and effectiveness to the workplace that will positively impact fellow staff members and patients.

“The training is particularly useful when processes involve a lot of communication in an organization with a hierarchal division of tasks,” says Dr. Hope Corman, the director of ������ý����’s health administration program. “It confronts the idea that if multiple people are not communicating with each other then information can be lost and processes become less efficient.”

The training started with students being split into groups and given a real-life task that they may face while working in a hospital setting. After working through the task and seeing some of the difficulties they will face, students then received the Six Sigma training and were given another scenario to apply their training.

“The yellow-belt training was a great experience, and the training as a whole was incredibly well put-together,” says Anthony Mutascio, a senior health care management major.

������ý����’s College of Business Administration has developed a partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, the parent organization of Robert Wood Johnson Hospital,  leading to numerous internship opportunities for ������ý���� students with the organization.

“It was very kind of RWJ and Director of Lean Process Improvement Jill Anderson to offer to come to ������ý����’s campus and allow our students to receive training in Six Sigma philosophy,” says Corman. “It’s a great addition for students to put on their resume because it improves management skills and will help them stand out from others.”

The state’s largest integrated health care delivery system, RWJBarnabas Health utilizes Six Sigma principles while providing treatment and services to more than three million patients each year. Ten ������ý���� students have participated in internships and contributed to the continued success of the organization.

Health care is one of the fastest growing industries in the country, and the growth in the industry requires new leaders to fill administrative positions. ������ý����'s health administration program prepares students to fill a variety of managerial positions, and the opportunity to receive a Six Sigma certification helps further qualify students who are entering such administrative positions.

“I thought that the information provided was incredibly relevant, and the exercise that we did during was enjoyable, as well as gave us some insight into the day to day operations of these organizations,” says Mutascio.