How Toyota Improved Parkland Hospital's ER — With Purple Lights

When Dr. Fred Cerise, the CEO of Parkland Memorial Hospital, learned that Toyota was moving to Plano, he saw an opportunity. He'd heard the car manufacturer has a philanthropic arm that helps nonprofits find ways to run more efficiently — for free. Cerise wanted to improve the public hospital's emergency room, one of the busiest in the country. It's a constant challenge to treat 500 to 700 patients each day in a space that holds only 118 beds. Cerise reached out to Toyota, and the company agreed to help on the condition that the project not be used as part of a layoff plan. That was no problem, Cerise said. "We know we have more demand than we can meet," Cerise said. "So this wasn't about downsizing the operation. This was about: How can we create more capacity and get more patients through?"   Continue reading...