ABSTRACT
The word Kaizen is usually used in the context of continuous improvement or small incremental changes to an existing process. Over the past 20 years, however, the word has also become associated with episodic workshops, often called “Kaizen Events,” which typically last for three to five days. That may seem puzzling to the reader. If a hospital department holds two or three weeklong events per year, how is that the least bit continuous? Do these events really lead to sustained improvement?
