Episode 28: From Chaos to Order with Dr. Jim Cole
On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Dr. Jim Cole joins the podcast to share how process improvement has guided his work in both military and healthcare settings. Dr. Cole introduces tools like the Marine Corps Planning Process, OODA loops, and operational risk management. Jim shares how these military methods helped him tackle challenges in civilian healthcare. To that end, Dr. Cole reflects on creating efficient systems for bed availability and managing variation to establish standard work. This conversation highlights how practical tools and strong leadership can transform even the toughest situations into opportunities for improvement. Plus, for you music fans, there are references to AC/DC, Cheap Trick, and Stray Cats!
In this episode, you will hear about:
2:41 - Jim's background in the military and medicine
4:39 - Growing up in Suburban Chicago
7:05 - College, the military, and medical school
7:53 - The Navy Seals
10:52 - Process Improvement and Fleet Marine Force Warfare Officer Training
15:28 - The OODA Loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act
16:45 - Operational Risk Management
19:57 - Using military training in Process Improvement for civilian healthcare
24:02 - Addressing hospital bed availability
29:17 - Introducing Process Improvement to an initially reluctant team
31:33 - Variation and Standard Work
34:07 - Reviewing the data and performance metrics
35:59 - Keys to leadership
38:17 - Depictions of surgery in movies and TV
41:21 - From chaos to order
Additional Resources:
Trauma: My Life as an Emergency Surgeon
Dr. Jim Cole at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
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Optimizing Patient Flow in the Ambulatory Clinic Setting
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Host • MoreSteam
Dan Swartwout is the host of Quality Time with MoreSteam. A lifelong Central Ohio resident, Dan is a double Buckeye. He earned both a BA and a law degree from The Ohio State University. Before joining MoreSteam, Dan had a long career as a host, comedian, and master of ceremonies. For 17 years, Dan was the studio audience host for the Ohio Lottery game show Cash Explosion. Dan was also the host of CBuzz, which was a collaboration between the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, WWCD 92.9, and the Columbus Dispatch. On CBuzz, Dan interviewed some of the most prominent entrepreneurs in Central Ohio. From 2002-2020, Dan toured the country as a standup comedian. Tracks from his comedy CD have been played over 5,000 times on Sirius/XM satellite radio. Now, Dan brings his experience and enthusiasm to Quality Time with MoreSteam -- it's business and fun, together.
Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer • UW Health, Northern Illinois Region
Dr. James Cole has served with USSOCOM and has been a Navy Officer, paratrooper, military diver, and surgeon. He left active duty in 2000 but after the events of September 11th, he rejoined the reserves and was deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq. He practices Trauma Surgery, Critical Care, and Emergency General Surgery in Illinois.
