Drawing from the concepts learned during this course, write a paper that explores and applies the relevant tools and techniques to address two common operating issues presented below.

It will be critical to identify the key contributing factors, which are often numerous and intertwined. In developing solutions, you must give due consideration to possible second-and third-order effects. Where possible, you are encouraged to examine a local healthcare organization; this may include interviewing organizational leaders and managers, examining issues and challenges, and analyzing data, for example.

Issue 1: A hospital's imaging and laboratory department turn-around-times for providing results are not meeting the needs of the clinical staff (physicians and nurses).

Issue 2: The E.R. staff feels like they are "pushing" admissions to the intensive care and medical-surgical units and that nursing staff in these units are reluctant to accept new patients. The ICU and M.S. nurses counter that they "pull" admissions when they can, except when the census is high and staffing is tight.