Thursday this week, I took a “field trip” to West Chester, PA to visit Synthes Spine along with Craig Browning, my local spine instrumentation support person.
I had a series of wonderful meetings with their design engineers, metallurgists, and mechanical testing experts.
What a wonderful experience to be able to get the surgeon who uses these products every day to interact with the engineers who design and test this equipment!
It was a “two-way” learning day, with several new projects and solutions in the works, including follow-up research in collaboration with NC State’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.
In my studies of Deming and Quality Management, Quality Improvement over the years, it has always proven to be true that it is always better for manufacturers and suppliers to work TOGETHER to come up with better combined solutions to serve the ultimate customer.  Companies like Toyota have done this very well for over 50 years, initially inspired by Deming.  
Hey Clinic tries to do the same thing by developing strong working relationships and quality improvement efforts with our instrumentation vendors, hospitals, information technology companies (SpringChart, MedStrat and others), and local universities including Duke and NC State.

In order to improve, you need to LEARN, and SYNERGIZE with others even outside your own company, strengthening the interdependent relationships that lead to better care across the entire continuum.

Many thanks to everyone at Synthes Spine for sharing your day with me on Thursday, and for everything you do to help create solutions to help patients.
An extra special thanks to Caryn, who even drove Craig and I to the airport, including a side-trip to see my sister and her kids who live nearby.

Lloyd A. Hey, MD MS
https://www.heyclinic.com
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery.