Description

In this episode of Making More, Billy sits down with Gordon Sansaver, Associate Executive Director at the Virginia Mason Institute, to explore what happens when the principles behind the Toyota Production System collide—beautifully—with the realities of modern healthcare.

Gordon shares the Virginia Mason origin story: a health system at a crossroads, facing rising costs, patient safety risk, and workforce strain… and deciding to bet on a different path—continuous improvement and respect for people. From there, we unpack why “process” in healthcare isn’t just a set of tools—it’s a full management system, how executive alignment shapes culture (for better or worse), and why you can’t delegate improvement work and expect it to stick.

We also talk about Gordon’s early frontline path in healthcare, his experience leading a study tour to Japan, and how Virginia Mason’s approach expanded into the UK’s National Health Service—with independent evaluation from Warwick Business School.

In this conversation:

• Why improvement and culture change can’t be “handed off”
• Executive + board alignment as a force multiplier
• “VMPS” (Virginia Mason Production System): making TPS your own
• “Better never stops” as a leadership posture, not a slogan
• What healthcare leaders can borrow from manufacturing without losing the human side

Guest: Gordon Sansaver — Associate Executive Director, Virginia Mason Institute

Find Billy on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigeyedfisch/ or visit his website, billyfischer.focalpointcoaching.com.