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Mayo Clinic Wins 2014 INFORMS Prize
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) named Mayo Clinic the winner of the 2014 INFORMS Prize, an award given to one organization that has applied operations research and management science disciplines in pioneering, varied, novel and lasting ways.
“Operations research is deeply rooted in our organization,” says Mayo Clinic President and CEO John Noseworthy, M.D. “It started with Henry Plummer’s work on an integrated paper medical record more than 100 years ago and continues today through the sophisticated analytics and operations research infrastructure that we use to improve the work we do for patients.”
Current examples include blood management, cardiac care redesign and forecasting efforts to improve patient access. Mayo Clinic employs more than 500 OR/MS practitioners who use methods such as optimization, forecasting and mathematical modeling to enhance strategic planning, care process redesign, inventory management and project management.
“This approach has a huge impact on patient experience and outcomes as well as the overall cost of providing care,” says C. Michel Harper, Jr., M.D., executive dean for practice, who accepted the prize on Mayo’s behalf at the INFORMS award banquet in late March. “Looking to the future, we consider these disciplines to be vital in addressing the formidable challenges facing health care today.
INFORMS, a professional society for specialists in operations research and analytics, recognizes just one outstanding organization with this prize every year. Past winners include Ford Motor Company, Intel, UPS, General Electric, and Procter and Gamble.