Accelerating Innovation
As experts in transformational change, we equip leaders and teams to implement innovative improvements at scale.
The Center for Innovation and Transformational Change (CITC) at UMass Memorial Health
Founded in 2013, CITC began as a grassroots effort to harness frontline insights supporting operational excellence. Its work has evolved into a robust system that empowers staff, aligns organizational goals and transforms how work gets done. Whether you’re refining an existing approach or starting from scratch, we help you unlock the potential that already exists within your organization.
Our team partners with health care systems and organizations across various industries to develop improvement systems that support sustainable change. Our approach, which draws on Lean Training (methodologies for streamlining processes and reducing errors) and an idea-driven improvement system, adapts to the needs of nearly any organization.
About UMass Memorial Health
UMass Memorial Health is the largest health system in Central Massachusetts, widely respected for clinical excellence and a successful track record of organizational transformation. Find out more about us.
CITC Services
When striving for transformational change, good ideas aren’t enough. Your organization needs systems to channel innovation into scalable, sustained improvement.
CITC can help your organization better capture insights and take action with a suite of services that includes:
Improvement System Implementation
CITC’s approach to employee-driven improvement is scalable, practical and deeply integrated. We capture and act on ideas to help you build a culture that fosters organization-wide engagement in operational excellence. This includes frontline training and leadership alignment to support the integration of new methods into daily operations.
Lean Training
CITC staff include several Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belts, the highest level of Lean Six Sigma experts. These seasoned professionals have led improvement efforts at some of the biggest names in health care, manufacturing, finance and tech, as well as the military. We provide training that builds lasting capability across teams and leadership, even for those with no prior experience in Lean Six Sigma.
Executive Site Visits at UMass Memorial
CITC hosts immersive site visits at UMass Memorial in Worcester, MA, in collaboration with our strategic partner, Catalysis. These visits give leaders a firsthand view of how we translate innovation into action through our culture of continuous improvement. It’s an immersive experience designed to offer practical takeaways you can bring back to your team.
Organizational Transformation Powered by CITC at UMass Memorial
When Eric Dickson, MD, became CEO in 2013, UMass Memorial faced substantive challenges: declining finances, low patient satisfaction and widespread staff disengagement. Instead of outsourcing the solution, he turned to the people who knew the organization best: its staff.
The results reflect what’s possible when organizations empower their people to lead change:
- More than 200,000 frontline ideas implemented
- $10 million saved and $35 million in new revenue generated (in the first year of tracked impact)
- National quality rating (via CMS) improved from 1 to 4 stars
- Employee engagement increased from 30th to 80th percentile
- Financial recovery and top bond ratings, even in a challenging market
CITC Leadership
Our highly regarded team is led by:
| Penelope Iannelli, LSSMBB, PMPSenior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer |
| Cliona Archambeault, MBA, LSSMBB, PMPSenior Director, Process Engineering |
| Kimberly McGuigan, LSSMBBManager, Innovation Programs |
Why Engage the Center for Innovation and Transformational Change?
Leadership Integration
CITC works closely with organizational leaders to ensure improvement efforts align with strategic goals. We analyze integration of existing systems to sustain a culture of innovation. With our focus on alignment, measurement and execution, our improvement systems training helps leaders turn employee ideas into meaningful impact.
Flexibility
CITC tailors its approach to align with your organization’s tools, workflows and culture. Whether that means digital systems, paper-based tracking or a mix of both, there’s no need to change what’s already working. We help your team build momentum using familiar structures as a launchpad for improvement.
Sustainability
CITC helps organizations design improvement systems that deliver long-term value. By establishing structures that reinforce engagement and accountability, we support progress that endures beyond the initial launch. Our approach includes coaching, measurement and infrastructure that make continuous improvement a lasting part of your operations.
Ready to Start? Let’s Talk.
Explore the origins of CITC and how a bold shift in strategy reshaped an entire health system. Fill out the form to download the white paper and connect with our team.