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Organizational transformation is a long-term goal, and only happens when an organization’s strategic capabilities are built and sustained over a long period of time. Sustaining Lean improvement requires an employee-supported Lean culture, timely communication, interlocking leadership involvement, and the capacity to wield a variety of control and monitoring tools. This course surveys the key constituents of a Lean culture, and introduces tools and systems used by leading organizations both to maintain improvements and continually reach for more. The course examines tools and practices such as leader standard work, huddles, Andon, control plans, performance audits, Lean documentation, and statistical process control (SPC). Some course materials may reference Leading Edge Group or display legacy branding, reflecting the history of the program. All North American delivery and learner support are provided by the same team that developed the program and are now operating as Leading Edge Associates.   Read more

Kaizen focuses on the principles and methods of daily continuous improvement, and builds the foundation for implementing Lean principles in the organization. Kaizen events are organized as the continuous search for opportunities for all processes to get better. Kaizen uses Lean tools and practices such as 5S, poka yoke, leveling, and Kanban to achieve these goals. This course focuses on Kaizen. It introduces key Kaizen concepts, types, and Kaizen events. The course outlines the requirements for an efficient Kaizen event and describes the benefits that a successful Kaizen event can offer to healthcare organizations. Some course materials may reference Leading Edge Group or display legacy branding, reflecting the history of the program. All North American delivery and learner support are provided by the same team that developed the program and are now operating as Leading Edge Associates. Read more

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is arguably the most important tool in Lean. It involves a process of directly observing the flows of information, patients, and resources as they occur, summarizing them visually, and then envisioning a future state with performance addressed. This course focuses on creating and using current and future value stream maps for healthcare organizations. It expands on the basic concepts relating to VSM and discusses how they can be applied practically in a healthcare organization. The steps to create actual value stream maps are covered, along with how to perform the analysis to make improvements. Some course materials may reference Leading Edge Group or display legacy branding, reflecting the history of the program. All North American delivery and learner support are provided by the same team that developed the program and are now operating as Leading Edge Associates. Read more

                                               Having taken White and Yellow Belt training, you will develop an in-depth understanding of those essential Lean tools and practices that can be applied to increase efficiency and quality of service; improve access to service; increase capacity; improve satisfaction among staff and community and create an ongoing culture of continuous quality improvement. The Green Belt program will develop the capability and skills to facilitate/lead improvement initiatives within your organization. The program enables immediate application and benefit through a requirement to complete a workplace improvement project. This ‘apply-it now’ approach can generate tangible benefits for your organization. For example, recent Green Belt projects have focused on improving: Vaccine and medication ordering Intake process for infant and child development programs Condom distribution Student flow through VPD immunization clinics Purchase, storage, assembly and delivery of harm reduction kits As well as live instructor-led training, participants receive access to a subject matter expert mentor throughout the program. Our mentors have significant experience supporting public health organizations and will provide guidance on all aspects of the program – subject matter queries, project scoping and execution. Assessment: Workplace improvement project and online exam Prerequisite: Lean Sigma White and Yellow Belt certification Training Schedule November 23rd,  24th and 25th, 2026 November 30th,  December 1st and 2nd, 2026 *Zoom links will be provided to registrants before the first session of this program commences.  Leading Edge Associates Trainer: Krista Galic Krista is a Lean Sigma Black Belt, registered nurse with a Masters in Public Health, an educator and a certified instructor and facilitator with over 15 years of experience leading transformational change. She has significant expertise in continuous quality improvement, quality assurance, project management, change management, risk management, client service, accountability metrics and strategic planning. As a trainer and facilitator, she guides teams through rapid cycles of testing, learning and evaluation, and draws on motivational interviewing to build confidence and readiness for change. Cancellations and Refunds: Cancellations made at least 4 weeks before the cohort start date receive a full refund, minus a $75 cancellation fee. Cancellations made after this deadline are not eligible for a refund. All fees quoted are subject to relevant tax Read more

                                              With its focus on quality improvement and doing more with less, special emphasis in each workshop will be placed on how Lean Sigma principles, tools and practices can address problems and challenges faced by public health organizations. In this introductory workshop, you will gain an understanding of Lean and quality improvement principles and methodologies, and their relevance across public and community health. In doing so, you will be able to: Training Schedule September 22nd and 24th, 2026 from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm (Eastern) *Zoom links will be provided to registrants before the first session of this program commences.  Leading Edge Associates Trainer: Annette Sonneveld Annette Sonneveld has over 35 years experience at various public health units across Ontario including Kent Chatham, Middlesex London, North York and Toronto Public Health. She has extensive knowledge and experience managing complex assignments; leading and directing teams; implementing quality improvement and performance management projects and facilitating training. Annette provided leadership and expertise to promote a culture of quality improvement, not only at Toronto Public Health, but across the City of Toronto through her involvement on various city-wide workgroups and committees. Annette has led multidisciplinary teams, including quality improvement specialists and program evaluators. She has led or participated in many continuous quality improvement (CQI) projects such as increasing the efficiency in processing reportable disease notifications; reducing immunization field data entry errors and increasing the efficiency of student placements. Annette has also provided internal support for many public health staff as they earned their Lean White, Yellow and Green Belts through Leading Edge Associates, and developed and implemented Toronto Public Health’s first quality improvement training plan. Annette was a member of the 4-year Locally Driven Collaborative Research Project for CQI in Public Health in Ontario and continues to be a member of the Provincial CQI Community of Practice for Public Health. A qualified Lean Black Belt, Annette also holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Windsor.                     Feedback from previous participants: “Perfect mix of interaction and great pace.” “Really enjoyed it overall and looking forward to continuing on with Yellow Belt soon.” Cancellations and Refunds: Cancellations made at least 4 weeks before the cohort start date receive a full refund, minus a $75 cancellation fee. Cancellations made after this deadline are not eligible for a refund. All fees quoted are subject to relevant tax Read more

With its focus on quality improvement and doing more with less, special emphasis in each training will be placed on how Lean Sigma principles, tools and practices can address problems and challenges faced by public health organizations. This program builds on White Belt training to develop a more in depth understanding of Lean thinking and quality improvement concepts, tools and practices and their basic application in public health. Upon completion, you will be able to make small improvements in the workplace.  You are introduced to tools and techniques that include waste walking, process mapping, Kaizen and 5S. Training Schedule October 6th and 8th , 2026 from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm (Eastern)  *Zoom links will be provided to registrants before the first session of this program commences.  Leading Edge Associates Trainer: Annette Sonneveld Annette Sonneveld has over 35 years experience at various public health units across Ontario including Kent Chatham, Middlesex London, North York and Toronto Public Health. She has extensive knowledge and experience managing complex assignments; leading and directing teams; implementing quality improvement and performance management projects and facilitating training. Annette provided leadership and expertise to promote a culture of quality improvement, not only at Toronto Public Health, but across the City of Toronto through her involvement on various city-wide workgroups and committees. Annette has led multidisciplinary teams, including quality improvement specialists and program evaluators. She has led or participated in many continuous quality improvement (CQI) projects such as increasing the efficiency in processing reportable disease notifications; reducing immunization field data entry errors and increasing the efficiency of student placements. Annette has also provided internal support for many public health staff as they earned their Lean White, Yellow and Green Belts through Leading Edge Associates, and developed and implemented Toronto Public Health’s first quality improvement training plan. Annette was a member of the 4-year Locally Driven Collaborative Research Project for CQI in Public Health in Ontario and continues to be a member of the Provincial CQI Community of Practice for Public Health. A qualified Lean Black Belt, Annette also holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Windsor.   Cancellations and Refunds: Cancellations made at least 4 weeks before the cohort start date receive a full refund, minus a $75 cancellation fee. Cancellations made after this deadline are not eligible for a refund. All fees quoted are subject to relevant tax Read more