BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Alumna Jennifer Van Dyke ’99 was recently featured for her work as a Process Improvement Leader at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH). An Economics and Business Administration double major while at IWU, Van Dyke applies economic methods known as “Six Sigma” to improve hospital outcomes.
NMH credits Van Dyke for assisting with reducing a hospital complication, known as deep vein thrombosis, by more than 50 percent hospital-wide last year. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a deep vein in the body, often occurring in the lower leg or thigh. DVT can lead to pulmonary embolism and is potentially fatal.
In order to reduce the likelihood that patients will develop these blood clots, Van Dyke worked with a team of doctors, nurses and pharmacists to develop a hospital protocol to help prevent this complication. Van Dyke spent hours in the operating room observing surgeries to better understand the problem.