Today's New York Times Business Section features an interesting article about the use of "Continuous Performance Improvement" (CPI) techniques in hospital settings, which utilizes methods borrowed from business models. ("Factory Finesse, In the Hospital', by Julie Weed -http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/business/) While it addresses techniques to increase operational efficiency in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, it only hints at the utility for improving patient treatments.