About this Presentation
This session tells the story of a New Zealand surgeon who, with no formal business training, turned to TOC to improve both patient outcomes and financial performance. Guided by Graham Scott, the surgeon identified the true bottleneck in his practice—then aligned all operations to support it. The result was a more profitable, efficient, and calm environment. This practical case demonstrates how TOC thinking can revolutionize not just systems, but mindset—and how these principles apply across both public and private healthcare settings.
What Will You Learn
To help you get the most value from this session, we’ve highlighted a few key points. These takeaways capture the main ideas and practical insights from the presentation, making it easier for you to review, reflect, and apply what you’ve learned.
Instructor(s)
Brian Whitley
Dr Brian Whitley Brian graduated BDS, University of Otago, in Dunedin, in 1983 before spending 2 years as a Dental House Surgeon at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, then a further 2 years as a Senior House Officer in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Basingstoke District Hospital and The Royal Berkshire Hospital in the UK. He completed MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) University of Otago in 1990 and was a Senior Registrar in OMS in Auckland in 1991 and at Waikato Hospital in 1992. Brian completed the specialist qualification FRACDS (OMS) in Melbourne, Australia, in July 1992 and from January 1993 until July 1994 was a Clinical Fellow in OMS at the University of Texas Health Science Centre, Houston, Texas, USA. He has over 30 years’ experience in Oral and maxillofacial Surgery, including surgical implant dentistry. He is former Chairman of the NZ Branch of The Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (ANZAOMS). Brian is a Fellow of the International College of Dental Surgeons (FICD) and in 2017 was awarded the prestigious “Colleague of the Year Award “by the New Zealand Dental Surgeons Association. In 2022, Brian received the Distinguished Service Award from ANZAOMS.
Ms Alka Wadhwa
Alka Wadhwa is an experienced consultant and process improvement expert with over 24 years of expertise in the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Six Sigma, and organizational performance optimization. She has successfully led projects in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, driving significant improvements such as a 67% boost in hospital operations and a 140% increase in outpatient visits.
Previously, Alka Wadhwa spent 17+ years at GE Global Research Center, where she led initiatives to enhance various GE businesses through advanced technologies, process redesign, and system optimization. Founder of Better Solutions Consulting, LLC, she specializes in using TOC, Six Sigma, and data analytics to streamline operations and build high-performance teams.
Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Empire State Award of Excellence in healthcare.
Dr Gary Wadhwa
Dr. Gary Wadhwa is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience in the field. He completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training at Montefiore Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and has served as an Attending at prestigious institutions like St. Peters Hospitals, Ellis Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in NY. With a career spanning over two decades, he was the former CEO and President of a group specialty practice in NY from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Wadhwa holds an MBA from UT at Knoxville, TN, and has undergone additional training in System Dynamics at MIT, Health System Management at Harvard Business School, and Entrepreneurship and healthcare innovations at Columbia Business School. Committed to expanding access to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery care, he is currently engaged in a meaningful project to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in inner city and rural areas through non-profit Community Health Centers.