NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: SMOOTHING MATERIAL FLOW THROUGH THE RECEIVING AREA John Nicholas, Hussam Bachour, and Paul Suett wrote this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. This publication may not be transmitted, photocopied, digitized, or otherwise reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the copyright holder. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Business School, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6G ON1; (t) 519.661.3208; (e) cases@ivey.ca, www.iveycases.com. Our goal is to publish materials of the highest quality; submit any errata to publishcases@ivey.ca. Copyright 2019, Ivey Business School Foundation Version: 2019-04-26