
15
Chapter 2
Spotting Value,
Spotting Waste
Allison’s Story
Allison is an anesthesiologist at a major hospital in New
York. Real estate prices being what they are in the country’s
most expensive city, her office is only slightly bigger than a
closet (that’s a broom closet, not a cedar-paneled, walk-in,
McMansion-size closet). We’re talking a windowless room
about 60 square feet, with a desk, computer, and an office
chair. And a bookshelf. Oh, and a wall of file cabinets.
Every horizontal surface of Allison’s office (except for her
chair) is covered—no, buried—in paper: printed out e-mails,
regular mail, departmental memos, receipts from the last co