Atul Gawande became my hero when I read “The Cost Conundrum” in the June 2009 issue of The New Yorker. The article explores the question of why Medicare costs in McAllen, Texas, are higher than any other place in United States. Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, went to McAllen and conducted his own investigation into the matter.
“The Cost Conundrum” is a compelling read because Gawande tells stories to illustrate his points – stories to which the average nonclinical reader, like me, can relate. (The article is available online at www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande.)
