Virginia Mason Medical Center began to lose money in 1998 and something needed to happen.  In a search to improve efficiency the CEO, Dr. Gary Kaplan, visited hospitals around the U.S... He talked with many of the smartest minds in the industry. And after two years... he decided there wasn't one institution in the entire medical system whose footsteps he felt were worth following. So, he turned to Japanese automaker, Toyota, for inspiration, instead.

Yes, three years after starting his mission, Dr. Kaplan decided to focus on emulating Toyota's lean management style, which focuses on eliminating waste…