By: Bannerman, Gary, Nixdorf, Don DC, Waghorn, Kerry
ISBN: 9780888396020
Binding: Trade Paper
Size: 9" X 6"
Pages: 320
Photos: 0
Illustrations: 0
Publication Date: 2005

Squandering Billions is a brutally frank indictment of health spending. The book demonstrates that the absolute power of medical doctors, pharmaceutical companies, health bureaucrats, and hospital administrators enshrines mediocrity at the expense of patients. Mistakes, inefficiency, and malpractice in the Canadian health system may be causing ten times or more unnecessary deaths a year than the toll from traffic accidents (3,000) and crime (500). Some acute care hospitals seem to have become disease factories. Why do health care tragedies not face the scrutiny typically focused upon other accidental and wrongful deaths? Canadian medicare was designed to insure the patient, not the practitioner. Why, then, are medical doctors and hospitals exempted from competition? Evidence shows conclusively that expanded use of community health centres, nurse practitioners, doctors of chiropractic, and others can be more effective and less expensive within their area of expertise. This book goes where official commissions have been afraid to travel.

Dr. Don Nixdorf has been among Canada's most prominent health professionals for more than a generation, a member of national and provincial agencies and a participant in numerous studies and Commissions. The Executive-Director of the British Columbia Chiropractic Association since 1985, he is also a veteran of countless encounters in all forms of media on behalf of his profession, including his own open-line radio health program. His work on behalf of the chiropractic profession keeps him in frequent contact with health ministers, other professionals, media, insurance companies and community organizations. (www.bcchiro.com)

Gary Bannerman is a veteran journalist, publisher, public affairs broadcaster and the author of several books. He has served on the board of directors of corporations of various sizes, and as a communications consultant to CEOs and senior management of many companies. He has been published in scores of magazines and newspapers and, for 16 years, he hosted Western Canada's most successful news talk radio show. His work has been honored with numerous prestigious awards. (www.bannerline.net)

THE ILLUSTRATOR

Canadian Kerry Waghorn is one of the most accomplished caricaturists in the world. His Faces in the News feature is a 28-year journalistic legend. Represented by Universal Press Syndicate, among the journals that regularly publish his work are the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Miami Weekly News, Boston Globe, Montreal Gazette and Ottawa Citizen.

'Squandering Billions is a remarkably readable treatise that addresses many of the ills of the health-care delivery and payment system in Canada. An intriguing aspect of the analysis is that the geography could be changed and other players substituted, and the ills and the solutions would be the same, country after country. Congratulations are due Mr. Bannerman and Dr. Nixdorf for presenting the case that the sickest aspect of health care in Canada (and many developed nations) may very well be the thinking that created and perpetuates the system itself.'

--Dr. Gerry Clum, Life Chiropractic College West president, World Federation of Chiropractic first vice-president

 

'I read the first draft of the manuscript of the book with great interest. The book lays out the evolution of health care in Canada and its original premise, and very concisely takes the reader through the activities that have created the significant departure of our health-care system from its original intentions. While many Canadians may have a sense of what's not working, this book leaves little room for lack of understanding and clarity about exactly what is not working and why. The book should cause readers to recognize that we all play a role in demanding a greater level of accountability on the part of governments at every level, health-care professionals, and ourselves as recipients and funders of our health system. This is certainly a book that we should be sharing with as many of our friends, patients, politicians and colleagues as possible.'

--Deb Manz, MBA, College of Chiropractors of Alberta executive director

 

'All the criticism that is levied against chiropractic is not because it is ineffective; it is in fact because chiropractic is damned effective.'

--Dr. Don Nixdorf, British Columbia College of Chiropractors and British Columbia Chiropractic Association executive director