Free Running With The Big Dogs: Sybil Norcroft Book Six by Carl Douglass

surgeons do not need to do fusions with the implantation of ghastly expensive hardware in anywhere near as many patients with back pain. Hysterectomies as stand-alone operations should be largely abandoned in favor of much less expensive and efficient robotic procedures to include re-attaching the structures involved in pelvic prolapse, despite the upfront costs of the machinery. Tort reform is critical.
    Those are just a few of the examples of cost cutting combined with superior evidence-based performance requirements that must be implemented in the National Health Service law and will reduce costs and increase performance drastically, which is the result we must have. Every single individual in the country must have health insurance; and those who are able must pay for it. We must make it less difficult for healthy people to receive actuarially reasonable rates.
    “As Jesus said, ‘the poor will always be with us,’ and we will always have to factor in the costs of care for them. What we have now is disastrously expensive, and even an increased humanitarian contribution will be less costly. We must do all of this within weeks, not years. It is time posthumous that we did away with the fiddle-faddle which has consumed our efforts at healthcare delivery reform over the past nearly ten years. The people must be educated; the brain trust of the government and our universities must go into high gear; the Congress must act; and finally, the implementation program must be fully ready before a date certain of the switch over to a National Health Service is announced. We will not survive another debacle like the one that took place when the Obama PPACA was pronounced ready for patient participation.
    “Ladies and gentlemen, my friends and fellow Americans, I thank you for the privilege I have been given to serve with you. In this and all of your endeavors, I wish you fair winds and a following sea. In the final analysis, I wish you success. As NASA control radioed back to Apollo 13 when things were going horribly wrong, and it appeared that three very good men were going to die, ‘failure is not an option’.”

Chapter Eight
    Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Georgetown, Washington D.C., December 31, 2019, 1900 hrs.
    T his was to have been Cerisse’s first New Year’s Eve away from home since she was adopted by Charles and Sybil Daniels five years ago. However, she relented and persuaded her boyfriend, Drake Farrer, to come to the house for dinner and to get to know her parents better. He compromised with her that they could go out after dinner to the Howard Science Students’ New Year’s bash. She liked it that he was willing to accommodate her, and he was strong enough to wrest a compromise from her. She pretty much liked everything he did.
    After dinner, Charles Daniels invited Drake to come into his study; so, they could talk. It was so provincial that Drake and Cerisse shared an amused little laugh, but kept her parents from seeing their mirth.
    “Have a seat and relax, Drake. This is not the fuddy-duddy old father having that conversation with his precious daughter’s new boyfriend. On the contrary, Cerisse’s mother and I are pleased with how the two of you are getting on. From everything we can learn, you are a fine upstanding man with a bright future. It’s that future we’d like to discuss with you. So that I don’t make unwarranted presumptions, would it be all right if I asked you a few questions?”
    “Of course, Sir.”
    “To start off, I think ‘Sir’ is too stuffy. Would you mind just calling me ‘Mr. Daniels’ and calling Sybil’s mom—her Mama—Dr. Norcroft. The Daniels part came after she got her M.D., and so the doctor goes with Norcroft rather than Daniels to be technical about it.”
    “Sure.”
    “I hope you are okay with me calling you by your first name.”
    “I prefer it.”
    “Great. Now to the questions. This is not a grilling, nor do you have to feel obligated to answer anything. If you