'I was desperate': Former patient warns about Calgary doctor awaiting penalty for professional misconduct

Patient speaks out about Calgary doctor As a doctor found guilty of professional misconduct waits to find out his penalty, a former patient speaks out. Alesia Fieldberg reports.

A Calgary doctor found guilty of professional misconduct is waiting to find out his penalty and a former patient is warning others based on his experience with that doctor.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) announced in September 2023 that Dr. Bruce Hoffman of Calgary's Hoffman Clinic, was found guilty of three counts of unprofessional conduct for charging some patients and Alberta Health Care for the same visits.

“The double-dipping problem is an issue. Unfortunately, it’s not that uncommon,” said medical ethicist Timothy Caulfied.

The CPSA also found that Hoffman was taking advantage of a patient's hope for profit.

The investigation began when a patient’s grieving widow filed a complaint stemming from a fruitless four-year-long treatment of a woman's case of atypical parkinsonism that her family says cost them close to $400,000.

Another former patient, Steve Fader, said over almost two years between 2018 and 2020 he spent nearly $200,000 at the Hoffman clinic and never got better.

“Each time I paid, I waived the gut feeling that I had about it being wrong, just due to the fact that I was desperate,” said Fader.

Hoffman's 23-page resume says he became a medical doctor in South Africa before moving to Canada to be a family physician in 1985 and opening the Hoffman Centre for Integrative Medicine in 2000.

His website calls him a certified functional medicine practitioner.

“It’s not a real form of medicine,” said Caulfield.

“Functional medicine is basically sensible advice about prevention plus sciencey, unproven, unneeded testing, plus sciencey, unproven, unneeded therapies.”

He added that anyone can get a functional medicine certificate in about six months by paying to take a few online courses.

“Often the proponents of things like functional medicine and integrated medicine say they’re fulfilling a need but really what’s they’re doing is exploiting a problem in order to market stuff,” he said.

Fader said he paid The Hoffman Clinic for hundreds of supplements.

“He had me on 192 capsules per day,” said Fader.

“I know that sounds ridiculous, and no normal person should eat 192 capsules a day, but again, at the time I was desperate, and you know, your brain does weird things.”

After 19 months as a patient, Fader said he called and told staff he was finished with the clinic.

“I never got another email. I never got a follow-up and never got a bill,” said Fader.

Dr. Hoffman did not reply to CTV News’ interview requests but a family member, Jane Hoffman, responded with a statement.

“I wish to thank you for expressing an interest in the matter in respect of which you have asked to interview Dr. Hoffman. In response to your request for an interview, it would be inappropriate for Dr. Hoffman to engage in an interview with the media at this time, given that the matter is not yet concluded,” part of the statement reads.

One of the videos posted on Dr. Hoffman’s YouTube page in 2022 shows him discussing his work with an alternative medicine practitioner.

“If a person's sitting in front of you and they don't trust you, you can run tests ‘til the cows come home, nothing is going to shift in that system,” said Hoffman.

Caulfield said there can be benefits to paying for the attention patients desire.

“Going to see someone and having them listen to you feels good, so there is a placebo effect,” he said.

“They’re sort of exploiting a problem within our healthcare system … patients feel like they’re not being listened to … in order to market something that doesn’t really provide a service.”

He said patients need to go in with their eyes open that there isn’t robust evidence to support a lot of the core principles of functional medicine.

“The problem of course is that isn’t happening. It’s a marketing strategy that can be very misleading," Caulfield said.

Fader eventually found relief with a combination of traditional and alternative medicine.

He says he contacted the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons and considered submitting a complaint, but since Dr. Hoffman was already found guilty of professional misconduct, Fader decided to speak publically to warn others.

“Hopefully keep anybody else from making a huge, expensive mistake,” he said.

Experts say doctors guilty of misconduct could have their licences restricted or removed.

Until the penalty is decided, doctors can continue practicing as usual.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta has not yet announced a sanction for Dr. Bruce Hoffman.

Alberta Health said it also took a look at Hoffman's billing practices, but he hasn't been billing much this year, adding Alberta Health will continue to monitor fee for service claims to protect taxpayers.