I had a doctor appointment this morning. 8:20, fasting, so they can do some blood work. I got an automated call last Friday, confirming the appointment. A text on Saturday, confirming the appointment. An e-mail on Monday, confirming the appointment. "Be there 15 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment time."
Yep. I arrived at the doctor's office at 8:02, 18 minutes before the scheduled appointment. My experience with this place (Center Well) has been: very few people in the waiting area, they take you in right at or even before your scheduled time.
It didn't go that way today. My appointment time came, no call to come into an exam room. 15 minutes later, still no call to come into an exam room. Finally, a young lady at the front desk said, "James, the staff is in an administration meeting. We're going to have to reschedule your appointment for another time."
Wrong answer. I told the young girl at the front desk, "You waste my time and think I will come back again?" I walked out.
Joan and I were going go have breakfast out at a nearby I-Hop. I was so pissed that I didn't feel like eating. Joan said, "Let's just go home and I'll make you breakfast." Instead, I went back into the doctor's office and ranted a bit. The young girl at the appointment desk didn't know what to do; she said, "Would you like me get an administrator for you?"
"Absolutely!
The administrator lady already knew what she was in for. I suggested we take the discussion to someplace besides the waiting area. We sat down in a nearby office and I unleashed. The gist of the conversation: "Your time is NOT more valuable than mine."
There was a lot of apologizing on her part - she took full responsibility, not blaming the doctor or the office staff. She said, "What can we do to make this right?" I told her. Eventually, I got around to saying, "I came in fasting so you could do blood work. Draw the damn blood and let me get on with my day - I will NOT came back again for what you were supposed to do today." There were other words, mostly unpleasant. She arranged this meeting a couple weeks ago - I've had the appointment for 3 months. She just assumed someone would let me know and reschedule my appointment.
She made an immediate arrangement to get the blood work order in place, then took me back to get poked. "Why couldn't you have done this in the first place?" Again, more apologizing. Me: "I don't need to come back into this office again to get the results. I will see them as soon as they are posted on your portal. I need prescriptions renewed and I'd like them to be paper prescriptions rather than have you call them in. Let me know when I can pick up the prescriptions, have them waiting for me at your front desk, and I will come back to pick those up."
She agreed. The phlebotomist drew blood, I peed in a cup, and I left.
I understand why they schedule things the way they do: make an appointment for an office call and they'll draw blood. Make another appointment to come back in for the results of the bloodwork. This way, they get to charge for TWO office calls. Not this time.
It's a good thing I didn't hang around to get my blood pressure taken. Assholes.
This visit was simply a follow-up to see how I would do, eliminating one of my prescriptions - 3 months ago. This doctor will only write prescriptions for 6 months, so you have to come back twice a year for what I call "maintenance prescriptions." Another way for them to bill your insurance for another office call.
I have worked within their way of doing things... up until today.
--------
I got together with some of my music buds today. Good time, good music. That's the way a day should go.
No comments:
Post a Comment