I have been preoccupied with an medical issue this week and have been in a lot of pain. I tend to try to tough things out, but finally decided that I needed to contact my doctor. I was supposed to check in with her in the fall for a follow up and I have been meaning to call, but now I could no longer put it off. She practices in a well known hospital in our community.
I left a message with her nurse yesterday for an appointment and asked if I could be seen relatively soon. This morning I received a message from the doctor's office. She is on a medical leave and they have no plan to replace her, don't expect her back and I need to go and find another specialist in the community as they have no one covering her patients.
While I am sorry to hear that she is having medical problems herself, I was not very happy that I was never notified she was leaving. What ever happened to customer service? And what about the Hippocratic oath?
Doctors sure charge enough. It would seem to me that they should be able to afford to send a post card out to you to warn you that you will need to find another doctor so that you can have one in place before you have an emergency. Wait, I am just being too logical or am I expecting too much concern and consideration from my health care provider?
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6 comments:
That's called taking your customers (patients) for granted. Good customer service would have had the doctor send out the postcard, e-mail, voice-mail, letting her patients know she's no longer available. It would be a minimal cost and effort, and since her office is still up and running, that should have been done. I could understand if they had someone else on staff with her specific specialty, but to have the sole specialist in the group up and leave and not let customers know that the business (and that is what it is) no longer provides that service, that's poor practice.
A physician I had here did the same thing, I only learned about his impending departure thru community rumor. I had to scurry to choose a new replacement, in a small community where there aren't many options. I realize there are monetary reasons why they don't like to alert people in advance, but certainly at the time grows closer it is only reasonable to expect notice. The only one my doctor's patients got was the farwell party notice in a newspaper. Geesh! I hope you were able to find someone you can trust to replace him.
CJM!
So sorry to hear you've been under the weather. I hope the pain has passed. I live in a very small town where there are little to no choices in physicians. I want a new head shrink myself. Hope you are feeling better and I will be thinking of you. Are y'all getting some snow?
Hi Andrew, I am still hobbling around, pain is less, I am trying to rest more, but it doesn't seem to happend!
We are under a Winter Storm Watch for Sunday night into Monday morning. All of my colleagues at work are praying for a snow day. That would be nice... staying home on a snowy day during the Christmas season is just the best!
Hi Josie,
I already have a name for a replacement. I guess we are lucky because we do have lots of options where I am. I never thought about what it would be like in a real small town. I sure learn alot about other parts of the country from my blogging buddies!
I'm glad to hear you have a replacement. I recently got a letter from my long-time doctor informing me that she's going private---400 patients, $1,800 per year and she takes no insurance and can't give referrals. I have to find another doctor and I'm so sad about that.
I hope you get in to see a new doctor very soon.
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