Some weeks ago I got up one morning with a stiff ankle. Every day it was worse than before until finally I could barely walk and decided to go to the doctor. Since I also needed some lab work done, I decided to go my family doctor and get everything done at the same time. This is the same office that once forgot about me completely and left me sitting in the waiting room for an hour before I could get their attention.
So on this day, I went in the door and was relieved to see that the waiting room was empty. I hobbled up to the admittance window and tapped on the frosted glass. After a few minutes I tapped again and someone opened the window and said no one was at that desk and asked me to go to another window in an adjoining office. So I hobbled over to the other window and tapped on the glass there.
While I stood waiting, a young man walked in the front door and knocked on the first window. The same woman opened it and told him to sign in at the window where I was now standing. As he walked up, I knocked again and he stood behind me.
While we stood waiting, an older couple walked in the front door, he hobbling worse than me and leaning on his wife for support. They walked up to the first window and in turn were directed to the second window. As they approached, I told them I had already knocked twice. Then the same woman who had opened the first window finally opened this second window and told us to go back to the first window. Can't you check us in here the older woman asked? No, this computer has been turned off.
So I led the line back to the first window, hobbling as fast as I could. There, the same woman opened the window again and asked for my name. She couldn't find my name in the appointment list. I told her when I called and who I talked to. She told me to sit down and she would find it and I sat in a chair directly across from the window so they couldn't forget me again. Meanwhile, everyone else was called into the office and I waited. Finally, I got up and hobbled over to the window, tapped on it, and when the girl came to the window I asked if she had found my appointment. Oops, she had forgotten to look, but she would do that now if I would have a seat. So I hobbled back to my chair and had just settled in when she called my name.
Once called, I saw the doctor and was in and out quickly. A few days later the office called with the results of my lab culture and I asked if they would send me a copy of it. Sure, she said, we can fax it to you, but you need to come in and sign a release for it. Why bother faxing it if I have to come in anyway? So I told her I could come by the next time I was out that way. That day was today, and guess what? They couldn't find it.
Now I like the doctors at this office, but the staff has a lot to be desired. It was the same with the last group of doctors I had gone to, only with them, it was never billing correctly. I guess it's time to find a new doctor but I wonder what the odds are of finding a good doctor with a good staff.
Until next time, may you have blessings and no need for doctors,
Marti
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