Where can I go to report a doctors office??
I need to report my last surgeons office. First of all I will say that my old surgeon Dr. Jeremy Korman is a fantastic doctor. But it office staff sucks. I intend on writing him a letter personally telling him that but the way they have handled my situation is a lot of the reason I switched from his office. They are extremely unprofessional. Today the Assistant Coordinator and I(as well as my mother) were arguing over my not sending my medical records to my new office. I sent my medical request in on September 1 and they still have not recieved anything from that office. So I went to pick it up and she wanted me to give her another hour of my time because she had stuff she had to finish "immediately". I and she told me I should have called first or come back tommorow. I lost it and so did my mother. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. So I have a new doctor now and I will be having surgery towards the end of the month. But I feel I need to report that office. So you know where I should start or who I should contact?
I understand what you are saying but the lady said she would take care of me immediately because of the ongoing situation. So that is what I was expecting. And it wasn't even the fact she didn't turn over my paper work that pissed me off it is how rude she was about taking care of something for me that she said she would do right away. And I asked her to fax it to them and she just has to set the paper work on the machine and dial the number. The machine does the rest. It took her 2 and 1/2 weeks to even tell me she would do that much. There is a lot behind it. If I wrote everything on here this post would be way longer than this. But I will address the surgeon and thanks for the advice.
You can report it to the doctor.
If you have a problem with a doctor, you can report them to the State Medical Board. But the medical board does not regulate all the staff in the office, just physicians.
If you have a problem with a doctor, you can report them to the State Medical Board. But the medical board does not regulate all the staff in the office, just physicians.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Thanks Kelly. I think I'm going to write an extremely long letter letting Dr. Korman know what has happened. And I will send it certified and confidential so that there is no interception. He is a very busy man so he is rarely in office to see how his staff operates. So I will be glad to tell him. Thanks again.
FleurDeLis
on 9/7/11 2:22 pm
on 9/7/11 2:22 pm
You sent your request in right before a 3 day holiday. What did you expect?
When did they get it? How many other requests were ahead of you? What time of day did you go? Yes, you should have called first. Unless they have someone full time doing record requests, there are many other things that have to be done in an office. If they were short handed around the holoday it would be even harder.
No, they can't just put it in the fax machine. Unless your surgeon has electronic records, your file is sitting in a folder that has to be pulled, then they have to search it for what you requested. Then it has to be put back together and refiled. God forbid that someone has your record on their desk and they can't find it. Happens all the time.
They have to make sure they comply with both federal HIPAA laws and any state laws you have. By law they cannot send on any info provided to them by someone else. For example, if you had a sleep study done, the doctor who did it is the one to release it, not your surgeon. Hospitals find this whole business so onerous that many of them contract out with firms that specialize in record correspondence.
If you start getting mad at them it only makes it worse. At that point nobody wants to deal with you.
The longer that letter is, the less he is going to want to read it. He doesn't have the time. Keep it simple and stick to the facts.
That being said, it can be done. I dropped off a list at my hospital/physicians records dept. I had the form filled out completely. I had a list of exactly what I needed--dates, providers, what tests and notes, etc. I came back later. We chatted pleasantly.
It was easy to pull because they have been on electronic records for over 10 years. They had a shopping list with names and dates. The full-time clerk was able to print out 379 pages of records before I came back, which was not long with a high speed printer. That record has a template for the supervised visits that makes it impossible for the physician to forget to include something. It is easy to find anything.
On a paper record, it can take a lot of time to pull things out. The surgeon might have to dictate a letter with the info instead. He can't just cancel surgery to get to it. He probably does that at certain times during the week. All this right before a natioanl holiday or right after? No.
Most medical students will not do their internship and residency in a hospital that does not have electronic records. I wanted a print out of my weights and BMI for the last 10 years. No problem. It came in both graph and table form. To do that manually would take all day. The graph would be impossible. It cost millions of dollars to get that system. Your surgeon might easily spend over $100k just for his office if he is not part of a system that links doctor and hospital. That doesn't include the labor. Remember that you wanted the employee to drop everything just for you. It was not an emergency.
What you asked for just isn't realistic. And that's not even counting that it was a 3 day weekend. What is the surgeon supposed to do under those cir****tances? How sympathetic is he going to be to you given the time frame and the fact that both of you "lost it" and treated his staff like you did?
I understand how frustrated you are. You are totally stressed out. Getting yourself upset is not going to help you lose weight. It will help you have a heart attack. Worse, right after surgery you are going to need all your patience and strength--including emotinally--to cope with the demands of your altered body. So please take a few deep breaths when things like this happen. You have a surgery date. That is what matters. The records will get there.
When did they get it? How many other requests were ahead of you? What time of day did you go? Yes, you should have called first. Unless they have someone full time doing record requests, there are many other things that have to be done in an office. If they were short handed around the holoday it would be even harder.
No, they can't just put it in the fax machine. Unless your surgeon has electronic records, your file is sitting in a folder that has to be pulled, then they have to search it for what you requested. Then it has to be put back together and refiled. God forbid that someone has your record on their desk and they can't find it. Happens all the time.
They have to make sure they comply with both federal HIPAA laws and any state laws you have. By law they cannot send on any info provided to them by someone else. For example, if you had a sleep study done, the doctor who did it is the one to release it, not your surgeon. Hospitals find this whole business so onerous that many of them contract out with firms that specialize in record correspondence.
If you start getting mad at them it only makes it worse. At that point nobody wants to deal with you.
The longer that letter is, the less he is going to want to read it. He doesn't have the time. Keep it simple and stick to the facts.
That being said, it can be done. I dropped off a list at my hospital/physicians records dept. I had the form filled out completely. I had a list of exactly what I needed--dates, providers, what tests and notes, etc. I came back later. We chatted pleasantly.
It was easy to pull because they have been on electronic records for over 10 years. They had a shopping list with names and dates. The full-time clerk was able to print out 379 pages of records before I came back, which was not long with a high speed printer. That record has a template for the supervised visits that makes it impossible for the physician to forget to include something. It is easy to find anything.
On a paper record, it can take a lot of time to pull things out. The surgeon might have to dictate a letter with the info instead. He can't just cancel surgery to get to it. He probably does that at certain times during the week. All this right before a natioanl holiday or right after? No.
Most medical students will not do their internship and residency in a hospital that does not have electronic records. I wanted a print out of my weights and BMI for the last 10 years. No problem. It came in both graph and table form. To do that manually would take all day. The graph would be impossible. It cost millions of dollars to get that system. Your surgeon might easily spend over $100k just for his office if he is not part of a system that links doctor and hospital. That doesn't include the labor. Remember that you wanted the employee to drop everything just for you. It was not an emergency.
What you asked for just isn't realistic. And that's not even counting that it was a 3 day weekend. What is the surgeon supposed to do under those cir****tances? How sympathetic is he going to be to you given the time frame and the fact that both of you "lost it" and treated his staff like you did?
I understand how frustrated you are. You are totally stressed out. Getting yourself upset is not going to help you lose weight. It will help you have a heart attack. Worse, right after surgery you are going to need all your patience and strength--including emotinally--to cope with the demands of your altered body. So please take a few deep breaths when things like this happen. You have a surgery date. That is what matters. The records will get there.
I appreciate you taking time to respond value your opinion but as I said before there is a lot more to the issue I have been having with this office but I don't feel the need to go into detail. For the record my file is electronic and no I don't expect her to drop everything for me(and she was the one to set the expectation not me) but for her to be down right rude to me and I didn't come in with an attitude was completely out of line. The confrontation didn't happen until the common line of respect was crossed. And for any person who has been put through my situation(remember you don't know the whole story) and to say that I am frustrated is an understatement but it's not consuming me emotionally. I was never rude, impatient, loud mouth, etc. up to this point. When someone is costing you extra time and money because they didn't handle things correctly I'm sure would **** anyone off. So with all of that said and done I did what I had to do and switch offices. The records was prolonging the process (because she did send them right away after that) with my new doctor. So I will do like you said and take deep breaths and move forward. Pre-Op is nearing so at this point I'm content. So I plan to make the doctor aware of the my situation. That will be that. Thanks for the post.
I understand where your are coming from. I found out after six-months of visiting my doctor that his staff had not done my paper work right. I find out after had completed my six-month diet. My Surgeon P.A. Who does the paper Said, That they had not done the paper work right for Medicare.
Then, My surgeon P.A. Said it was all wrong. So We called my Medical doctors office. They told it was all my Medical records were lost on the computer. When the doctor and his business partner. Split their business. The other doctor got the computers and deleted all the files.
I was also wondered why the P.A at my Surgeon Office did notice my anything wrong with the paper work. It was because, She never once looked at any of it in the eight months. I had been seeing my Surgeon.
So I had no choice but, To repeat my six- month diet. Crying made no difference and was pointless. But, I did cry my eyes out. There was nothing I could do.
Then, The Nursing Staff could not understand. Why I bother them every month after to make sure. They did my paper work right.and send it to My Surgeon P.A. right away. Then call the P.A. and made sure she got it.
Then I had another problem with Surgeon and his P.A. kepted putting me off. They kepted telling me to come back every three month after see him for a year and a half almost two years. Of this I had allready lost 60 pounds. But, wanted me to lose Eighty and be under 300 pounds.
I finally was told by another patient that does not want to mess with Medicare patients. That He afraid of not being paid, He did not want to mess with medicare patients and kept putting me off telling me. I had to lose more weight.
So after be put off for another more 6 monthes. Almost two years. I changed surgeons.
I just wish they had told me the truth at the beginning. But, It is a crime discrimate against Medicare patients in Texas. So , All they had to do was keep putting me off.
I was scaried. I did not want to have to start over again. I was so depressed at this point. All I did was cry. Not sure what to do. I went to my Medical doctor.
So finally went to see another Surgeon. He was great.
So I went to Medical Doctor office his Staff was going to charge 25.00 per page to fill out my new Medicare papers from my new Surgeon.
Their were 12 pages which was 300.00.
Finally I ask my sister for the money. She is an R.N. And Called the Office and Said, What a load of crap. Trying to Charge my sister after all the mistakes you Office made over the past year. We should be sueing you. You want to 300.00 for less than 10 minutes worth of paperwork. She told them to go to hell.
So , She just did all the paper work from records my Medical records. That I had gotten a copy of every month and fill out the paper work with my Medical information. It all has to be hand written. When I had my next doctor visit. I just had him sign them. Before , My sister let him leave exam room.
New Surgeon did surgery within two weeks. After I explained about being put off. He said could find a reason to wait. I more than enough paper work. If I waited on my old Surgery. I would have still been waiting.
I am just happy. I finally found a wonderful Surgeon. Dr. McDaniels Who not only did my surgery. But, Took out a Ovian Cycst. Which no body new about. That was the size of a Basketball. I was on the table for 9 hours.
But, Recovered without a problem
I totally understand how horrible it can be. Especially if your a nice person and afraid of causing trouble. People can walk all over you. To the Staff it is just a job and could careless about your feelings.
Then, My surgeon P.A. Said it was all wrong. So We called my Medical doctors office. They told it was all my Medical records were lost on the computer. When the doctor and his business partner. Split their business. The other doctor got the computers and deleted all the files.
I was also wondered why the P.A at my Surgeon Office did notice my anything wrong with the paper work. It was because, She never once looked at any of it in the eight months. I had been seeing my Surgeon.
So I had no choice but, To repeat my six- month diet. Crying made no difference and was pointless. But, I did cry my eyes out. There was nothing I could do.
Then, The Nursing Staff could not understand. Why I bother them every month after to make sure. They did my paper work right.and send it to My Surgeon P.A. right away. Then call the P.A. and made sure she got it.
Then I had another problem with Surgeon and his P.A. kepted putting me off. They kepted telling me to come back every three month after see him for a year and a half almost two years. Of this I had allready lost 60 pounds. But, wanted me to lose Eighty and be under 300 pounds.
I finally was told by another patient that does not want to mess with Medicare patients. That He afraid of not being paid, He did not want to mess with medicare patients and kept putting me off telling me. I had to lose more weight.
So after be put off for another more 6 monthes. Almost two years. I changed surgeons.
I just wish they had told me the truth at the beginning. But, It is a crime discrimate against Medicare patients in Texas. So , All they had to do was keep putting me off.
I was scaried. I did not want to have to start over again. I was so depressed at this point. All I did was cry. Not sure what to do. I went to my Medical doctor.
So finally went to see another Surgeon. He was great.
So I went to Medical Doctor office his Staff was going to charge 25.00 per page to fill out my new Medicare papers from my new Surgeon.
Their were 12 pages which was 300.00.
Finally I ask my sister for the money. She is an R.N. And Called the Office and Said, What a load of crap. Trying to Charge my sister after all the mistakes you Office made over the past year. We should be sueing you. You want to 300.00 for less than 10 minutes worth of paperwork. She told them to go to hell.
So , She just did all the paper work from records my Medical records. That I had gotten a copy of every month and fill out the paper work with my Medical information. It all has to be hand written. When I had my next doctor visit. I just had him sign them. Before , My sister let him leave exam room.
New Surgeon did surgery within two weeks. After I explained about being put off. He said could find a reason to wait. I more than enough paper work. If I waited on my old Surgery. I would have still been waiting.
I am just happy. I finally found a wonderful Surgeon. Dr. McDaniels Who not only did my surgery. But, Took out a Ovian Cycst. Which no body new about. That was the size of a Basketball. I was on the table for 9 hours.
But, Recovered without a problem
I totally understand how horrible it can be. Especially if your a nice person and afraid of causing trouble. People can walk all over you. To the Staff it is just a job and could careless about your feelings.
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