Walter Reed at Bethesda

My mom lives in your area and I find some of the stuff that goes on with her medical care to be appalling. It's not just military care. There seems to be a general lack of quality medical care in the DC area especially in the subburbs. And she has a high-paying job with good benefits.

Every time I hear about some screwup she gets put through or services she doesn't get that I take for granted, I realize how lucky I am to be in the SF Bay Area with a group policy and not some other part of the country or here but with some lesser insurance. (And I say this even though my policy has an exclusion for WLS.)

OTOH, it may just be with hurricane Irene they are swamped and everything will settle down in a week or two. I say this because if *no one* is calling you back, in several offices, across departments, that's systemic, not the result of one or two people not doing their job.

Once you visit patient advocate then go to the hospital commander while your there. Don't take no for an answer.  Also be aware Walter Reed merged into the Bethesda medical Center. 

Also swing into the TRICARE service center. Usually one of the nurses can help you out.

 The above thought is smart and doesn’t require any further addition. It’s perfect thought from my side.

I have been dealing with the same problems with Bethesda since last Spring. They were very efficient with everything until after I went to the seminar at the end of April. I had trouble getting appointments for Psych and my endoscopy and it was like pulling teeth to get them to call me back about it. They had a really good coordinator who apparently left (her decision) in the late Spring and there have been lots of problems since. The latest coordinator told me he was a nurse and focusing on that and not on helping people with appointments? Very dismissive. I finally talked to him after leaving him at least 10 messages to please call me back.
 
My sleep study referral expired because it was entered incorrectly and he blamed it on every one but himself.
 
I *finally* got a referral to get my endoscopy outside after going round and round for at least a month. Luckily they were able to see me very quickly but I had an ulcer that had to be treated and resolved before I could check 'endoscopy' off my list.

I was given no advice on finding someone to do the Psych referral besides 'Just keep going down the list of providers that TRICARE provides.' I seriously spent weeks calling at least 15 different providers trying to find someone who did the eval I needed. Ridiculous. They have lots of previous patients...who did they see? Someone must know.

I just wrapped up all my pre-op requirement (besides the last support group meeting, which I will go to on Tues) and called this morning to get things started with Dr Lin. Had to leave a message with my favorite coordinator....let's see how long it will take for him to call me back.

I am excited about the surgery and have lots of confidence in Dr Lin, but I have been very disappointed with the coordination of the program....it is severely lacking. :(

 Well thank god I'm not the only one!  I believe we are talking to the same coordinator.  I managed to get Psych very easy but that is because I'm on Andrews AFB and they have someone there able to do it.  I finally got the coordinator to call me back today and he basically made it like i was lieing and hadn't been calling since the 16th.  Since the patient advocates won't do their jobs either my husband is going in there in uniform and he's going to help me.  For some reason if there's someone in uniform there things happen much quicker.  He also told me he won't help me get an EGD appointment quicker.  I'm like you I really like Dr. Lin but I have NO confidence in his staff whatsoever.  

Because we are probably leaving the area sometime in may/june I cannot have my surgery any later than Feb. as we have to go back for the 3 month with him so his being a big douche is seriously hurting my chances of having it done.

Do you mind if I print this off to attach it to the letter I'm writing to Dr. Lin and the hospital Comander?

Feel free to print it...I will be discussing my concerns about the program coordination when I get my appt with him as well. 

Surprise, surprise...no call back from the coordinator today.The coordinator had the same attitude with me when I finally was able to talk to him last month...saying he didn't get messages from me, I hadn't been calling as often as I said, I was lying etc. Really, buddy? Because I take notes whenever I call (or attempt to call) any medical professional so I know EXACTLY how long I had to wait for a call back. I just try to remain as polite (and firm) as possible even though in my head I'm telling him off, lol.

I wish I could say it was just in the DC area but I have dealt with 'issues' getting medical care ever since I married my husband 8 years ago....and 4 different duty stations. There is a huge difference in the care he receives at his rank and years in than the care I do. If he goes in for a test or something, he gets an unsolicited call from a Doctor the next day telling him the results. When I had my blood work done and it showed I had a Vitamin D definiciency, I only found out because I had an appt with my Nut two weeks later and she happened to catch it. Stuff like that happens to me all the time. You really have to be on top of your own health care. Not that that is a bad thing, but it is annoying when you feel like you are the only one who is.

Good luck getting your endoscopy. I ended up kind of lucking out with getting a referral eventually after going back and forth and playing phone tag with Walter Reed/Bethesda. I kept calling the appt line for DeWitt on Belvoir (where I live) and they told me they could only do them for Active Duty at that time. Eventually I got someone on the appt line who said he'd send it to Tricare to see if they would refer it out. Two weeks later I got the referral in the mail.

 See I've always had great luck.  I came up with my VitD really low again and my PCM called me that night (6pm) to let me know himself, not a nurse.  I've honestly always had good care from the Doctors I've had.  I was even on NHS when we were in England and I had no problems there.  I have had nothing but issues with Bethesda though.

I was referred out for my sleep study.  I actually have to go to the new Ft. Belvoir Hospital for my NUT appointment.  if you ever want to meet, I'll be there next Friday.  

Don't bother taking it up with the coordinator, he's the issue.  Col Forster is the Deputy Commander of Nursing at Bethesda and I'd write her a nice long letter with a timeline and your issues.  

My husband called her office today and surprise surprise, the coordinator called me a couple hours later and now I have an EGD in October.  Funny how that works.

If the appointment line tells you they can't make an appointment for something for you due to clinic restrictions, then call TRICARE or go on the website to check your referrals. What is supposed  to happen is that when your doc ( or whomever you see) puts in the request, it travels thru CHCS to the appropiate clinic. They review it. If they cannot see you, it is supposed to go to the RMC (referral management center), which then sends it out to TRICARE. TRICARE then appoints to a civilian and you get a letter in the mail.  Of course, that's a lot of supposed to going on. However, TRICARE service center has clinical liaison nurses who can help get your care going.

This is unfortunately a problem at more than Bethesda. I'm sorry you guys are having such a crappy time getting what you need.