Last month I posted a letter I’d written to my gastroenterologist after being told that I would not be able to wait for my examination outside the building. Below is a follow-up letter I sent him this week, for anyone who is curious as to how the whole thing turned out.
Dear Dr. B_____,
I’m writing to follow up on my letter of September 16th in which I described my dismay at being told that I could not wait outside your office for my examination. After you passed my letter on to your office manager, S_____, she called me, let me know that you and she entirely understood my concerns, and assured me that if I made another appointment I would be escorted directly to an examination room upon my arrival.
I did schedule that appointment and S_____ was as good as her word. I was immediately taken to an examination room where I was seen in short order by your PA. Everyone I interacted with, both at your office and at the surgery center last Friday, was friendly, considerate and professional. I felt very well taken care of. Thank you, and thanks to all of them.
At the risk of being presumptuous, there’s one thing I’d like to add. S_____ explained that the reason your practice no longer allows patients to wait outside is that some patients had inadvertently been forgotten. I understand how problematic that must have been. In fact, I was forgotten while waiting outside at LabCorp a couple of months ago. But I can’t help but think that these mishaps did not have to lead to abandoning the practice of letting patients wait outside. They could have been addressed by designing a more reliable system for keeping track of patients who do so. I assume there are thousands of medical practices across the country have been able to do this.
With coronavirus cases rising in New Jersey, and some experts predicting that people spending more time indoors during the winter may lead to a full-blown second wave, I respectfully suggest that you consider finding a way to accommodate patients who prefer to wait outside.
There is no need to reply to this letter. You’ve addressed my own needs and, presumably, by the time I see you again the pandemic will be long over. In the meantime I wish you all the best.
Very truly yours,
Paul W. Knight