Willamette Valley Endocrinology

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: The response to my complaint was quite vague and really wasn't an informed or educated responseI will use your own words to reiterate again why I filled a complaint due to fraudulent charge You wrote "patient states that she asked to speak to the person whom she acknowledged the appointment, but facts are, that employee does no longer work her at WVEIf patient feels she was hung up on, as stated in her complaint, I apologize for that, and know that our front desk would not choose to ‘hang up’ on a patient for any reasonThe front desk is instructed to transfer any call to the office manager when in a dispute of any kind"A few of your employees were let go because of similar problems with patients and I know this because it's posted on google reviews by other peopleI read that these people were fired for not treating patients well, the exact same claim I had You also wrote "when a patient calls to receive the results of their lab work, it would be to the patient’s harm to be just given the results, without an office visit where their providercan discuss options.If a patient should receive their results and then cancel their appointment, the physician is liable for that patient’s care"Well I guess aren't you happy I'm not suing you for proving me my results over the phone by a medical technician? Since you acknowledge your medical technician did this I am not sure the point you are trying to make You also wrote "the patient, [redacted] , was calling and pressuring the Medical Assistant to give her the results of a recent lab test, without the counsel of her providerThe patient was then given her previous lab results, and of course, the patient then cancelled her next appointment"I think you need to communicate with your the dr better about what he tells his patients in response to getting their lab resultsI was told my test would be ready in two weeks and to call if I had not heard anythingI simply called and asked if my lab results were ready, they were in but the doctor needed to review themA few hours later your medical tech called me with my resultsI did not want a medical tech giving me resultsI was told by the drat the time of my appointment that he would tell me over the phoneI actually asked to speak with the Doctor but was told he was busyYou also go onto say the most important thing "the patient then cancelled her next appointment" isn't that exactly what I am claiming? And the last thing you said "therefore , given the situation where the patient did not speak to the office manager to dispute the charge, the charge was posted to patient’s account"Well it's hard to talk to someone who just got fired and their replacement hasn't been hiredHow could I resolve this when the front desk people said they couldn't do anything only the office manager could and that they were gone indefinitely I think you are not involved with this situation and are going off of misinformation as to what happenedI am telling you I did not call and confirm an appointment, I am not sure why I would call to confirm because usually the doctors office does thatI called to cancel and clearly it was marked wrong or inputted incorrectlyI think you spent a lot of energy trying to defend the situation but it just really showcases how mismanaged things really wereYou also were incredibly vague about if you are going to remove the charge or not It's a pretty simple case; you guys had some staffing problems, miscommunication, mismanaged medical lab results and mismanaged accountsPlease remove charge from account and have a good daySincerely, [redacted]

August 15,
Re: ID ***
*** ** ***
*** *** *** *** ** ***
Salem, Oregon
I am addressing a problem reported to the Revdex.com on disputation of a $no show charge and several other issuesI will address each one using facts and documentation from this patient’s
chart
Issue stated: Patient states she received a $no show charge after patient posted a negative review on Google
Documentation shows that patient called in on 5/4/2015, to confirm her 5/13/appointment scheduled at 3:pmPatient did not show up for the appointment, nor did she call to cancel
Therefore, on June 4, 2015, patient was charged a $‘no show’ charge based on office guidelines when a patient does not give proper notificationA document, explaining our practice’s policy on not showing up for an appointment, is included in each patient’s New Patient Packet which requires the patient’s signatureComplainant signed and dated this document on March 8, 2015, and it was scanned into the patient’s chartThen at each office visit every patient is given the same reminder document again, to acknowledge and sign againThis is scanned into patient’s chart
Patient states she posted a negative Google review commenting on how unprofessional and irresponsible our practice is, and then states that is why we sent her a $charge on her statementI apologize for her assumption of this matter, but our office does not read ‘Google reviews’, nor is that a reason to post a chargeA patient who is charged a ‘no show charge’ is charged and then posted on their account after not showing for an appointment, and is on patient’s statement which is sent out each monthPatient states that she asked to speak to the person whom she acknowledged the appointment, but facts are, that employee does no longer work her at WVEIf patient feels she was hung up on, as stated in her complaint, I apologize for that, and know that our front desk would not choose to ‘hang up’ on a patient for any reasonThe front desk is instructed to transfer any call to the office manager when in a dispute of any kind
Issue 2: Patient states that we mismanaged her lab results
I am not sure as to what the patient is referring to when she states that WVE mismanaged her lab results
Facts are: Endocrinology is a ‘specialty’ practicing medicinePatient care is the result of qualified medical providers who have specialized in studying the endocrine system, which are glands and organs in the internal bodyEndocrinologists treat patient symptoms based on the results of lab work, other tests and knowledgeInterpreting these lab results for patient care is a major part of an office visitWhen a patient calls to receive the results of their lab work, it would be to the patient’s harm to be just given the results, without an office visit where their provider can discuss optionsTypically patients are on medications and these too would need to be adjusted based on lab resultsTherefore, if a patient is calling to get their results, they are always instructed to have the discussion at the time of their appointmentIf a patient should receive their results and then cancel their appointment, the physician is liable for that patient’s careThe patient, *** ***, was calling and pressuring the Medical Assistant to give her the results of a recent lab test, without the counsel of her providerThe patient was then given her previous lab results, and of course, the patient then cancelled her next appointmentDocumentation shows that the patient was instructed to attend a follow up office visit in one month, which the patient did not show up for
In summary, it is not our policy to hold a patient to a disputed charge, if and when they have reasonable cause to not be at their appointmentThis charge is only for guidelines in which it holds patients accountable and responsible to show up, once scheduled, but it is not set in concreteTherefore, given the situation where the patient did not speak to the office manager to dispute the charge, the charge was posted to patient’s accountWe do not take pride in charging our patients fees; we are in fact, here to manage their healing processThis charge can be removed, as we get no satisfaction in charging
Betty O***
Office Manager

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
The response to my complaint was quite vague and really wasn't an informed or educated response. I will use your own words to reiterate again why I filled a complaint due to fraudulent charge. 
You wrote "patient states that she asked to speak to the person whom she acknowledged the appointment, but facts are, that employee does no longer work her at WVE. If patient feels she was hung up on, as stated in her complaint, I apologize for that, and know that our front desk would not choose to ‘hang up’ on a patient for any reason. The front desk is instructed to transfer any call to the office manager when in a dispute of any kind". A few of your employees were let go because of similar problems with patients and I know this because it's posted on google reviews by other people. I read that these people were fired for not treating patients well, the exact same claim I had. 
You also wrote "when a patient calls to receive the results of their lab work, it would be to the patient’s harm to be just given the results, without an office visit where their providercan discuss options.If a patient should receive their results and then cancel their appointment, the physician is liable for that patient’s care". Well I guess aren't you  happy I'm not suing you for proving me my results over the phone by a medical technician? Since you acknowledge your medical technician did this I am not sure the point you are trying to make. 
You also wrote "the patient, [redacted], was calling and pressuring the Medical Assistant to give her the results of a recent lab test, without the counsel of her provider. The patient was then given her previous lab results, and of course, the patient then cancelled her next appointment". I think you need to communicate with your the dr better about what he tells his patients in response to getting their lab results. I was told my test would be ready in two weeks and to call if I had not heard anything. I simply called and asked if my lab results were ready, they were in but the doctor needed to review them. A few hours later your medical tech called me with my results. I did not want a medical tech giving me results. I was told by the dr. at the time of my appointment that he would tell me over the phone. I actually asked to speak with the Doctor but was told he was busy. You also go onto say the most important thing "the patient then cancelled her next appointment" isn't that exactly what I am claiming? 
And the last thing you said "therefore , given the situation where the patient did not speak to the office manager to dispute the charge, the charge was posted to patient’s account". Well it's hard to talk to someone who just got fired and their replacement hasn't been hired. How could I resolve this when the front desk people said they couldn't do anything only the office manager could and that they were gone indefinitely. 
I think you are not involved with this situation and are going off of misinformation as to what happened. I am telling you I did not call and confirm an appointment, I am not sure why I would call to confirm because usually the doctors office does that. I called to cancel and clearly it was marked wrong or inputted  incorrectly. I think you spent a lot of energy trying to defend the situation but it just really showcases how mismanaged things really were. You also were incredibly vague about if you are going to remove the charge or not.  It's a pretty simple case; you guys had some staffing problems, miscommunication, mismanaged medical lab results and mismanaged accounts. Please remove charge from account and have a good day. Sincerely,[redacted]