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Doctors fees

Do you have any idea why that happens ?

Someone books an appt. for "GI" upset. Upon close examination and evaluation, it turns out to be something concerning, so an EKG is done and an it's ominous. So arrangements are made to get them to the ER.

Someone comes in with a headache, but it's not a headache, it's something potentially lethal. So the clinician arranges for this person to have a CT/MRI and consult stat.

Someone comes in with bronchitis, but it's probably pneumonia.

Someone comes in with feeling "generally unwell", so it's the clinician's job to connect the dots and figure things out. Frequently, the patient is a poor historian and it takes much longer.

Someone is squeezed in for bad flu symptoms due to being infected by someone who should refused to take the flu shot, but you have to get them over to the hospital for a couple liters of rehydration.

ETA: The two patients before you arrived late making all other appts. late.


For someone who says that she is/out of medical offices for work, I would think that you would not feel so entitled.

Mind you, the clinician probably hasn't had lunch or had a bathroom break.


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I know very well what goes on. I have worked in healthcare my whole life. I also worked with doctors who will let a waiting room fill up before they bother to come in. I see both angles. You would be shocked what goes on on the doctor's end. Anyway, I don't feel the need to wait more than 40 minutes for something that isn't crucial and will essentially be a 10 minute appt. But staff should alert people to the wait time- if they are behind, etc. Just common courtesy. I make the choice to leave and reschedule unless I am deathly ill.
 
I know very well what goes on. I have worked in healthcare my whole life. I also worked with doctors who will let a waiting room fill up before they bother to come in. I see both angles. You would be shocked what goes on on the doctor's end. Anyway, I don't feel the need to wait more than 40 minutes for something that isn't crucial and will essentially be a 10 minute appt. But staff should alert people to the wait time- if they are behind, etc. Just common courtesy. I make the choice to leave and reschedule unless I am deathly ill.



Seriously ? Before law school, I was an R.N. and an Family/Adult Nurse practitioner for 25 years who worked in collaborative practices with M.D.s So, you see, I not only "see both angles", I have the lived experience. So I not only worked with M.D.s, I had my own patient panel, one every 20 minutes with many "worked into the schedule".


Aren't you the one who, despite being "in healthcare your whole life", refuses to get the flu shot all the while you're in/out of office waiting rooms ? http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205134&highlight=shot
YOU are a big part of the problem that you complain about.


You have no idea.

Walk a mile.



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Anyway, I don't feel the need to wait more than 40 minutes for something that isn't crucial and will essentially be a 10 minute appt. But staff should alert people to the wait time- if they are behind, etc. Just common courtesy.

I'm sure those still waiting when you took a hike rushed up and gave you their heartfelt thanks. What a selfless move. :)

Jim
 
Seriously ? Before law school, I was an R.N. and an Family/Adult Nurse practitioner for 25 years who worked in collaborative practices with M.D.s So, you see, I not only "see both angles", I have the lived experience. So I not only worked with M.D.s, I had my own patient panel, one every 20 minutes with many "worked into the schedule".


Aren't you the one who, despite being "in healthcare your whole life", refuses to get the flu shot all the while you're in/out of office waiting rooms ? http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205134&highlight=shot
YOU are a big part of the problem that you complain about.


You have no idea.

Walk a mile.



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Got it. So you know then. I love nurses. Work with them and most of my life was in mgmt. in home care. Many friends are nurses.

So what does me not wanting to get the flu shot have to do with this subject? I know plenty of nurses who do not get the flu shot. I get my PPD test. I will get the shingles shot next year. I have had all the other vaccines. I just don't believe in the benefits of the flu shots. I am not a wack job of some sort. No reason to get judgmental.

I work in radiology. The owners (doctors) have the staff double and triple booking to the point that sick patients are waiting and the techs are burnt out. Can barely screen the patients. A crisis waiting to happen. Staff has been cut. Patients get upset with the wait time- can't blame them. They have no idea how people have been triple booked. Patients can be a problem also. They want their tests yesterday. At least me, as a patient, I will reschedule if things are backed up like I did today since I was not a critical appt. The hospital is sending over INPATIENTS to get MRI's to our outpatient facility by ambulance. They do not have their own MRI machine- we are affiliated with them so they use ours instead of getting one of their own. I cringe every time I see poor patients having to come over here on stretchers- especially in the cold winter months.. It is all due to greed and yes- the awful circumstances of the healthcare system. But don't tell me doctors are all wonderful and are always behind because they have a zillion emergencies. That everyone in the country has to wait over 40 minutes for their appts. because every single day the doctor is inundated with emergencies. It's all about the numbers and how many patients they can see in a day-not all their fault as I know the insurance company reimbursements are squeezing the. Sure, most doctors work very hard- I agree. But this doesn't deflect from the fact that I am disgusted with the way the healthcare system is going and that there is no real personal attention anymore, etc. I don't need to be happy about that. I'd be delusional if I was.

Now- The nurses and NP's and PA's- they are the ones doing the real work (many times you can't even see the doc anymore)and I see them being swamped. But again, my prerogative if I don't want to wait. And I think patients should be told if there is going to be a wait, etc. There are many of us who have to take time off work and so on and patients also deserve consideration.


Thanks for the attack. I am not a problem. I keep my appts. I get there early. I am not rude or loud. I bring all the required paperwork. I understand what you explain to me. I ask questions. I understand the stress the docs and nurses are under and I do have empathy. I am one of the easiest patients you could ever have. You would wish all your patients would be like me. But- I want consideration also.
 
I'm sure those still waiting when you took a hike rushed up and gave you their heartfelt thanks. What a selfless move. :)

Jim

FYI- there were only 2 other people in the waiting room and I don't even know what doc they were seeing as in this facility there are multiple docs and specialists- not just OB/GYN.

Also, people who came in after my scheduled appt. were taken in for whatever reason. I didn't question it as there are other docs there.
 
Got it. So you know then. I love nurses. Work with them and most of my life was in mgmt. in home care. Many friends are nurses.

So what does me not wanting to get the flu shot have to do with this subject? I know plenty of nurses who do not get the flu shot. I get my PPD test. I will get the shingles shot next year. I have had all the other vaccines. I just don't believe in the benefits of the flu shots. I am not a wack job of some sort. No reason to get judgmental.

I work in radiology. The owners (doctors) have the staff double and triple booking to the point that sick patients are waiting and the techs are burnt out. Can barely screen the patients. A crisis waiting to happen. Staff has been cut. Patients get upset with the wait time- can't blame them. They have no idea how people have been triple booked. Patients can be a problem also. They want their tests yesterday. At least me, as a patient, I will reschedule if things are backed up like I did today since I was not a critical appt. The hospital is sending over INPATIENTS to get MRI's to our outpatient facility by ambulance. They do not have their own MRI machine- we are affiliated with them so they use ours instead of getting one of their own. I cringe every time I see poor patients having to come over here on stretchers- especially in the cold winter months.. It is all due to greed and yes- the awful circumstances of the healthcare system. But don't tell me doctors are all wonderful and are always behind because they have a zillion emergencies. That everyone in the country has to wait over 40 minutes for their appts. because every single day the doctor is inundated with emergencies. It's all about the numbers and how many patients they can see in a day-not all their fault as I know the insurance company reimbursements are squeezing the. Sure, most doctors work very hard- I agree. But this doesn't deflect from the fact that I am disgusted with the way the healthcare system is going and that there is no real personal attention anymore, etc. I don't need to be happy about that. I'd be delusional if I was.

Now- The nurses and NP's and PA's- they are the ones doing the real work (many times you can't even see the doc anymore)and I see them being swamped. But again, my prerogative if I don't want to wait. And I think patients should be told if there is going to be a wait, etc. There are many of us who have to take time off work and so on and patients also deserve consideration.


Thanks for the attack. I am not a problem. I keep my appts. I get there early. I am not rude or loud. I bring all the required paperwork. I understand what you explain to me. I ask questions. I understand the stress the docs and nurses are under and I do have empathy. I am one of the easiest patients you could ever have. You would wish all your patients would be like me. But- I want consideration also.

Attack ? No. A dose of reality, but not an attack. Sometimes you have to tell it like it really is when you hear comments like your previous posts.
You are placing others, the frail the immunocompromised, the young at high risk if you do not have your flu shot. Don't hide behind what others do or don't do. You are responsible for not spreading it. First do no harm. Simple

A colleague, Dr. Chan, wrote this:

Imagine you are a family practitioner and taking care of a family for several decades of routine appointments. Then one day that mother needs an urgent appointment for a severe illness; high fever, an abnormal XRay or scan, a fast growing lump in the breast or neck. Are you supposed to tell her "Sorry, I'm booked up. I can see you in 3 1/2 weeks"? Or you are an OB who's delivered a mother 3 times and on the fourth pregnancy, she's bleeding or cramping 4 months before the due date. "Sorry, my schedule is booked and but I can see you at the end of next week"?

How does that work for patients? That kind of attitude would keep the office on time.

I tell my patients on the first visit that I'm often going to be late. I'm not golfing or playing Angry Birds. I'm taking care of sick people that need whatever time is needed for their problem. If it takes 15 minutes, fine. I'll be on time. If it takes 90 minutes then everyone needs to understand that when it's their turn, their problem, their emergency; because they can't breathe, their bone cancer pain isn't controlled, or their CT scan shows new liver metastasis, I'm going to take care of them that day when they need me. And I'm going to take whatever time is necessary. If they need to see a doctor that's always on time, they've got to find someone else.

I'm an oncologist. When I see my dermatologist, sometimes I've waited 60-90 minutes. I always bring my laptop and I don't complain. I have no idea what his patients' problems are for the day but I know he's not golfing or playing Angry Birds either.
"
 
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I had an appointment for an annual check-up with my Doctor this morning. Appointment was for 10:40 am. I was half an hour early. Nurse came for me about 10:20 and completed all the preliminaries. My Doctor showed up almost exactly at 10:40.

I had a "Cheat Sheet" with me to make sure we covered every thing on my mind. She spent a patient 30 minutes with me and promised to get back to me on an issue after consulting with a specialist. I received a comprehensive email from her tonight discussing the issue. Overall I was pleased with the way things were handled.

George
 
I had an appointment for an annual check-up with my Doctor this morning. Appointment was for 10:40 am. I was half an hour early. Nurse came for me about 10:20 and completed all the preliminaries. My Doctor showed up almost exactly at 10:40.

I had a "Cheat Sheet" with me to make sure we covered every thing on my mind. She spent a patient 30 minutes with me and promised to get back to me on an issue after consulting with a specialist. I received a comprehensive email from her tonight discussing the issue. Overall I was pleased with the way things were handled.

George

That is great! How you hope an appt. would be! With mine, I didn't even get in the room yet, -no preliminaries- so I knew that could be another 15 minute wait or more.
 
My doctor a few years ago sent a survey asking if his patients would be willing to pay an annual fee like this. I think most people said no so he closed his office and went to work for Kaiser.


Sent from my iPad using the strange new version of Tapatalk
 
When I started with my current doctor (we moved in 2012) on my first visit he told me he had good news and bad news. The good news is he will always see his patients. That means if someone comes in with an emergency, or is admitted to the hospital, he'll see them. So the bad news is, sometimes you may need to wait at his office. They usually do let his patients know if he's going to run late so you can reschedule. I have waited quite awhile at times, other times I get in quickly.
 
Beaglemom3- de-stress! The law practice must be getting to you.

I am not the first one to complain about long waits in doctors offices or difficulty getting appts. There is nothing wrong with me stating that.

I wish I had lots of time to wait, but my time is not my own. I have to work. I am not retired where I can just take a novel with me to read. I have limited time off. I live at least an hour a way from these medical offices. If I choose to reschedule an appt. that isn't really critical to keep, so what? If I was very ill, I would have to wait. Of course, docs have to handle the important situations first. I am not crazy! But I do wonder sometimes if the scheduling could be adjusted. Docs sometimes plan their schedules to their convenience with no regard for anything else. Again- they are entitled to that.

I have been trying to schedule my colonoscopy. First off, the docs in that office split up and then they lost my records and never notified me of my f/u. I realized it, of course, and again, it took a few months to get an appt. The week before they call to reschedule it- doc cutting his work days shorter. Ok. I reschedule it. Two weeks later I get a call- doc has to reschedule again.OK. I am being flexible. But we have now (my husband has to take off work also to drive me) had to change our time off twice with our employers.Hopefully it won't change again. Things happen. I get it. But it's annoying and I can see why some people just give up on getting some medical attention.

I will not argue the flu shot thing with you. That is a different topic and I believe there is a thread that was already started a while ago about it.

Chill! Have a glass of wine or something.
 
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I guess my wife and I are living a charmed life because I have never heard of these fees. We both visit our doctor several times a year and usually don't wait very long. She will always see us right away if it is urgent. We don't pay anything at all to see any doctor so I really have no idea what they charge.
 
Beaglemom3- de-stress! The law practice must be getting to you.

I am not the first one to complain about long waits in doctors offices or difficulty getting appts. There is nothing wrong with me stating that.

I wish I had lots of time to wait, but my time is not my own. I have to work. I am not retired where I can just take a novel with me to read. I have limited time off. I live at least an hour a way from these medical offices. If I choose to reschedule an appt. that isn't really critical to keep, so what? If I was very ill, I would have to wait. Of course, docs have to handle the important situations first. I am not crazy! But I do wonder sometimes if the scheduling could be adjusted. Docs sometimes plan their schedules to their convenience with no regard for anything else. Again- they are entitled to that.

I have been trying to schedule my colonoscopy. First off, the docs in that office split up and then they lost my records and never notified me of my f/u. I realized it, of course, and again, it took a few months to get an appt. The week before they call to reschedule it- doc cutting his work days shorter. Ok. I reschedule it. Two weeks later I get a call- doc has to reschedule again.OK. I am being flexible. But we have now (my husband has to take off work also to drive me) had to change our time off twice with our employers.Hopefully it won't change again. Things happen. I get it. But it's annoying and I can see why some people just give up on getting some medical attention.

I will not argue the flu shot thing with you. That is a different topic and I believe there is a thread that was already started a while ago about it.

Chill! Have a glass of wine or something.

Nice try.
Uh, oh............. prescribing are you ? LOL. Not to worry. I enjoy both of my professions as I only consult now; no stress, good challenges, great pay. You, however, sound so stressed out about your inability to put together your own colonoscopy, it's comic.

The flu shot is integral and congruent to this discussion. You, as a kinda-sorta-almost- quasi medical person of sorts, who has some sort of patient contact are exposing these unsuspecting patients and putting them at risk.

This is reprehensible and inexcusable. So, next time when you're fuming at your doctor's office because you've been waiting 20 minutes, it's probably because he or she is up to their eyeballs treating flu patients.


0
 
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Nice try.
Uh, oh............. prescribing are you ? LOL. Not to worry. I enjoy both of my professions as I only consult now, no stress, good challenges, great pay. You, however, sound so stressed out about your inability to put together your own colonoscopy, it's comic.

The flu shot is integral and congruent to this discussion. You, as a kinda-sorta-almost- quasi medical person of sorts, who has some sort of patient contact are exposing these unsuspecting patients and putting them at risk.

This is reprehensible and inexcusable. So, next time when you're fuming at your doctor's office because you've been waiting 20 minutes, it's probably because he or she is up to their eyeballs treating flu patients.


0

Boy- have you really blown this out of proportion. I am not stressed. I drink wine. It keeps the flu away. ;)
 
Don't be confused by "for profit" vs. "non-profit". There is not a difference, the former has "stockholders" to pass profits on to while the latter passes profits back as higher CEO and staff wages etc.

Just for the record, non-profits that are registered with the IRS and have their 501c3 (or similar) status must make their financial data available for the public to see. So you can tell if it's going to the CEO or going back into their programs.

There are also many small nonprofits that are 100% volunteer. I volunteer for one of those. None of us make anything. All the money goes back into our programs.

I'm not saying anything about whether or not insurance companies should be for-profit or non-profit or whatever. I'm just saying that there are nonprofit organizations that exist that are actually doing lots of good and the money goes right back into their programs.

I'm curious what things it pays for. I can't imagine why anyone would go to the doctor enough to warrant $1650./year.

Obviously I have no idea what this one in particular is about but I looked into getting a "Concierge Doctor" a while ago because I was so frustrated with having to wait weeks or months for appointments and having to ask for basic labs etc. The ones I found near me cost about $5k a year. You get all your labs done annually in-house, you get the doctor's cell phone, you get appointments that last as long as you want, most medications were right there in-house (no going to a separate pharmacy and waiting), and they treat you like royalty at the office. I opted not to do it because I felt it wasn't the most financially responsible route, but I was tempted. I also got the impression they weren't the most ethical doctors around, like maybe they're a little fast and loose about certain medication prescriptions if you know what I mean, which kind of scares me.
 
... You are placing others, the frail the immunocompromised, the young at high risk if you do not have your flu shot. Don't hide behind what others do or don't do. You are responsible for not spreading it. First do no harm. Simple
I work in healthcare, not on campus, in an office bldg a mile or so away where no patients go. I will be terminated if I do not get my flu shot by Dec 8. We are Patients First, zero tolerance to employees not following that. They mean it, I know of a lady canned last year for lack of shot, so I marked my calendar to make sure none on my team forget and we lose them. There are medical and religious exemptions but you must file the paperwork with HR. Not believing in the effectiveness of the flu shot is not a covered exemption.
 
I work in healthcare, not on campus, in an office bldg a mile or so away where no patients go. I will be terminated if I do not get my flu shot by Dec 8. We are Patients First, zero tolerance to employees not following that. They mean it, I know of a lady canned last year for lack of shot, so I marked my calendar to make sure none on my team forget and we lose them. There are medical and religious exemptions but you must file the paperwork with HR. Not believing in the effectiveness of the flu shot is not a covered exemption.

Patients first ! First, last & always. Commitment to care.

It's good that they're doing this, but kind of sad that because of non-compliance, it has to be mandated and that is a shame in a larger sense.

And further to your point, we, as patient care providers, at every level (even indirectly) have an ethical and moral obligation to protect those at risk; pregnant, elderly, frail, infants, immunocompromised. We can help raise herd immunity for those who absolutely cannot take the shot.

-
 
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Attack ? No. A dose of reality, but not an attack. Sometimes you have to tell it like it really is when you hear comments like your previous posts.
You are placing others, the frail the immunocompromised, the young at high risk if you do not have your flu shot. Don't hide behind what others do or don't do. You are responsible for not spreading it. First do no harm. Simple

A colleague, Dr. Chan, wrote this:

Imagine you are a family practitioner and taking care of a family for several decades of routine appointments. Then one day that mother needs an urgent appointment for a severe illness; high fever, an abnormal XRay or scan, a fast growing lump in the breast or neck. Are you supposed to tell her "Sorry, I'm booked up. I can see you in 3 1/2 weeks"? Or you are an OB who's delivered a mother 3 times and on the fourth pregnancy, she's bleeding or cramping 4 months before the due date. "Sorry, my schedule is booked and but I can see you at the end of next week"?

How does that work for patients? That kind of attitude would keep the office on time.

I tell my patients on the first visit that I'm often going to be late. I'm not golfing or playing Angry Birds. I'm taking care of sick people that need whatever time is needed for their problem. If it takes 15 minutes, fine. I'll be on time. If it takes 90 minutes then everyone needs to understand that when it's their turn, their problem, their emergency; because they can't breathe, their bone cancer pain isn't controlled, or their CT scan shows new liver metastasis, I'm going to take care of them that day when they need me. And I'm going to take whatever time is necessary. If they need to see a doctor that's always on time, they've got to find someone else.

I'm an oncologist. When I see my dermatologist, sometimes I've waited 60-90 minutes. I always bring my laptop and I don't complain. I have no idea what his patients' problems are for the day but I know he's not golfing or playing Angry Birds either.
"
You leave gaps to fill with emergency appointments. Just like 10% of my departments time is unbudgeted at the start of the year and fully utilized by the end of the year with the Something that came up.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk
 
You leave gaps to fill with emergency appointments. Just like 10% of my departments time is unbudgeted at the start of the year and fully utilized by the end of the year with the Something that came up.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

Yes, that is factored in and done, but they always filled (and overfilled) up within an hour especially during allergy or flu seasons. Hard to budget time when lots of folks are sick at once. We always left 1-2 appointment slots open, but they always, always filled with urgent appointments and walk-ins. It's an imperfect science. We, the NPS, got called in a lot to see if we could help with the patient load, but being called in at last moment rarely worked for us as we were working elsewhere.

=
 
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Great article on concierge medicine by Alex Beam of the Boston Globe. Easy reading.

For many years, Dr. Edward Legare was my primary care physician. My wife chose him for me. “He served in the military; you’ll like him.” She was right. I liked the citation from the Army’s Tenth Mountain Division on his wall, and I liked his succinct dietary advice — “Eat less fat” — which I assiduously ignored.

After some soul-searching, Legare decided to join a high-end “concierge” practice a few years ago, and asked his patients to pay an extra $1,500 for his services.

I declined.

His group practice shunted me to another talented young internist, Dr. Eric Serrano. Then — poof! He’s gone concierge, too. He wants $1,800 a year, he explains in a letter, “to ensure we have unhurried time together whenever you need me, and you continue to receive the individual attention and services you deserve.”

I’m paying about $10,000 a year for a family health plan, and, like most Americans, I see my doctor about twice a year. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care can’t keep decent doctors around for me to consult with? What’s going on here?

Harvard Pilgrim didn’t want to discuss this issue, but plenty of other people did. Legare and a colleague, Dr. Harold Solomon, praised the concierge doctoring model because the extra income allowed them to get their patient load under control. BC (before concierge) Legare was responsible for 3,800 patients, “It was overwhelming,” he said. “I was worried that I was starting to miss things. I was involved in only about half of my patients’ major medical decisions.”

Both Solomon and Legare said they retained “scholarship” patients, people who they knew might not be able to pony up the $1,500-$1,800 premium for their services. Then Solomon turned the tables on me: You have the money, don’t you, Mr. Beam? Why didn’t you pay?

Fair question. I just bought a new rowing shell, which would have paid for two years’ worth of concierge care. But the concept makes me sick. I entered the workforce just as Health Maintenance Organizations came on the scene, and I never had a problem with semi-collectivized health care. The system provided me with competent doctors and access to decent hospitals if I needed it. Why should I submit to this “concierge” shakedown when I’m already paying so much for health coverage?

But enough about me. In truth, not all of America’s great doctors are moving to the gated communities of concierge care. According to the most recent Medscape survey of over 21,000 doctors, “The percentage of physicians in a concierge or cash-only practice increased very slightly from the previous year, from 4 percent to 6 percent.” More ominously, 15 percent of family physicians said they would no longer accept Medicare or Medicaid payments.

The American Medical Association isn’t overly concerned about concierge care, which it calls “retainer practices.” They “are consistent with pluralism in the delivery and financing of health care,” according to the AMA. “However, they also raise ethical concerns that warrant careful attention, particularly if retainer practices become so widespread as to threaten access to care.”

“Right now it’s a small trend,” says James Burgess, a health care economist at Boston University. “Some people are worried about creating multiple classes of medicine in the US,” but he isn’t one of them, for now. “It’s going to take a while for the system to find its equilibrium,” he says.

Burgess and others think that retainer practices, sometimes called “direct primary care,” may be part of the health care solution rather than the problem. The idea is this: You pay for your primary care out of pocket, and pay insurance premiums to protect yourself from high-cost medical procedures and hospitalizations.

Companies like Cambridge-based Iora Health Care and others already offer reasonably priced ($50-$70 a month) primary care plans which allow doctors to keep their patient load at manageable (i.e. 600-700) levels. Insurance coverage would be reserved for the big-ticket procedures delivered by, say, hospitals.

“Your auto insurance doesn’t cover new brakes, or basic maintenance,” explains consultant Thomas Charland of Merchant Medicine, “and these direct payment plans work on that model. You pay for primary care completely outside of insurance — it’s concierge medicine for the masses.”


Meet the future, like it or not.
 
Yes, that is factored in and done, but they always filled (and overfilled) up within an hour especially during allergy or flu seasons. Hard to budget time when lots of folks are sick at once. We always left 1-2 appointment slots open, but they always, always filled with urgent appointments and walk-ins. It's an imperfect science. We, the NPS, got called in a lot to see if we could help with the patient load, but being called in at last moment rarely worked for us as we were working elsewhere.

=
So they can't adjust the factor during flu season etc?

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk
 
So they can't adjust the factor during flu season etc?

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

They can and do by increasing temp staff (if they can find enough help) to cover patient surges and staff absences. Therein lies the rub. It's easy to identify the swell of patients, but not easy to staff it.

If you've ever had the unfortunate experience of walking out into a waiting room during flu season, it's daunting. Just a sea of very, very sick people needing help. Some needing hospitalization.

Even the ERs get overwhelmed.

Not only is the schedule filled with the normal, non-flu patients, then the schedule is doubled with flu patients during the peak.

We do our best and work far into the night during those times. Builds character being on the front line of care.

-
 
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