Keeping Track

If you have frustrations with your doctor, you're not alone. It was a few days after my Devic's diagnosis on June 22, 2010 that I decided I wanted to see the doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. After speaking with my insurance case manager and learning that I would need to get a referral to the Mayo clinic from my Neuro, I started my log.

Here we go...

Carol (Office Manager at my Neuro's) - Left message to confirm Doctors email address since no one else in the office was allowed to do it. I was going to send my request directly to him.

8:37am - Monday, 6/28 - Message Left
9:19am - Tuesday, 6/29 - Message Left

Gave up on her quickly and decided to go with...

Jamie (Referral Coordinator)

11:15am - Wednesday, 6/30 - Message Left
12:12pm - Thursday, 7/1 - Message Left
9:41am - Friday, 7/2 - Message Left

SURPRISE!!!

Jamie called me back on Friday, 7/2. She told me I needed to talk to Mary (fantastic!), my neuro's assistant. She will be able to request the referral from him and get it submitted. Jamie did tell me that she would speak with Mary about it but if I didn't hear back from her in a week, to give her a call and check the status. That's always comforting, isn't it? It's like they're saying, "I'll most likely forget about you, so call me back and leave a detailed message. That way, I can hurry up and do it before I return your call."

So I waited a week and of course, I heard nothing.

Mary (Neuro's Assistant)

10:03am - Monday, 7/12 - Message Left
12:37pm - Wednesday, 7/14 - Message Left

Morning of 7/19 - I finally spoke with Mary. Each message I left was letting her know that I was checking status to see if my neuro has written the referral. I explained the whole situation when I spoke to her and she said, "Oh yeah, he's written it and I have sent it over to Jamie to send it to your General Practitioner". Why couldn't she just call me and tell me that? So I then tell her that I will check with my GP's office and confirm receipt. Thank you and goodbye!

Secretary of General Practitioner's Office:

Me: I'm checking to see if you received a referral for me to go to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona from my Neuro.
Sec: Let me check...... Oh yes, I see it here. Let me call them and see if this is what they actually want me to send to your insurance for the referral to be approved or if there's something else.
Me: Great! Will you call me back or should I call back and check status?
Sec: Call me back this afternoon.
Me: (Great....) Ok. Will do!

Monday afternoon I call her back...

Me: Hi! I spoke with you earlier regarding my referral from my neuro's office. You were going to call them and confirm that's what you were supposed to send.
Sec: One second please.....
Me: (This hold music sucks!)
Sec: Yes. All I have here is a consult from your June 22nd appointment detailing the conversation you had with your neuro and your recent diagnosis.
Me: Uhh... You told me earlier you had something mentioning the Mayo Clinic in AZ.
Sec: No, we don't have it.
Me: O...K.... I'll call my neuro's office and get them to resend. Thanks!
Sec: Ok. Thank you!

Jamie (Referral Coordinator)

9:38am - Tuesday, 7/20 - Message left.

Tomorrow I'll call my GP again and see if they have anything. If not, Jamie is getting another call from me. I don't know about you but to me, this is bullshit!