Migraine

I want to fire him and let him know WHY his sorry butt is out of my life. I can't think of a good way.

I forgot that before I started with the new place I had set up an appointment for tomorrow with idiot. I have yet to cancel- there's no 24 hour rule... As long as I cancel it before the hour before the appt, I don't pay.

Question:
How should I go about firing him? Keep in mind that there's no way to actually TALK to him on the telephone

Choices:
Leave a message on his voicemail
Show up tomorrow with a copy of Teri's book
The above option- with a bookmark stuck at the chapter on firing doctors
The book- with an inscription "check out chapter 'x'"
Cancel the appointment completely and leave a message with the receptionist
Other- please give me an idea!

 

How I fired mine:

Walked into the office with a full migraine on blast & very politely asked the front desk folks for my medical files.

Front desk girl: Why?

Pookie: Because you no longer need them & I no longer need the doctor's services.

Front desk girl: We can't give them to you.

Pookie (Taking off polite suit & putting on gorilla suit): The hell you can't. I signed a release remember? I brought my check book. Make copies. I'll pay for them.

Front Desk girl calls doctor.

Pookie: Look doc, I KNOW THE LAW. I AM NOT LEAVING HERE WITHOUT MY MEDICAL RECORDS!!!!!!!<---- Just loud enough for the patients in the waiting room to hear.

Doc: Give Ms Pookie her medical records & whatever else she needs.

Pookie: Don't go nowhere doc, I'm not finished w/you yet. I have something to tell you "after" I get my medical records in my hands.

Then I proceeded to tell her exactly why her services were no longer needed in front of her staff, popped the last of her Zoloft pill in my mouth & stormed out the office w/the worse migraine imaginable!

Moral of this story: DON'T MESS WITH A MAD WOMAN WITH A MIGRAINE!

I'd suggest either going in there and telling him face to face why you're firing him (guarantee he'll remember your name after that) or a letter. The latter has the advantage that he can't get paid for the time you spent firing him I wouldn't recommend voicemails or messages with the receptionist- too easy to forget, gloss over, delete. I think something more personal is in order, and it more effectively gets across how you were impacted by his poor care.

Robin

quote:

Originally posted by braindrane:
I want to fire him and let him know WHY his sorry butt is out of my life. I can't think of a good way.

I forgot that before I started with the new place I had set up an appointment for tomorrow with idiot. I have yet to cancel- there's no 24 hour rule... As long as I cancel it before the hour before the appt, I don't pay.

How about cancelling your appt. Then go get your records. THEN send him a letter stating exactly why you are firing his butt. And of course you may want to mention in the letter that you will never recommend him to another living soul.

Oh, but I HAVE my records... that's when I first got ANGRRRRRRRY... And letting him off with a simple firing is very generous of me- let's leave it at that. I would not be reaching to say that the care that he gave is so subpar that... well... I would have several options, should I choose to go that way.

I do think that a letter is in store, though. I'm just not sure who I want to address it to.

Jamie

quote:

Originally posted by NancyHOST:
How about cancelling your appt. Then go get your records. THEN send him a letter stating exactly why you are firing his butt. And of course you may want to mention in the letter that you will never recommend him to another living soul.

quote:

Originally posted by braindrane:


I do think that a letter is in store, though. I'm just not sure who I want to address it to.

Jamie

The state licensing board regulates all physicians licensed in the state. You should report/contact the board in your state.

I did! Of course I had to wait until after my migraine party was over.

I found some *serious* errors in my medical reports.

serious errors... OH yeah. Let me tell ya ALL about it.

I have enough bad info in my medical records that I can't talk about what's in there publically. Let's just say that it's beyond what HIPAA would sufficiently address by me notating each error and writing a letter to have each corrected. These must be corrected without a "he said she said". That said, this doctor is not the only "winner" that I've met in the past year.

However, he has been responsible for pain and suffering.

In one last public jab- and skirting the line of what I can say here, lying to ones' patients due to your gigantic ego is not kosher.

And that is all I can say here. But he should not be allowed to get away with his actions...

I suffered too much for that. And I suspect that I am not alone.

quote:

Originally posted by Pookie:

quote:

Originally posted by braindrane:


I do think that a letter is in store, though. I'm just not sure who I want to address it to.

Jamie

The state licensing board regulates all physicians licensed in the state. You should report/contact the board in your state.

I did! Of course I had to wait until after my migraine party was over.

I found some *serious* errors in my medical reports.

quote:

Originally posted by braindrane:
serious errors... OH yeah. Let me tell ya ALL about it.

I have enough bad info in my medical records that I can't talk about what's in there publically. Let's just say that it's beyond what HIPAA would sufficiently address by me notating each error and writing a letter to have each corrected. These must be corrected without a "he said she said". That said, this doctor is not the only "winner" that I've met in the past year.

However, he has been responsible for pain and suffering.

In one last public jab- and skirting the line of what I can say here, lying to ones' patients due to your gigantic ego is not kosher.

And that is all I can say here. But he should not be allowed to get away with his actions...

I suffered too much for that. And I suspect that I am not alone.

quote:

Originally posted by Pookie:

quote:

Originally posted by braindrane:


I do think that a letter is in store, though. I'm just not sure who I want to address it to.

Jamie

The state licensing board regulates all physicians licensed in the state. You should report/contact the board in your state.

I did! Of course I had to wait until after my migraine party was over.

I found some *serious* errors in my medical reports.

Hopefully, the following should be of some interest & very helpful:

Directory of State Medical Boards

Good luck!

Hi Jamie, Since you already have your medical records, I would recommend cancelling the appointment and then sending a carefully worded letter. I say "carefully worded" so that he can't dismiss you as hysterical or crazy. State your case in clear, concise language making sure that anyone else who reads it understands the pain and suffering that you have endured because of the ineptitude of someone who you paid to help you and who you trusted. If you are planning to take your case further (State medical board, etc.) this letter could become part of the evidence so be careful of what you say.
We're all so happy that you're out from under the cloud of this bad scene!! Take care, Liz

Thanks, Liz.
Great advice! I know this is what I should do, intellectually. I just... well... sigh. I don't want to write a letter- for that very reason- I don't want it becoming a part of my file. I DO want some answers from him though... but I think these are things I may always have to wonder about, and never know. I'm angry, yes. But, as you may know about me, I'm very much the intellectually curious type... And also usually the one that others turn to in situations like this- because I tend to be able to combine the intellectual curiosity with a fiestyness that can help get the answers for them... but for myself... I'm just... well... Yeah. I'm emotionally involved- for good reason. So, there goes the objectivity, and all that's left is either (depending on how I'm doing at the time,) steely coldness or emotion to the nth degree.

While I do have my medical records, HE doesn't know that I have 'em. You can only get them through the central hospital med records request. (as i learned from a previous episode this year that I'm still feeling fallout from- unrelated to him...)

You're right- the key thing is that i'm away from this bad scene. That's really what I needed to get out of all of this- and the best thing that could have happened. Thanks again for the best wishes.

Thanks again for the rational thoughts,
Jamie

quote:

Originally posted by NovaScotiaGal:
Hi Jamie, Since you already have your medical records, I would recommend cancelling the appointment and then sending a carefully worded letter. I say "carefully worded" so that he can't dismiss you as hysterical or crazy. State your case in clear, concise language making sure that anyone else who reads it understands the pain and suffering that you have endured because of the ineptitude of someone who you paid to help you and who you trusted. If you are planning to take your case further (State medical board, etc.) this letter could become part of the evidence so be careful of what you say.
We're all so happy that you're out from under the cloud of this bad scene!! Take care, Liz

Write a paper letter. But, as you're formulating what to say, consider whether he will really care if you're angry that he has caused you so much pain.

MUCH BETTER would be to write a simple, "You're fired!" letter to him and then write a really good complaint letter to your state licensing board. You don't have to give him a reason for firing the doc (and it is good advice to be wary of what you do say), but it will do much good to give the state licensing board the reasons.

My experience is that most incompetent doctors don't care if they've ruined their patients lives. I guess I'm saying that you're more likely to feel better knowing that the state has a record of your experience than you would just getting a "You're fired too!" letter back from the doctor, which you may received from him sent by certified mail.

I've only officially 'fired' one doctor, although I've gotten my records and left many. This one doc was calling in all sorts of meds to the drug store while refusing to see me or talk to me on the phone, and that was the only way I could find to stop him from loading up the drug store with stuff that was completely incompetently prescribed. And he did send a "You're fired too!" letter back to me.

The last time I saw him, he had teased his hair to look like Bozo the Clown and was wearing fingernail polish.

Sorry about the Lupie fog Jamie, I know you have your records.

I do think you need to be careful so you don't get "blackballed" so to speak with the medical community in your area. Of course it is not warranted, but can happen. Doctors are doctors and do talk amongst themselves.

Address the letter to him, his office manager, and the entired practice. Of course a copy will also go in your file.

quote:

Originally posted by braindrane:
Oh, but I HAVE my records... that's when I first got ANGRRRRRRRY... And letting him off with a simple firing is very generous of me- let's leave it at that. I would not be reaching to say that the care that he gave is so subpar that... well... I would have several options, should I choose to go that way.

I do think that a letter is in store, though. I'm just not sure who I want to address it to.

Jamie

quote:

Originally posted by NancyHOST:
How about cancelling your appt. Then go get your records. THEN send him a letter stating exactly why you are firing his butt. And of course you may want to mention in the letter that you will never recommend him to another living soul.

When I fired my first endo, I did it face to face at my appointment. Considering that I nearly died under his lack of attention the week before, despite several calls in to the office (which he claimed he never got), I somehow managed to remain fairly polite.

Essentially, I told him that I was very frustrated that my care was going nowhere, and that I wasn't making any progress. I told him that I knew the biggest issue was that my collective pile o' goo wasn't playing by the rules, and that I knew that he was frustrated, too, at times. I then informed him that it was my intent to see the other endo at the clinic, not only for a second opinion, but as a permanent transfer, and that I really felt that it would be best for us both to do that. I told him I'd appreciate a referral from him, even though under my insurance I really didn't need one. He was all too happy to give me the referral and get rid of me, especially since I'd chewed him out earlier in that appointment with decidedly less charm for letting me end up in the ER, close to dying less than a week before .

After I was done, and transferred over to my now beloved endo doc, I reported the original endo's butt to administration for the negligent parts of my care. The admin person eventually sided with the endo for the most part, but his nurse was soon gone, and whenever he saw me at the clinic after, he turned around and went the other way. So I think he did get chewed out some, even though he might not have been formally disciplined.

If you don't want to fire him face to face, I think a letter would be best, but just keep it polite, and emphasize that you mostly want a different opinion, and perhaps a different tactic, and you think the fresh perspective of a different doc would help with that.

Well... So far I've done none of the above except cancel said appt.

i noticed the blocks starting to wear off over the past couple of days- and called for an appt to get them redone today. They were able to fit me in if i could get there by 9am. It was 8:15 at the moment. I said "sure."

Due to the horrible migraine i had this morning, i hadn't eaten much before i went... and after the injections, had to stop halfway... since i was getting woozy-- where there happened to be an outlet bookstore. Oh, did I clean up on some books that i had wanted to read but refused to pay hardcover price for (median price)= $4, got 4 books and 2 books on CD The highest price items were the CDs= each $5.95. Still haven't eaten- but i'm not hungry- know i need to eat though. so... i'll go raid the fridge in a few.

I still may show up at the clinic at 4pm and ask for my records...It depends on energy level. If I can get DH to play along, and "have him insist" that I get my records- because he's angry about the treatment I got...then I can essentially fire him to his face and not look like "the angry irrational patient." We shall see.

Ok- can't type any more. I need to let the ice hit my muscles so that I don't swell again... Made that mistake last time, and it was painful.

Jamie

I know you'd like to dope-slap this idiot upside the head, but I'd recommend that you just cancel the appointment and never show up again. You've fired the doc by not coming back. I doubt that anything will change in the doctor's practice, letter or not. I'd save my energy for getting your records and preparing for your first visit with your new specialist.

After you get your records,go ahead and write a letter. Tell the doctor all the problems you've had. Tell him how incompetent and insensitive his staff is. Tell him what kind of slime he's worse than. Call him every cussword you know, and make some more up.

Then sit on the letter for at least 24 hours. *Don't send the letter until you've calmed down for at least an entire day!"

You'll get your emotions spelled out on paper, but you won't say in public anything you'll regret later. That letter will go in your file, and your next specialist does NOT need to see it.

When I've fired doctors, I've just cancelled the next appointment and didn't show up again. I got my records and moved on. No use wasting energy on a dead relationship. I wouldn't change anything the doctor does in his practice or with his patients.

Gretchen