I had an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience with this pulmonology office,…read morespecifically due to front office practices that created unnecessary barriers to care and disregarded patient confidentiality.
I arrived for a scheduled appointment to review my pulmonary function test results and discuss personal healthcare concerns with my doctor. I did not have my physical insurance card with me, as my renewed card is currently being mailed, which is a very common situation since insurance information often changes annually. The receptionist told me I could not see the doctor without the card. No alternatives were offered. I was not informed that I could self pay, be billed later. Because I was told I could not be seen, I rescheduled the appointment and left the office.
After leaving, I called the office because my original purpose for being there was to review test results and ask important, personal healthcare questions. I requested that the doctor call me back when time permitted, making it clear this did not need to be the same day and could be at his convenience. During that call, both the receptionist and what I believe was the office manager repeatedly pressed me to disclose the specific reason I wanted to speak with my doctor. I stated clearly that it was personal and related to my healthcare and that I preferred to discuss it directly with my physician. That was not accepted.
At no point should a patient be required to disclose private medical details to administrative staff simply to request a callback from their doctor. While general context may be appropriate, insisting on more detailed explanations undermines patient confidentiality. Under HIPAA, patients have the right to limit disclosure of protected health information, especially when such details are not necessary for scheduling or message routing.
During the call, the office manager did state that once my new insurance card arrived, I could call back and provide the updated information. However, this missed the entire purpose of my call. I was not calling to reschedule an appointment. I was requesting communication with my doctor regarding my health. That request was effectively denied unless I disclosed information I was not comfortable sharing with office staff.
To make matters worse, when I asked if I could simply email the doctor instead, I was told that I could not have his email address. At that point, all reasonable avenues to communicate with my physician had been blocked.
I was also later told that I could have been billed for the visit had I stayed, which was never communicated to me at the time I was turned away. That lack of transparency directly resulted in me not receiving care that day.
Although the office manager's tone was professional, the policies being enforced were not patient-centered. I left feeling dismissed, unheard, and discouraged from continuing care at this practice. Because of how this situation was handled, I will not be returning and would not recommend this office to patients who value access to their physician, clear communication, and respect for medical privacy.
Experiences like this raise serious concerns about how patient access, communication, and privacy are handled within this practice and warrant review by higher administrative or regulatory oversight.
I want to be clear that my issue is not with the physician. My initial visit with Dr. Hetal Patel was excellent. He took the time to explain my lung function testing and my condition in a very detailed, informative, and professional manner, which is exactly what drew me to continue care with him. The young woman who assisted me with my pulmonary function exam was also kind, professional, and thorough. Those positive clinical experiences are the reason I wanted to remain with this doctor and this practice.
Unfortunately, today's experience with the front office staff completely overshadowed that. The rigid restrictions on communication, refusal to facilitate even basic contact with my physician, and lack of transparency regarding care options left me with no confidence that I could continue receiving appropriate and timely healthcare here. I cannot remain with a practice where access to my own physician feels unnecessarily blocked.
