My mother had a colonoscopy scheduled for Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 12:30 PM with an arrival time of 11:30 AM at the Archibald Surgery Center. However, on Thursday, November 7, 2024, the office called to reschedule her arrival for 9:30 AM, a change initiated by the office, not at her request. On the morning of the appointment, November 14, 2024, she received a call from the office at 8:10 AM, which she missed. My father returned the call four minutes later, and the staff inquired if they were on their way. Believing the new arrival time was 9:30 AM, my father informed them they would leave as soon as possible. As a result, my parents arrived on time at 9:30 AM for the scheduled appointment.
When my mother arrived at the surgery center, the staff member she encountered greeted her with a rude and condescending tone. The staff member claimed that my mother was late and even called her "irresponsible." She insisted that the appointment had been moved up, and that my mother should have arrived at 7:00 AM instead of 9:30 AM. Despite this, they decided to proceed with taking her in for the procedure. However, by this point, my mother was so uncomfortable with the poor treatment and the insult she had received that she chose to leave rather than continue with the appointment.
On the same day of the appointment, November 14, 2024, at 10:00 AM, I--her daughter--decided to call the office to better understand what had transpired. The staff member who answered my call did not ask for confirmation of my relationship to my mother before releasing information about her appointment. She did not ask for my name, my mother's date of birth, or verbal consent from my mother before disclosing details, which raises concerns about the office's adherence to HIPAA protocols. I explained the situation to her, noting that my mother had arrived and left the office, and requested clarification. The staff member explained that when there are cancellations, they push appointments up. I clarified that the confirmed arrival time was 9:30 AM, not 7:00 AM, as the staff member had claimed. The staff member insisted that they had called to inform my mother of the 7:00 AM time, though I pointed out that such a change would have only been communicated that morning. Furthermore, the office had called my mother at 8:10 AM, which was after the supposed 7:00 AM arrival time. When I asked for the name of the person who had interacted with my mother, the staff member provided the first name "Jackie" but refused to disclose a last name.
In summary, my mother's appointment was mishandled in multiple ways--poor communication, unprofessional patient care, and potential violations of patient privacy. read more