I have been a patient at Clearway Pain Solutions in the Bel Air area for almost three years, and…read moreyesterday was the final straw for me.
From the very first day I walked into that office, one of the front desk employees the Black woman (ugly hard face) at the front desk has consistently given me an attitude for reasons unknown to me. I would always greet and thank her, yet she would never respond. I tried to ignore it because I was there for medical care, not personal interaction, and I never caused any issues. There were many times I wanted to complain about her nasty attitude, but I chose not to.
Over time, I also began noticing unprofessional behavior from Monica and other staff members. They would stand behind the desk near the waiting room laughing and talking loudly while patients, including myself, sat waiting to be seen. On one occasion, I was the only patient left in the waiting room and I was in pain, yet Monica still took an extremely long time to see me. There were multiple visits where I waited close to two hours total before being called back and being seen.
At first, Monica seemed attentive and caring toward her patients, but lately that has changed. She appears friendly on the surface, but over time I began to feel judged rather than supported. I truly believe she assumes I am opioid dependent, while failing to understand that I have a legitimate medical condition that requires pain management.There were several occasions where she would remind me that the clinic does not specialize in pain management and that it focuses on spine care, as if she were doing me a favor. She refused to increase my 5 mg oxycodone to 10 mg, despite my ongoing pain and being a long time patient who never misused her medication.
Ironically, when my insurance denied coverage for a pain relief patch and suggested medications such as fentanyl or morphine, I declined them myself and chose to remain on oxycodone because I did not want stronger medications. I have repeatedly expressed that I wish I did not have to rely on medication just to function normally. I also explained that pain management was recommended by hospital doctors because they are limited in what they can prescribe for my condition.
I have even discussed with my hematologist how dismissed and doubted I sometimes feel during appointments with Monica. It often seems as though my condition is not taken seriously or fully understood.
Now, regarding what happened yesterday:
Last month, I attended my scheduled 1:30 p.m. appointment, and before leaving, I was scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. appointment for 5/19. I specifically remember this because I always confirmed my schedule times and I planned to speak with Monica again about how I felt regarding my treatment and concerns.
When I arrived yesterday, I greeted the black (hard face) front desk employee, and once again, I was ignored. I was only nine minutes late, and they supposedly allow a ten-minute grace period. (Ironically, there was another time I was exactly ten minutes late and still got turned away.)
After about five minutes, the front desk employee (ugly hard face) went to the back and returned with another staff member who informed me that I needed to reschedule. I explained that my appointment was supposed to be at 2:30 p.m., not 1:30 p.m. The staff member then confirmed that my original 2:30 appointment had apparently been changed to 1:30 without my knowledge.
The front desk employee (hard face) repeatedly told me I would have to reschedule. I calmly asked if I could at least receive an apology since I had never been informed about the change. Instead, she insisted that I had been told in person during my last visit and even claimed she remembered my "exact words." The problem is, those were not my words, and I do not even speak the way she claimed I did.
I refused to take accountability for something I know did not happen. I asked again for a simple apology, and both employees remained silent. At that point, I decided I had tolerated enough disrespect and unprofessionalism. As I walked away, hard face suddenly asked if I wanted to reschedule, but by then I was done.
Honestly, I cannot believe I stayed with Clearway Pain Solutions as long as I did. I only remained because I did not want the hassle of starting over elsewhere as a patient, but enough is enough.
