My doctor referred me here for a sinus CT. I had heard very good things about the facility from an elderly family member, who had good experiences there. But I also had tried on numerous occasions to obtain his medical records for him from Envision so that his doctors could review them. Doing so was a bureaucratic nightmare. In fact, none of his doctors have been able to obtain his records from Envision. Nonetheless, I was willing to form my own opinion about their services since my own doctor had referred me to them.
Walking in, I observed that the facility is gorgeous--like a five-star, elegant hotel. The receptionist who greeted me and took my information was extremely friendly and accommodating. She was lovely, had a bright smile, and was gracious--just what one would want from a person who represents the "face" of a company. She telephoned the mobile unit, where my scan was to be performed, and told the person who answered that I was coming over and that I was the last appointment of the day. (I had arrived at the office at 3:42 p.m. and my appointment was at 4:00 p.m.)
I was greeted at the mobile unit by an equally friendly and professional person who introduced himself to me with a big smile. He met me at my car and directed me to the door of the mobile unit, where he took some preliminary info and wrote it on a clipboard. He told me that my scan would be performed by a woman whose name he gave me, and we went inside the mobile unit. The female technician didn't acknowledge me. In fact, she didn't even bother to look up from her computer. She didn't look at me or say anything. The assistant walked me past her into the CT area, where he asked me to sit down on the CT bed. He continued to ask me further questions for the intake questionnaire.
In the middle of our conversation, the technician rudely interrupted us and yelled into the area, shouting to the assistant, "She has to take all her hairpins out of her hair." I was reduced to a nonentity.
I responded that I was aware of that fact, and I continued to answer the assistant's questions.
About 45 seconds later, the technician burst into the area, where I was still answering the assistant's questions for the intake questionnaire, and dropped a plastic bowl onto the CT bed next to me. She said, "She can put her hairpins in here." And she walked out. Again, I was demoralized.
At that point, the assistant stopped the intake interview and said that I could use the bowl to remove my hairpins. He asked me to sign the questionnaire. I'm still not sure whether the questionnaire was complete, what it contained in its entirety, or what exactly I had signed. Having worked in the legal profession for my entire career of over 40 years, I've never been subjected to a situation like that.
The assistant left the CT area with my signature on the form and the technician entered the area. She told me to lay down and didn't tell me when the scan was going to begin or what to expect. I felt rushed the entire time that I was in her presence. After about five minutes, the exam was done. She told me I could leave.
At the front desk upon arrival, upon being greeted by the intake assistant at the mobile unit, and upon departure from the mobile unit, I stated that I needed a CD of the results of the exam, which was requested by my doctor for my follow-up appointment. When I was leaving the mobile unit, the assistant told me that if I wanted the CD, I would have to wait 45 minutes for it. Otherwise, it would be mailed to me. I asked that it be mailed to me. He assured me that the instruction was conveyed.
A week later, I hadn't received the CD. Upon calling Envision, the receptionist who answers the phone tried to blame the U.S. Postal service for my not having received the CD. After about five minutes of inquiry on my part, she finally acknowledged that the CD "was approved" but that it hadn't been mailed yet. I asked to speak to someone in management and was told that that wasn't possible. She said I could drive there and pick up the CD. I said I wanted it mailed to me as agreed upon. She said she could try and transfer me to "Chelsea" in Records but that there was no guarantee that she would answer or that she would get the message. After much resistance on her part, she finally agreed to transfer me to "Chelsea" in Records. I left a message, and when "Chelsea" called me back, she said that I could drive there and pick up the CD because Envision's office is right on the way to my doctor's office.
I truly don't understand why there is such a communication problem at this facility and why it's impossible to get copies of records, even when a patient's doctor has requested them and when they're necessary for follow-up with a patient's physician. The problem seems to be with the gatekeeper receptionist, who serves more as a bouncer than as a customer-focused facilitator, and with the Records person, who argues with the patient rather than complies with physicians' orders. read more