Here's the kind of banter that medical assistant Kim Z. carried on with me when she was supposed to be taking my pulse and my blood pressure: (1) she made judgmental comments about the personal life of my primary care physician behind his back; (2) she encouraged me to disregard the treatment plan created for me by another physician (a specialist at another medical practice); (3) she speculated in an idle and hurtful manner about my deceased brother; (4) she made fun of my hope for a vacation at a wellness spa (something that did, indeed, happen for me); (5) she rudely inquired about the source of a few stray hairs on my clothing (from my dog); and (6) she dismissed my sadness over a television personality's suicide. Kim also "greeted" me once by invading my space with an aggressive "hug" that turned into a headlock. When I voiced my concerns about Kim, office manager Tammy Dunn got involved, hurtling angry insults at me, thus violating my "dignity as a person" that is promised to all patients of Faculty Internal Medicine on its website. Although I adored my primary care physician there, he is the only good thing about that practice as far as I'm concerned. read more