The short story: GO ELSEWHERE! You will NOT matter to them as a patient, there is zero follow up, consideration, or responsibility taken by the staff.
The novel:
I waited an HOUR & they were surprised I was still waiting. The assistant appeared & confessed she had placed my file under a stack of papers & had forgotten about me. Fantastic. After a consultation, I could hear her talking to Dr. Guelich. She briefly described my knee problems & resulting strains: "Her left knee, then right, now hamstring & groin. She ran the marathon, blah blah blah." The "Blah blah blah" is actually part of what she said. The doctor entered & asked, "So this was your first marathon?" I replied that it was my ninth. He was visibly taken aback. He had clearly assumed I was overreacting about the pains, thinking I didn't understand the strains of running a marathon. Regardless, I should not have been made to feel as though I'm not connected with my body. He was friendly enough, gave a quick exam, & referred me to PT. As I left, he apologized for the wait stating, "I love teachers, you're some of the nicest people. My mother was a special ed teacher in Utah, and let me tell you, there are a lot of special ed kids out there." How is that in any way an appropriate thing to say? Leaving the office I was told someone would call me within 48 hours with the next steps I needed to complete. One WEEK later, I'd heard nothing. I called & spoke with Shannon Lund, who stated that it had not gone through. I asked about the 48 hour notice & the fact that there had been zero follow up. Her response? "Oh, it NEVER takes 48 hours!" So why was I told 48 hours? "Sometimes it's 48 hours." Ok, which is it? I understand certain things are out of her control, but they need to learn how to manage expectations & communicate with patients, like a 30 second message with updates. Her tone and curtness clearly communicated her attitude, & that I was not a priority. Miracle of miracles, the next morning I received a message that the referral had gone through. What a coincidence! I called & was informed that this is not correct. I needed to call directly to the PT office first. The office informed me that the referral was NOT showing on my file. They cautioned me that this needed to be in order prior to my appt.
I contacted the office manager at Chicago Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. My conversation was good; she seemed upset that I'd had such experiences, & instilled short-lived confidence in me that things would be taken care of. Shannon was placed back on & again her tone was abysmal. I asked her to email the referral so I could make certain things are taken care of. I'm glad I asked. Somehow, a PCP I've never met & an office I've never entered were listed. I have an HMO; I get the hoops I need to jump through. When I successfully clear the proverbial hoops, though, I deserve professional medical attention and I should not need to call incessantly to remind them the steps of their jobs. I called the manager again to inform her of this mistake. She was "aghast" & I spoke with Shannon, both by email, & on the phone, & she assured me she would find out who could fix this. I was referred to my PCP's office to make the change. I called the primary's office- nope- the specialist is making the referral to the PT, so they need to make the change. I called back. They again insisted they would rectify the situation. I had a month until my PT appointment at this time. I waited that month: from 21 Nov-16 Dec. I emailed Shannon again asking for professionalism & assistance. Crickets. I called Dr. Guelich's office & asked for the office manager. I was told she was running payroll & that "HAD to get done." I replied that I had been waiting for a MONTH for communication regarding a referral for an appointment now in two days' time. Shannon was put back on the phone & had instant attitude. I have never been spoken to in this manner before when supposedly dealing with a professional, & if this is how they run their practice, then I feel for the poor souls who remain their patients. We had a heated exchange & I begged her to do her job. I am sorely disappointed & this office should be hanging its head in shame. read more
