I'm very disappointed in the experience I had at PM Pediatrics Urgent Care in District Heights…read moretonight.
At about 9:26 p.m., I called to ask if my child could be seen if we arrived within the next 15 minutes. The person I spoke to said yes, so we left right away.
At 9:32 p.m., while we were already on the way, I received a call from PM Pediatrics asking how far away I was because the front desk receptionist said she was no longer taking any more patients. I told them I was five minutes away, and the person on the phone said that was fine.
When we arrived at 9:37 p.m., the front desk receptionist refused to check us in, saying that no one had spoken to her when I called and that they were "at capacity." She told me there were three or four patients already in the back and that the X-ray room was in use, so she wasn't checking in any more patients. I'm not sure how they could've been at capacity when they have more than three or four treatment rooms. She also said that by the time my son was seen, it would be 10:00.
I asked multiple times to speak with a manager or a doctor, and she repeatedly refused--saying, "I'm here." Eventually, she told me I could wait for the doctor to come out, but that the doctor was currently with other patients. I then asked for the doctor's name, and she refused to tell me--multiple times--saying, "I'm not going to tell you her name because I'm busy." I pointed out that she clearly knew the doctor's name and it wasn't like she needed to look it up and that instead of her going back and forth with me, she could've just told me the doctor's name. She then went to the security guard and told the security guard she wasn't going to go back and forth with me (go figure). I then asked the security guard if she could tell me the doctor's name, and she told me that the doctor would tell me her name when she came to talk to me.
While waiting, I also mentioned that we had new insurance and asked if I could give her our updated insurance information. She told me, "one second," and then got up and walked to the back. She came out and got on the phone, ignoring me completely, and never offered to take the new information, even when I asked again if she wanted to process it while we waited for the doctor to come out.
I'll admit I was frustrated, but I was not being belligerent. I was simply trying to understand why we couldn't be seen when I had confirmed over the phone that my child would be. The receptionist wasn't outright nasty, but she definitely had an attitude and handled the situation very poorly.
After waiting another 10 minutes, I decided to leave. The security guard suggested I try the Greenbelt location, but I told her I would return the next morning instead. As I was leaving, the receptionist called out, "You don't have to return." I explained to the security guard that I had been told over the phone to bring my son there and that he would be seen, but apparently the receptionist "rules the roost" at that location and decides when they stop seeing patients.
I've never had any issues at this PM Pediatrics until tonight, but this experience was extremely disappointing. It's unacceptable that a front desk receptionist can override what was confirmed by staff on the phone and refuse care to a child without clear communication, professionalism, or compassion.
I truly hope management reviews this incident and addresses how end-of-day patient intake decisions are handled. Parents should be able to trust that when they're told their child can be seen, that promise will be honored.
