Title: Deeply Disappointed with Communication, Follow-Up, and Professionalism
I rarely write reviews, but this experience has been frustrating enough that I felt it needed to be shared -- especially for anyone who's dealing with a serious medical situation.
I had my first appointment with Oceana Gastroenterology in early August. Before the visit, they sent me an enormous amount of paperwork -- it took me about an hour to complete everything online. When I arrived, I was surprised to find that they didn't have my information on file and asked me to fill it out all over again. It was excessive and redundant, but I complied, thinking that being thorough would lead to high-quality care.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
The nurse who first came into the room seemed unprepared and mispronounced several basic medications that I take -- ones that any medical professional should be familiar with. That immediately made me question the competence of the staff. Thankfully, the nurse practitioner who came in afterward was professional and provided some clarity. They mentioned they would be scheduling me for another scope procedure, which was very important since I had a prior biopsy during an emergency room visit out of state that might have shown cancerous results. This next step was crucial for me.
I offered to send over all of my hospital records from Kansas, and they gave me an email address. I uploaded and shared the folder containing everything. When I asked for confirmation, I was told that the person who handles that email had already gone home for the day and no one else could check. I was assured that I'd get a call back the next day -- but no one ever followed up.
Weeks went by without any contact. I called about four weeks later to check on my biopsy scheduling, and they told me it could take "another four weeks or longer" because they were waiting on insurance. More weeks passed -- still nothing. When I called again and left a message, it took them four days to return my call. They said the provider responsible for scheduling the procedure would reach out to me, but two more weeks have gone by, and I still haven't heard a word.
At this point, I've completely lost faith in this practice. The lack of communication, the mishandling of paperwork, and the complete absence of follow-up -- especially for something as serious as ruling out cancer -- are unacceptable.
If anyone from management reads this, I sincerely hope you take it to heart.
* Ensure that more than one person has access to patient record emails.
* Establish follow-up protocols so patients aren't left waiting indefinitely.
* Train your front-line staff to properly pronounce and understand common medications -- it makes a big difference in building patient confidence.
I'm not sure what the purpose of my visit even was, since no one has followed through on anything since. I truly hope this review prompts some reflection and improvement, because no patient should ever feel this forgotten -- especially when their health may be on the line. read more
