We are in the middle of a pandemic involving a respiratory droplet transmitted disease that is asymptomatic for the first 2 weeks of infection. (This is only deeply alarming in a deeply understood and real way if you have any meaningful medical education, or work in an ICU right now so if this doesn't register as *that* big a deal, don't worry. If you end up COVID-19 positive at some point, you will discover how alarming and insidious this really is).
I had my first visit at this practice because, like many folks during this pandemic, I am having trouble sleeping, I am becoming depressed, my anxiety is increasing and now it is affecting my ability to think clearly and be productive. I am also struggling with physical pain from an injury that hasn't been managed well so if you have ever dealt with chronic pain, you know what *that* does to your mental well being too.
I walk in and was greeted by a sweet natured, older woman who was wearing a mask correctly. As I was talking to her, another woman walked up and sat down at another computer behind her. Her mask was under her nose and she didn't seem to notice or care that her mask wasn't on properly (and reminder, this is a MEDICAL clinic). I waited for her to move her mask to correct position but after 3 clients had passed the desk in front of her, it was obvious she saw nothing wrong with the toddler defiant compromise of wearing her mask UNDER her nose. The person who would be working with me came out and took me back to the office.
In case any of you are wondering, you won't see the actual doctor. He is there to sign off on prescriptions and make his money off the labor of the staff (psychiatric staff are typically the lowest paid medical professionals in the medical heirarchy). The person you WILL see is a "nurse practitioner" which roughly translates into over-educated nurse who has limited ability to prescribe medications but no actual training to make a legal diagnosis for pretty much anything, much less mental health issues.
Many doctors use them in all fields (including your general practice doctor) to maximize their income because 4 nurse practitioners are approximately equal to his individual salary cost but they can see 4 times as many patients per hour, making his billing per hour 4x as profitable without ever having to see a single patient.
Five minutes into the intake, her mask (which was precariously perched on the edge of her nose as if this were a secure fitting for a mask) moved down and was visibly below her nose. I stopped what I was saying (which ironically was describing my horror at another medical professional wearing his mask under his chin the entire time he was talking to me in the office) and asked her, politely, to pull the mask up over her nose correctly. The conversation continued and she put on her "readers" while working on the computer and the mask, again, slipped down and was sitting UNDER her nose with no sign of her making any effort to pull the mask up over her nose. I asked her a SECOND time to pull the mask up over her nose. She responded with a defensive, "I am trying but they fog up my glasses" ... (and she's a NURSE practitioner, not a medical secretary who is playing ignorant here). I reminded her that surgeons and doctors working hospitals wear glasses and must deal with the same issue, especially in situations where a surgery could take multiple hours. Everyone knows you put the mask UNDER the glasses or put a tissue along bridge of nose because not wearing a mask is not an option. She pulled her mask up and then switched tacts asking why I asked for an in person appointment when telemed was available if this was such a concern for me.
YOU ARE A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WORKING IN A MEDICAL OFFICE. THERE IS NO POINT WHEN DELIBERATELY WEARING A MASK INCORRECTLY IN A CLOSED ROOM WITH A PATIENT OR CLIENT IS CONSIDERED RESPONSIBLE PRACTICE. For you folks in the back, this means that the onus of burden is not on YOU to stay home and avoid contact with everyone INCLUDING medical professionals who are SUPPOSED TO KNOW BETTER AND BE MORE RESPONSIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS AND PANDEMIC RISK REDUCTION. The burden is on them because if they are willing to be this careless and irresponsible about possibly infecting OTHER people during a pandemic, THEY should keep themselves quarantined at home around other people who also don't care or share every virus they come in contact with.
If your medical practitioner isn't taking your health risk seriously during a pandemic, they are only in it for the money not your well being. Given that both of these irresponsible women were blonde, White, slender, similar in appearance and close in age, his hiring practice appears to be based on his dating preferences and not their competence. I would not recommend. read more
