Complaint of a health care facility

@jenrl17 (420)
United States
March 7, 2012 12:03pm CST
I'm not sure if I'm in the right category, but I would like to know where I am to complain about a local health care facility. This place of business needs to be shut down, they are SO horrible. I say this because I have had numerous bad experiences with this place including just the other day. For one, it's impossible to get through on their phone lines; not because the lines are so busy, but because they never answer them! I've been there many times and saw this with my own eyes. They just let the phone ring. The only real chance you get to reaching them is in the early morning when they 1st open, unless you get hung up on! Monday, I had called back THREE times because they kept hanging up on me, after letting the phone ring and ring of course. I was disgusted. Then yesterday, they started it again, hanging up on me, so I went down there and demanded results (I have been trying to get a RX refill for a medication of mine since Thursday (when the dr is in only) and was told it would be faxed to the pharmacy Monday for sure, but nothing was done). I had to go down there to get things done, which I know sometimes you have to do, but to be hung up on, not once, not twice, but THREE times, is just disgraceful. Not only that, but they never told me that the dr stopped taking appointments on another certain day, so I found that out the hard way. On other occasions, my husband has been treated very rudely. After he asked how much longer would it be to see his dr (had an appt) cause he had to go back to work, the staff unprofessionally stated how valuable the dr's time is (implying his time isnt), then another time how he waiting for over an hour to be treated just to be brushed off in the 5 minutes it took the dr to see him. My experience is similar, where the last time I waited to see my regular dr, it took an hour and a half to see her (also had an appt- doesnt matter there), then she was in w/me for 10 minutes total, was interrupted on top of it and walked out of the room when we werent even done, but she ended it. How appalling! I tried to contact the manager to complain about all this, but I can never reach her. Can someone tell me where I can complain about this business? Would it be the BBB or is there another source? Thanks.
1 response
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
7 Mar 12
You need to file a complaint with your state's medical board. (If you can't find the number, the operator should be able to get it for you. Try looking it up online, first.) I had to do that with a doctor I used to do to. I had a similar experience with them not answering their phones and also having to wait for appointments. They even had the gall to try to make ME feel at fault because they hadn't called me back in almost an hour when I finally complained! The "straw" for me came when I heard the staff discussing one of my symptoms and joking about it. They were loud enough for ME to hear them so I know everyone else in the office heard them. That was totally unethical AND they were breaking the HIPPA Law so I had no choice but to report them to the medical board. I also wrote about my experience online where you can "rate your doctor". Naturally, I found another doctor right away. The new one is farther away but worth it! I hope you can find a (MUCH better) new doctor. You'll only be getting the same treatment if you stay with these obviously unprofessional doctors and staff.
@jenrl17 (420)
• United States
7 Mar 12
Oh wow, that is great advice and wonderful tips, thank you! When I said they need to be shut down, I wasnt kidding either because of how they run. The spot they rent would be MUCH better served as something else, since they do nothing useful for the patients. Some companies tent to forget, that if it wasnt for the patients coming there, they wouldnt be in business. Its sad, really. You should see the disregard they have for most of the patients. I cant believe your old place actually discussed your private condition w/the world practically. Im definitely going to look up the sites you gave me and do what I can. You know, the even sadder part is, even the complaints probably wont get anywhere, or have any positive results, that these places will continue to run the same way, care less. Thanks again.