My physician, Dr. Gene Hawkins, used to practice at Dr. Roberts' office and had recently moved somewhere else in MB. I politely asked the person behind the counter (Maria) where his new office was, and she said very stiffly, "I don't know."
"You don't know?" I questioned.
“No.”
It was clear by Maria's abrupt demeanor that there was some sort of falling out with Dr. Hawkins', fine, but I am a patient who is not involved.
"He's been here for years," I tried, "and had hundreds of patients. Surely it would be easier on you to know that information so that when they call---"
"We don't know where he went to. We have no information. We don't know."
"I find it very curious that you don't know. Maybe you aren't authorized to give me that info? Maybe you were told not to by your superior? That would be fine, but I highly doubt that you don't know."
"Nope," she said shortly. "I don't know."
"Okay," I conceded. "Then what do I need to fill out to get my medical records released to him when I do find him?"
She pulled out a form. "Well, we have this form, but they also have a form that they fax to us."
"Who is 'they'?" I tried again.
"Wherever he went," she said.
"But you don't know?... even though they've faxed you...."
"No."
"How would you suggest I find him, considering he's my HMO?"
She scribbled a number on a post-it, and handed it to me. Frustrated, I filled out the form, asked her to fax it to 'them', and left.
Two steps out of the office, I called the #. It was a recording of some health network. Dr. Hawkins wasn't listed. So I pulled out my phone, did a quick google search, and found him at Torrance Memorial in about 2.5 seconds.
I drove there, set an appt. with the extremely friendly staff, filled out their form, and they informed me that admitted it’s been a struggle with getting info from Dr. Roberts.
I looked down on my release form.
"Wait... This is what you fax to them?"
"Yes," the lady said. "That's our request for release of medical records. Why?"
Infuriated, I said a polite goodbye and drove back to Dr. Roberts' office to speak with Maria.
"Maria," I said. "I've come back because I'd like to know why you lied to me."
"I didn't lie to you.”
"Maria, it took me two seconds outside of your office to do a google search and find Dr. Hawkins."
"Well, I don't google him," she said rudely.
"That's fine. But I also find it curious that on the top of their fax forms is Torrance Memorial. Surely after seeing that dozens of times, you would have remembered it?"
"No," she said. "We knew he was with them. But we didn't know which office."
"So you could have told me that maybe?"
"No," she said. "I didn't know anything."
"Even though the address is also on the fax form?"
"Is there anything else you need?"
"Yes. I'd like to know why you lied. You knew. And you adamantly said you didn't know."
At this point, Dr. Alecsandra O. Roberts came out. "Can I help you?”
"Yes," I said. "I would like to know why your office blatantly lied to me. You knew where Dr. Hawkins was.”
"Look, we don't want any trouble, so you may have a nice day. I need Maria to get back to work. You're wasting her time."
"Great. You've wasted mine as well this morning. Is there a reason that you're lying about his whereabouts? Is there a reason you're making it difficult on people not involved?"
"I need to get back to my patients," she said, and exited.
"Maria, I am emailing the Medical Board of California."
"Go ahead.”
"According to my patient rights, I have 5 business days for you to release that information. I have an appointment with them later today at 2. I'd appreciate it sent by then."
"Well, that's not going to happen," she said, smiling wide as if she was enjoying it. "There's hundreds of faxes ahead of yours."
"Hundreds of faxes with Torrance Memorial written on top? Hundreds of faxes because you've failed to release their information in a timely matter?"
"And we don't have five days," she added. "We have 7-10 days."
"Look, it does not require a lot for you to be decent and professional. It does not require a lot to release medical information. You are working very hard to make it difficult for a lot of people because you want it to be difficult for Dr. Hawkins. But your failure to comply when it comes to my medical records takes it one step further and it becomes a matter of law."
"We don't care."
At this point, I pulled out Gene Hawkins' business card for Torrance Memorial.
"Oh, no," she said. "We don't want his card."
I slid it onto the desk under the bell. "Really, I don't mind. It might help for future patients."
At this point, she pulled the wastebasket up and dropped the business card into it right in front of my face.
"Thank you," she said, smiling with dripping satisfaction. "You have a good day now."
Is this okay practice at a medical facility? I am appalled by this behavior. I would highly suggest finding a doctor elsewhere, if she is willing to hire such unprofessional staff, and to harbor bitterness that affects those uninvolved.
by HB
xxx.xxx.61.62
July 16, 2014