Friday, August 5, 2011

The Choice


I think I've settled on a new doctor, and let me tell you how I did it.

To bring you up to speed, my former doctor closed his practice.  I had two days notice.  No one from his medical group seemed interested in helping choose a successor, so I was on my own.

By the way, I'd really love to mention names here.

Anyway, I thought I'd stalled long enough, so I logged on to my insurance company's web site.  There was quite a list of doctors in the insurance company's network.  I started with the doctors closest to home, NOT affiliated with my former doctor's group.  The group had done nothing to retain my business.

If I called and was hit with a long list of automated operator options, that doctor was instantly disqualified.  The first voice I hear when I call my doctor should be that of a live human.  Three got knocked out of the box in a hurry.

One potential doctor wasn't accepting new patients.

I finally got a nice woman on the phone, relatively close to home, who was actually interested in helping.  She walked me through the process of switching, and I got an appointment right away.

Of course, I could hate the guy.  I remember when my financial consultant retired.  I went through two replacements, with the same company, rather quickly, before settling on someone I really like.

There's some unfinished business.  I still have to send a letter to the medical group, outlining its poor patient relations.  When I went to the main office to pick up my file, I was asked to sign a release form and was questioned about my new doctor.  There was no "thank you."  No "sorry you're leaving us."  Don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out.

I really liked my old doctor.  I hope the new one is just as good.