University of Minnesota... TP/AIT Procedure

Subtitled: "The Trouble With Casey's Referral."

Good Thursday Morning.

OK, Later than I'd anticipated...
Deep breath...
"Start over, Anna"...

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Yesterday found Casey here early.
Sick. Tired. And in obvious pain.
But it was time to contact the University of Minnesota; and yes, I wanted to be in on those calls.

After placing her call to Dr. Sutherlands assistant, (and to the Finance Director), she was told that her doctor here had not returned a single call to them.
They had been trying to contact him since the 5th of November.

They had heard nothing back.
(As if Casey wasn't feeling poorly enough).

She then called to her doctors office here, and was put through to his nurse.
FYI. She was told she was on speakerphone; with myself and Casey.
(It might be important later).

At first this nurse 'claimed' she had received no phone calls from them.

When given the names of the people that had called and had requested for Dr "X" to call them back, she admitted that in fact she had received those calls.

BUT, she said she did not know of this procedure, and that she would not give it to the doctor until she knew about it. We answered her questions; but she had a hard time with ours...

Casey asked what the hold up was. Nurse then said she had nothing in writing.
We then got the fax number from her.
This finally, after she had 1st given us her mothers number in Upper Michigan.
¿WTfH?

I asked again why Dr "X" had not called MN back, she answered, "nothing gets to him unless it comes through me first." end~quote

Nurse needed to know the co$t as well.
Casey told her.

To say I was aghast at what this nurse said to her next is NOTHING when compared to how it left Casey feeling...

Nurse: "Do you realize this is our entire budget?"

Casey started crying, (can you blame her?)...
But crying only made her own words quite unintelligible.
I sweetly took over the phone at that point, (kissed a little backside), and ended the conversation almost as quickly as I had taken it over.

"Never let 'em see ya sweat"... (or however it goes).

As soon as Casey was able to talk, we called Minnesota back; speaking once again to Dr. Sutherlands assistant.
While she seemed to take it all in stride, she was more than a bit upset.
She said she would send all that this "nurse" required; along with the entire description of the whole procedure. Kind of made it sound like she might flood their fax machine.
(Personally, I hope she did).

Casey has pneumonia, and all the coughing makes her pancreas hurt much more.
She has posted a blog about this... CLICK HERE.

(Rock ~Casey~ Hard Place)

Anyway, after that conversation, Casey had to go pick up a prescription. I told her to "wait a minute," ~and quickly penned a note to Dr. "X".

In the note, I asked him WHY he had not returned any of those phone calls, and gave him the dates etc of these calls.
After watching Casey for these past moments, trying to calm her while I was pissed beyond measure, that note might have been a bit scathing; (after all, I did write what his nurse had said about the co$t) of the procedure.
I enclosed ALL of our phone numbers, and asked that he get back to us.
I sealed the envelope, dated the outside of that too, wrote his name on it, marked it "Personal and Confidential".

I told Casey who to give the envelope to at the clinic, and to make sure that they gave it directly to Dr. "X". No problem.
(Sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know).

While Casey waited for the prescription, she stopped by the "Contract Health" office. (This is where all of the insurance referrals go through). She filled them in on what had transpired.

THEY called the Administrator for her to talk to. Thank God someone is paying attention. He spoke to them all.
She left with her referral. (Budget be damned)!

Apparently Dr. "X" only works ½ day on Wednesdays. (The truth according to his nurse. When we had asked to speak with him earlier, she said he had patients all morning, and was gone in the PM).

So, not surprisingly, when my cell rang this morning it was Dr."X".
Sad that he had only called to tell me that he was upset and "took exception" to my note.
In laymen terms that translates to OMG was he pissed AT ME. (Oh well).
Said I made him feel stupid and a jerk.
I reminded him that I did not write those two words, and that I had a copy of that note.

He said that this was the 1st he knew of ANY of this all, and that a phone call would have done it.
"Not possible Doctor, see your 'nurse' runs interference, and told me that unless we go through her first NOTHING goes to you."

He told me to make an appointment with him then. (Yeah, right).

He said he was there on Wednesday afternoons, but didn't take patients at that time. (Gee, and we were told he was gone)?

No, I didn't say those things, but I sure was thinking them. My attitude must have conveyed itself to him, and he told me I didn't have to get upset about this all.
I then asked him what HE would think if someone put a pricetag on his daughters head?
He also said he had no idea that she had even been seen in MN. I asked him who had written THAT referral? He said he didn't know, but that he would find out...

.~I am thinking that MORE than one head got rolled this morning. First by the Administrator; and then by the good doctor himself.

.

A girl can only hope...

.

AT ANY RATE, CASEYS SURGERY IS A "GO"
And will be completely covered.
Praise God.
(And how very unChristian of me to wish it would come out of that nurses pocket).
Sorry.

sigh

Love to all.

XOXO
Anne

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Originally posted to my Y! 360, Thursday November 13, 2008 - 01:01pm (CST)