Granger woman’s attempt to change doctors backfires
After biopsies and testing, surgeons operated twice on the cancer cells growing in her milk ducts, the 70-year-old says. After one of the operations, the retired social worker developed a fever, and she grew more worried when she saw pus around the site.
Even in the best of times during the several years she was a patient of a doctor at
Now, trying to heal from cancer and really worried, she sought out the doctor her husband regularly saw at the same medical group but who also saw walk-in patients at the Medpoint24 next door.
That doctor prescribed antibiotics, which quickly delivered relief both to Kelly's infection and her peace of mind.
"He spends time to listen every time I see him," Kelly says of the doctor her husband, Raynaldo, also thought highly of. "I respect him so much."
She asked that doctor whether she could become his patient, too, she says. "'Sure, we transfer patients all the time,'" she and Raynaldo recall of his response.
The next week, she requested her records. According to Kelly, the clerk said, "You cannot do that."
The next week, she received a letter from her original doctor, dated
"
Meanwhile, the Veneracions had a billing question with the group, so they met there
Jenkins declined comment through a spokeswoman.
But according to the couple, he said, "If you're not happy with your doctor and your billing, why don't you go someplace else?"
"He said, 'You cannot see (the other doctor), because they are partners. You cannot transfer like that,' " Kelly says, in her accented English. "And he asked me to leave."
Raynaldo, who had been quiet until then, said he then stood up and extended his hand to introduce himself. The officer manager apparently took the gesture the wrong way, saying, "You want to attack me!" and pushed him, the Veneracions say.
The two were banned from any doctors in the medical group and at Medpoint, they say, despite having been patients there for 11 years without incident, despite taking Christmas gifts to the staff every year, despite trying to transfer to a doctor who said it would be fine to do so.
A
Dr.
"So that physician-patient relationship is entered into voluntarily," Mohr says. "As a physician, you're not required to see anyone you don't want to see."
A lot of factors can prompt a doctor to stop seeing a patient, including:
--Personality conflict. "As human beings, they just can't get along," he says. "Usually they come to some sort of mutual agreement, or the patient just doesn't come back anymore."
--Patient behavior, including abusive language.
--Compliance issues that could result in a bad outcome.
--Financial reasons, either not sharing insurance information or not paying your bill.
--If a patient or a patient's relative has sued doctors. "That gets a little sketchy, but it happens," he admits. Doctors, in fact, are sent to risk management seminars that advise against taking on litigious patients. "It is the society we live in, unfortunately."
But what about patients who can't find another doctor? What about the Hippocratic Oath?
"Hippocrates said, 'First, do no harm,' " Mohr says, pointing to the patient who doesn't take his doctor's advice. "In that regard, you're upholding that adage. You don't want to harm that patient with your treatments. Both parties have an obligation to one another."
The
Mohr says he's ended patient relationships in his 22 years of practice, although not many. He encourages patients to try to work things out with their doctors, because with increasing insurance restrictions, it can take some time to find a new doctor.
"If a patient finds themselves without a doctor," Mohr says, "that can be a scary proposition."
That, the Veneracions know too well.
It took weeks for each of them to find a doctor, pulling out lists of names crossed off for one reason or another. Many don't take new patients, or they don't accept the right insurance.
Kelly, who is still under cancer treatment, met her new general practice doctor for the first time just days ago. She was relieved and delighted with the woman she says took the time to get to know her and set her at ease.
Still, the two are angry and humiliated at what happened.
"It could be a happy ending, but the bitterness still lives on," Raynaldo says.
"I get along with people very well," says Kelly, who has been depressed and embarrassed to find herself in this position. "I don't want to fight with anybody. I just want peace. I have illness, and I just want a good doctor to take care of me."
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