I recently had what will be my last appointment at CMDC at Livingston after seeing the same primary care physician for approximately seven years. I will not mention the doctor’s name, but she is a very popular physician at this location.
Unfortunately, my experience at this appointment left me extremely disappointed and frustrated.
My appointment was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. I arrived at approximately 8:25 a.m. and was the first patient to sign the clipboard. The doctor arrived around 8:45 a.m. and gave a general “Good morning” to the lobby but did not make eye contact or personally acknowledge the patients who were waiting.
I was called in around 9:00 a.m. My vitals were taken, and that process was completed by approximately 9:05 a.m. I was then left sitting in the examination room for approximately 45 minutes waiting for the doctor.
During that entire time, no one came into the room to acknowledge the delay, apologize, or simply say, “The doctor will be with you shortly.” Nothing. I sat on the examination table watching staff members repeatedly walk past the room and look in, yet no one took a moment to communicate with me.
When the doctor finally came in, she was smiling and apologized. By that point, however, I was understandably upset, and I expressed how I felt.
I asked her to refill my prescription and explained that, after years of experiencing similar issues, I no longer felt valued or respected as a patient. Too often, the experience at this clinic has made me feel as though patients are being moved through like cattle—as if we are simply another dollar rather than individuals whose time and concerns matter.
What was particularly troubling was being told that patients are not necessarily seen according to their appointment times. If that is the case, I have to ask: What is the purpose of scheduling appointments? Patients arrange their work schedules, transportation, family responsibilities, and other obligations around the appointment times they are given. Our time should also be respected.
Another ongoing concern over the years has been the lack of preparation before my appointments. I have repeatedly felt that my medical notes and history were not reviewed before the doctor entered the room. On more than one occasion, including this visit, I have had to remind the doctor about medications she previously prescribed to me. After seven years as a patient, I find this particularly disappointing.
I understand that medical offices can become busy and that unexpected delays happen. My concern is not simply that I had to wait. It is the lack of communication, acknowledgment, preparation, and respect for the patient’s time.
Please do better.
Patients deserve to be acknowledged. We deserve communication when there are significant delays. We deserve providers who are prepared when they enter the examination room. Most importantly, we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
We are not cattle, and we are more than a dollar. We are patients and people whose time, health, and concerns matter
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