Why is it the nicest doctors have the meanest secretaries??

[Mackey Mouse]

Does anyone run into this??

Our doctor in Boston, good guy, but his assistant that makes the appointments.. pure beast....

Tell me what you really think here, Marsha...

She is so bad that we have refused to work with her and the other secretaries, who we love, take care of us. It does make it difficult to call in as they always want me to speak to her, and then of course, she does not pick up.. it is her voicemail and then I wait till hell freezes over for her to call us back.....no more of that.

I now email with one of the other doctor's secretaries who has been asked to cover us.....the other two secretaries when they found out Tom's cancer was coming back jumped up and hugged us and told us not to worry, they would be here for us....but her, no... she stayed in her cubicle...maybe she has been told to stay away from us after her first interactions with us.

I cannot believe how hard she made it for us when Tom was in the hospital just to get to see this oncologist... I was calling from Tom's recovery room, she would not return the phone calls... so I went down to see her, I had to wait outside where she had many people waiting to see her...she is so important.. The oncologist came by and saw me standing there knowing I had left my husband's hospital room after his surgery and said why didn't you just call... I said I have called numerous times since we saw you, but have not received a call back. He said go back to your room, she will call you in 5 minutes.. that was the start of the battle. I gave up on the battle, I have no time for anyone who works in this kind of setting where people are so sick and still has time for an ego.

She called, she was snippy, and tried another couple of times to tweak me. I called the doctor on the phone, went down to see him, broke down in his office and said no way, no how will she ever be allowed to talk to me again in the manner she has. If she can have not empathy for sick people, then she should not be in this job.. She never interacted with us again....the other two secretaries, we love, they are wonderful to us...and take care of us...

I am thinking the doctor's hands must be tied, maybe they are unionized because I have to say knowing him, I cannot believe he puts up with this....

Anyone else finding these issues?

 

[TruBlu]

Oh Marsha,
I am so sad to hear this. I'll never understand why people stay in jobs that obviously make them so unhappy, then they take it out on everyone around them. I think you are doing the right thing by just avoiding her.

My mom had a similar experience. She has no health insurance, so she gets a lot of snide remarks and eye rolls at doctor's offices. Her brother talked her into going to his doc because her liver is giving her all kinds of problems. Anyway, the doc was great but the secretary was very rude. My mom had to pay $90/visit, and she always paid in cash. Well, a few days after the last visit she got a bill for the $90. She called the rude girl to ask why, and the girl said "Because you didn't pay." Mom had given her the money but didn't get a receipt. It got ugly. Mom called the doc and even he was very rude to her. Well she never paid again and never went back. She was able to get in at the local clinic for a reduced price. Anyway a year later she got a call from the doc begging her to come back. He had caught the secretary stealing money!! My mom told him where to go!

 

[Christine]

I've been lucky in that I haven't really run across this yet. I did have a bit of a problem with my endo's nurse. I like to have LOTS of information and they never want to give it. The nurse got testy with me on many occasions--to the point that I just DREADED calling the office.

But we have gotten to know each other and I've tried to be really nice to her while pushing her for what I need and she seems to have softened on me a bit.

I find these horrific people can be very intimidating and when you're not feeling well and fighting for your life, it's just not right to have to deal with it.

You kind of wonder why your doctor keeps this secretary in his employment?

 

[Mackey Mouse]

"You kind of wonder why your doctor keeps this secretary in his employment?"

I wonder why too.....he cannot be satisfied with the way she treats his patients....unless she is a whiz with everything else and figures people will just put up with her nastiness... no way.. not me, ever. Or maybe it is a union thing.. I wonder.

 

[teacups]

I find this as well.
I attempted to "get a second opinion" once again, by going to a endo for one last chance of getting some help. I asked the office manager if they accepted my insurance, "oh yes, we have tons of patients with that same insurance, come on in." So I went without further checking with my insurance company. Later I was billed $400 for a bunch of silly tests that I have had at every doc I ever try! THEY DID NOT accept my insurance, I was told wrong... and was told that this office person was "let go" for this same problem. BUT do you think they'd cut me any break? I even went to the BBB and medical assoc. with zero help.
Also, recently changed pediatricians. I love the doc but can no longer fight my way thru the receptionist and the nurse. Both a couple of Witches!
If doctors fail to listen to feedback, you have lto make a desicion... but when you are sick, or have a loved one who is sick, that is a terrible position to be in. IMO, too many poeple think they have to put up with that treatment so these AH people then put themselves up on a pedastal. I for one can not stand it and I will speak up. I am known for having a big mouth. So be it.

 

[jann1033]

i usually have the opposite problem ie all are witches so evidently i bring it out in thembut seriously in my long history of lousy medical care i have become more proactive in my approach to health care and don't kiss any one's feet anymore so in other words they better not mess with me which is probably why i get the reaction in the first sentence of my post ...
really usually i don't have a problem and i am nice to them but i have changed drs twice when someone acts like that and I tell them why...( tell the drs not the staff). i wonder if sometimes the staff is "overzealous" in "protecting the drs from time wasters" but really imho if the dr doesn't care enough to make sure his/her staff treats patients with dignity and respect he/she isn't the dr for me. medicine is a business just like any other business and if it starts to hurt the pocketbook they will do something..unfortunately people are their most vunerable when they or a loved one are sick and lots of time stand for stuff they wouldn't from any other business arrangement and i think sometimes that is used against them. i really do think i'd rather not deal with a dr with staff like that though, being sick is stress enough

 

[safetymom]

We had a doctor with a very nasty office manager. The doctor finally told us to deal with him directly. When we called the office we were to tell them to put us through and the doctor ok'ed it. It took a few times but eventually we dealt with the doctor directly. Much better that way.

 

[JunieJay]

I can't imagine anyone being mean to you and Tommy. You two are just the kind of people a normal person likes. This secretary must not be normal. Little wench. Don't let me get my hands on her, being mean to you and Tommy!