Wanted: Primary Care Physician

For the last couple of years, I have been shopping for a new Primary Care Physician. The one I had for years gave up his practice for an administrative job. The doc I replaced him with, after only a couple of years, moved his practice. Both good docs and I miss them.

But I was left (of course there were referrals that didn’t work out for me for whatever reasons) without a Primary Care Physician. So I’ve had to punt, and be my own Primary Care Physician while I ‘shop’.

Since last November, I have seen (3 visits now) a woman Internist just down the street. I like her, it’s close, I could even get there just in my wheelchair if I had to, and she’s affiliated with the hospital I prefer.

My first visit with this ‘new’ doc was great.

On the second visit, the doc was not there; and I was not in the computer as having an appointment. Luckily, her partner was there and saw me. It was the first time I had any contact with her, she was nice and competent, but a ‘yes, but’ person. (You know the type, no matter WHAT you say, they reply with ‘yes, but...’.).

Then in January, I had to cancel my visit because of heavy rain (You do not get the electronics in a wheelchair wet!), then she cancelled the next appointment (the morning of), for whatever reason. The receptionist put me on a ‘waiting list’ for an appointment; it was over a week before she called back!

So in February, the new doc and I finally connected again (well sort of). I called that morning to confirm my appointment. It was not raining. I was there 15 minutes ahead of time. I was greeted in a friendly way by the receptionist, and put in an exam room after only a brief wait.

Then I waited, read an entire magazine. Looked out the door, could see or hear nothing except a phone ringing. Then I waited some more, glancing through the same magazine again. I looked at my watch and realized I had been waiting in the exam room for an hour! I put on my jacket in preparation for leaving, when the doc came in. She did not know me from Adam, obviously had not even taken the time to glance at my chart, read her own prior notes. She did order the yearly mammograms, and the Osteoporosis scan I needed. (Yes, not surprisingly, I also have Osteoporosis.) When I left the office, late afternoon, the lights in the reception area were dimmed, no receptionist, the box of ‘lab samples’ were sitting outside the door! Guess they had shut down for the day and not told me, or even forgotten about me sitting in the exam room!

So it looks like I am still shopping for a doc! Several years ago, when I first started looking to replace my Primary Care Physician, one of my specialists asked me, “what are you looking for in a doc?” My reply was and is, “Someone who gives a damn!”