For the first time in my life, I've fired someone. Actually, a group of someones.
My daughter has been seen by a multi-disciplinary team at our local pediatric hospital for several years. This team focuses on children with digestive, sleep, and related disorders. It's a great idea, because they bring together doctors from GI (gastroenterology) and ENT (ears, nose, throat), pulmonary specialists, nutritionists, and psychologists, along with nurses and nurse practitioners. Instead of making multiple appointments to see each specialty, you make one appointment and see everyone. They look at a problem from multiple perspectives, which yields a more thorough and accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
However, I've always been a bit frustrated by the way this team runs. It's almost impossible to get someone to answer the team phone. That wouldn't be a big deal if they returned calls. But this has been a chronic problem for me. I leave messages over and over and no-one calls back. Not good when you're talking about weight loss, inhaling water and milk when drinking, struggling with G-tube feedings, and more! They also don't have an on-call person designated to handle emergencies. All you get is voicemail.
I also hate to go to clinic visits there. The clinic always runs behind, and they haven't been good about letting us know when things are being delayed. I heard through the grapevine that they actually have trouble getting staff to report to clinic on time. This is unbelievably inconsiderate of us families, who drag siblings and fragile children in to that hospital from who-knows-how-far away and have to be there on time. One time I sat in a room at the far end of the hall for an hour and 15 minutes without seeing one person. No-one bothered to let me know why the delay or to see if I needed anything. I honestly thought they had forgotten I was there!
(Don't get me wrong -- individually, each person on this team is great. They know their stuff and they have helped us out... once I got them on the phone or actually spoke to them in person. But the team as a whole somehow does not work well together or for my family.)
This last week, I ended up having a visit to cardiology assigned to me for my son. They picked the same day and time that I was supposed to take Elli to see this team. I immediately called and left a message asking to reschedule.
It has been 4 business days and no-one has returned my call. I called today, and again got voicemail. I don't know what happens to my messages, but it feels like they disappear into a black hole!
I decided that I can't keep doing this. I know enough specialists and I know them well enough now that I think we can manage Elli's issues without this team. I need to work with people who return phone calls promptly and know how to run a clinic, especially with 4 kids and 2 with many appointments, medications, and tests to keep track of.
So I fired them. I sent an email to the business director of the clinic explaining the problems I have had with them and that I am withdrawing my child from the program. I figured that the loss of revenue is the best way to get through to them how serious this is. After all, how many people fire their doctors? I also called the team voicemail again and left a message saying that I needed to cancel the appointment next month and that I don't need to reschedule because I won't be coming back.
