Rob Watson
Address
City, State, Zip
Chief Hospital Administrator
Scott & White Clinic
Temple Texas
Sir/Madam,
When I was a child, my mother had some unidentified medical problems. She first went to the local doctor, then the regional hospital in Shreveport, then the big boys down in New Orleans. All concluded she had a spot on her lung and it was Lung Cancer and should have her lungs removed... not the solution Mama had in mind. By some means, Mama was refered to your clinic, back when it was in the old location in downtown Temple. After a number of visits and an extended stay, A pathologist there determined the pyloric valve at the bottom of her esophagus was cramping shut and food was overflowing into her lungs when she lay down at night. After further study, they disabled that valve and solved the problem.
Mama came away thinking yours was the greatest hospital in the history of the world. And so she taught me, her son. In later years, acting on this belief, I went to your hospital three or four times, when I felt I needed a complete physical examination. These exams usually took three or four days. The examinee met with a pathologist first thing, then scheduled appointments with specialists in various fields. In the end The pathologist collected the results from the various specialists and met with the examinee at the end to discuss the results. I always came away feeling I had the best possible examination, and well worth the vastly greater expense.
This preamble brings us to events beginning a few months ago. My wife was just entering Medicare and was due the initial physical examination they will pay for. Her last real physical was with you, some 25 years ago. Well, Back to Scott & White for the best. LOL ( if you are not in with current slang, that stands for Laugh Out Loud!!)
I called your main number to schedule her appointment. I spoke to eight or ten people before I even found someone who recognized my description of the type physical exam I wanted. This Young man forwarded my call to a group in “Internal Medicine” who claimed to do just that. Our records were updated and the appointment was made. Much to my surprise he said this would cost $395.
This morning, My wife calls as she is leaving Scott and White. She tells me she is done after one hour. The doctor says she is in good health and all her complaints are age related. “Well” says I, “did they do any tests?” “Yes, they took blood. The doctor will call me to come back if they find any problems”
Google Maps says that will only be 606 mile back down there, after a 1,212 mile round trip to get there in the first place. Needless to say I am disappointed.
My Medicare physical is due next August, if I want to talk, for an hour, to someone who is completely ignorant of my medical condition, I will go to my Priest. He is only six blocks away. And, he would be happy with a donation of $390. (a penny saved is a penny earned.)
Call me irritated and vastly disillusioned.
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