A Letter from my Doctors... a Reply from their Patient

First some back story:

The Doctors at the CF (yes, I have Cystic Fibrosis) clinic apparently don't understand common courtesy. Who schedules appointments with people without asking them when they're free? Or even, at the very least, telling that person when they they are free and asking them which of these dates/times work? (Follow that?)

The Doctors at the Clinic do. :\

Needless to say they scheduled me an appointment and sent me a little letter summoning my presence at an arbitrarily set date and time that neither I nor ANY of my family members had a hand in selecting. A while later I got a letter saying that that date and time didn't work for them, and that we would have to reschedule. (I thought that was funny. They can't even summon me when THEY are free...)

A day or two later we got a phone-call from the doctors. They wanted to schedule an appointment with me. I wasn't home at the time, and my mother took the call.

What my mother told them: "I don't know his schedule, you'll really have to talk to him."

Not even a tentative decision was reached in that conversation.

A few days later I received a letter informing me that I was summoned to an appointment that was again set arbitrarily without me or my family having any say in the matter.

I rolled my eyes, and promptly forgot about the appointment. Oops.

Today I received this letter:


Biltz, Raphael J

This letter is a reminderof our office policy concerning missed appointments. You and/or a family member missed your appointment. Per *Hospital Name Deleted* policy you and/or your family members will be dismissed from the clinic after three no shows. When you cannot keep an appointment, you MUST call prior to your appointment to cancel. If this is not done, you will be dismissed from the clinic and then would have to find a physician outside the *Name Deleted* outpatient clinics. If you have questions, you may contact our office.

Please do not ignore this warning.

Sincerely,
*Hospital Name Deleted*


I have written the following reply:


*Hospital Name Deleted*

This letter is a reminder of my patient policy concerning scheduling appointments. You and/or a staff member scheduled an appointment without consulting me. Per my policy you and/or your appointment will be ignored when arbitrarily scheduled without my consent. When you wish to schedule an appointment, as per the dictates of common courtesy, you MUST call prior to setting the appointment time and date and confer with me. If this is not done, you will not be taken seriously. If you have questions, you may contact me at home.

Please do not ignore this reminder.

Sincerely,
Raphael J. Biltz

Do you know why they call people receiving medical attention "Patients"? Because you really have to be patient with the Doctors. Not only do they make you wait twenty minutes in a cold room (as often as not in your underwear) they act like idiots and we have to remain polite.