Any nurses of there??

I just have a few questions. I'm currently 8 weeks pregnant and my doctor just dropped me yesterday! She delivered my first child 5 years ago and I've been with her since. Before I got pregnant this time, I asked her if she would follow me and deliver the baby (I'm high risk this time and had to get mediciad and she knew that). She assured me that she would and would consult with another doctor on my condition.

Yesterday, I get a call saying that I'm to just to the other doc. from here on out (that I've only met once) and she's not delivering the baby b/c she doesn't want to fool with the medicaid.

I am so mad, hurt and confussed. How can she do that to me after I made it a point to talk to her BEFORE getting pregnant to make sure that she would be ok with all of this???

I feel abandoned and betrayed.

What do you guys think?

And to the nurses.....does this happen often?
I don't think this is right!

That must be so hard just when you need all the support you can get, from someone you know and trust. But it maybe that she just doesn't feel that she can give you the best kind of care, taking all the circumstances into account. However if that is the case, then to just tell you abruptly on the phone is not the right way to go about it.She must know that you are feeling especially vulnerable. Good luck with finding a good balance and expert care and advice.

The sad part is that she didn't even tell me, one of the girls in the office that I don't know told me.

It's not that she doesn't feel that she can handle it. I'm only going to see the specialist 3 times during the entire pregnancy. He even told me that he doesn't even need to see me, that he could tell her what tests to run and he's also not going to be there for the delivery. It's simply that the girls in the office don't want to fool with the medicaid. The reason that the girl gave me was that the other doctor already accepts medicaid so I should just see him.

I asked to speak to her but she wasn't in so she's suppossed to call me today. (Yeah, right) If she doesn't call me today, I'm going to her office Friday.

If I can't change her mind, I don't know what I'm going to do. I really don't care for the specialist so I'll be left out in the cold looking for an OB who will see me and that I can trust.

I'd rather not see anybody before seeing one that I don't like or don't feel confident in.

If there's one thing I took away from my time as a social worker it's this- it is quite common for doctors to refuse medicaid patients. I saw this so many times when I was a case manager. It's so common, in fact, that it made it into one of my text books. It's terrible the way she's treated you. Regardless of the hassle I just don't think it's right to drop patients like that, or refuse to see new patients because of it. If you flip through the yellow pages here you'll actually see which doctors definately accept medicaid patients- they actually advertise it. Dentists and counselors do the same thing. I'm very sorry she hurt you like that.

It really ticks me off because I went to her 3 months BEFORE becoming pregnant to make sure. Had she refused then, I would have found someone that I trust who would accept me BEFORE getting pregnant.

Well, after feeling down and hurt about everything that happened with my OB, I sucked it up and went on the net to find a specialist in my area. After finding one and getting some feedback on that doctor, I called my doctor (DR. C) to ask her to reffer me to the new one. When I did the receptionist asked why I wanted a referral?

I told her because DR.C "decided onot to deliver my baby" So, she said OK and within 5 min. the new doctor called me to set up an appointment. I was thinking, "Man they must know I'm hurt and real mad!"

Not 2 min. later, Dr. C's office calls and says that Dr. C didn't remember the conversation but since she said that she would take care of me and deliver my baby she will accept the medicaid.

I'm kinda confussed now. I think that my initial feelings were right and that her office staff didn't want to fool with it AND that she honestly didn't remember the conversation.

What do you guys think?
I want to go to DR. C but if she really doesn't want me, I don't want her. But if it was an honest mistake, I can move on and be ok with everything.

Do you think it sounds like an honest mistake?

I'm not a nurse, but I think you should at least talk to her face to face, alone, and find out what the story is. You'll be able to tell if she's lying or not, and then go from there.

I'm very happy you've also found a Specialist willing to deliver your baby, Catherine! I agree that you may want to go to the office to speak to Dr. C to discuss this. It may well have been a misunderstanding and you can just move on like this never happened. Follow your instincts, though.This is such an important time for you to feel secure with your Dr. Please let us know what you decide.

I personally think you should talk to this current doctor and have the opportunity to find out what happened and make your decision from that meeting.
The girls in the office should have nothing to do with it.
Also, since you are comfortable enough with her that maybe you should go through with having her as your doctor. Now is not a good time for you to be searching for someone new. Considering the "high risk" pregnancy and she does know your history.
I am not a nurse, but a pharmacy technician at the hospital, and I have 2 grown children.
Mis-communication is often the only problem.

The way I see it, although it's not a good time to be searching for a new obstetrician now because of a high risk pregnancy... equally it's a bad time for your original doctor to be "making mistakes". I'm sorry, but that just shouldn't be happening. To say "I don't remember" is even more alarming, because everything should actually be written down. If she'd decided not to deliver your baby, it would be written in your notes somewhere. To be honest, it smacks of incompetence - at the very least dire organisational skills. I'd agree that you should go and talk to her face to face, but I'd also make it very clear that you're not impressed and that there will be consequences if they slip up again - but maybe it's a good idea to keep the new doctor in mind though. This is your baby's life here, not just a cut that needs a plaster to cover it.

But excuse me, You shouldnt have taken the word from those girls because they are not YOUR doctor.
You have to hear what your doctor says not out of other peoples mouthes.

Originally Posted by fwan

But excuse me, You shouldnt have taken the word from those girls because they are not YOUR doctor.
You have to hear what your doctor says not out of other peoples mouthes.

Click to expand...

I have to strongly agree with this. I have been working fairly close with doctors for the past 8 years, and with my own experience with my children seeing specialists, etc. etc. The office staff can make or "break" your experience with your doctor. I have dealt with some really crappy office staff, and have left because of the office staff even when I loved the doctor.

Never take the word of the "girls up front". This is not a cut on medical receptionists in general, but I have had some really bad experience with some....Sometimes they even like to "play doctor" and give you advice. If they ever give you advice, talk to the doctor and tell them they were giving you advice, and the doctor will put them in their place.

I've BTDT way too many times.

Hope everything gets figured out. Trying to give the doctor the benefit of the doubt here because doctors see like 20-50 patients in one day, they can't remember every last conversation... it's sad but true.

I thought I could give one of my BTDT examples. My daughter was born with hemangiomas all over her body (she's 5 now an they are all gone) and they were concerned she could have these little blood tumors in her brain, so I had to go get her a head CT at a year old. I was given a prescription to fill for some sedative. I called the radiologist office before hand and they asked if I got the prescription filled. I said yes, but what should I do with it? They said, "Give her one teaspoon an hour before you come into the office for the CT."

I did just that. I got to the office, and my daughter couldn't even hold her head up... she was passing out in my arms. I couldn't fill out the paperwork because of it. One of the radiologist's came out and yelled (yes YELLED) at me and scorned me in front of all the other patients that I could have killed my daughter, etc. etc., and then she started mumbling about "young mothers" under her breath (I always looked like a teen throughout my 20s! lol!)... I was PISSED OFF. I was bawling my eyes out, completely broke down crying, couldn't stop. I then wrote a nasty letter to that radiologist center and described what happened. They said it was their "new office staff up front" who gave me the wrong directions for the sedative.

arggghh! Never trust the people "up front".

There are some people who will take any opportunity to use (and abuse) any bit of power they have. Your doctor may not have remembered the conversation for any number of reasons. She may have been heading out the door, not heard the bulk of the conversation, and rushed an answer. She may have been asked a general question about accepting Medicaid, which the office girl didn't want to do, and responded to that...not knowing that it was directed at your case specifically. Or the girl just decided that she wasn't going to accept Medicaid and not actually consulted the doctor personally. But Dr. C, as their boss, has to cover for them professionally even if the girl was reamed or even fired because of it. (I know I wouldn't want to go to an office with incompetent staff, and she doesn't want to give that impression to her patients.)

I agree, go in and talk with Dr. C about the situation. Let her know exactly what happened and your concerns about it. It sounds like she didn't authorize that response from the office girl to you specifically, but that's just me. Not a nurse, or even in a medical field, but I do know how to get the answer I want from my bosses (not that I do it, but if it were important enough I could.).

Thanks everyone!

I really didn't want ot listen to the office staff but when you call a doctors office, that's who you speak to. I left 3 messages and the DR. never returned my call so I figured that either she had made her decision OR that the office staff wasn't giving her the messages.

Really and truely, your hands are tied when the office staff won't communicate on your behalf to the DR. The only thing that you can do after that is go extreme and beome a "stalker"

Anyway, I'm going to keep the appointment with the new DR. (the specialist) and also the the Appt. with DR.C. I'm going to see how I like the new new and how Dr. C acts towards me. If she's cold and withdrawn,......I'm outta there!

Thanks for listening and the advice eveyone!

And J.Otte -
I'm so glad that your daughter is doing great!