Apparently my doctor is dead.
I haven't seen my doctor during COVID, but the office sends my refill prescriptions to the pharmacy. My last check in was October. Pharmacy called me last week, told me I was out of refills.
I emailed my doctor's office to do the usual, they responded that they were closing up the office because my doctor died in November. I found his obituary. Died the week after Halloween (not COVID).
In almost 4 months, nobody thought: hey we should let all the patients know to find a new practice.
I called the pharmacy back, they agreed that was fucking insane and worked some magic to get me another month's fill while I find a new doctor.
I'm like...what the fuck? He was a nice guy and I'm sorry he's dead, but THREE AND A HALF MONTHS!
by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 24, 2021 12:25 AM
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I'm sorry he's dead, but about MY needs? What about ME?
by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 23, 2021 5:05 AM
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I agree, OP that's ridiculous his patients weren't notified. Very neglectful and glad you had an understanding pharmacist.
How did he die?
by Anonymous | reply 2 | February 23, 2021 5:10 AM
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Odd. Usually another doctor buys out the practice. I've had doctors and dentists retire and they always sent out a letter or email saying they were leaving and this new person would be taking over.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 23, 2021 5:22 AM
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The doctor's family condoles you, OP.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 23, 2021 5:26 AM
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When my mom was being treated for lung cancer, the doctor tore her ACL and had to have surgery and took over a month off. In this time, my mom was waiting on results of a fluid biopsy of her lung. No one bothered to tell her that this doctor was out and her cancer meds were no longer working and the cancer was spreading. So by the time we learned this, it was very late to treat and she died less than a year later.
We had to switch her to another doctor because my mom was not allowed to discuss anything with this doctor, she was flanked by hospital assholes and had to hear from a nurse that her cancer spread to her liver.
A medical practice should always have a doctor take over if the practicing doctor is unavailable. You should always ask doctors upfront if they have a doctor on call if something happens to them, because you don't want to find out after it's too late.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 23, 2021 5:58 AM
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I once had a GP just quit. We got a letter from her explaining that she had decided to leave private practice. It was odd.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 23, 2021 6:21 AM
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I just got a letter from my doctor saying he was leaving his practice as an opportunity to work from home had become available. I realize there’s been an increase in telehealth because of Covid but is it really possible for a doctor to work entirely from home? He’s not near retirement age so it’s not that.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 23, 2021 6:27 AM
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I bet the doctor's practice wanted to collect as many insurance claims as they could .They took their sweet time because his death added a ton more paperwork to getting paid, You'll get a good new doctor. Don't give it another thought. There's so much to stress about now, I just let a lot of shit go these days.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 23, 2021 6:36 AM
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He was 70. Heart attack. Of course I feel for his loved ones, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to be told by the staff. If I hadn't needed a refill, when would I have found out?
by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 23, 2021 6:44 AM
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R5, when a similar thing happened with my mother, my family pressed me to sue. I didn’t have the energy. I felt like a wimp, but the people pushing me could have sued on her behalf just as easily as me.
Hope you’re ok. I’ll fuck up some spellings if you need an anger outlet.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 23, 2021 6:59 AM
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It ducks, agreed.
Still, OP, if you were the receptionist for a doctor who died suddenly, I somehow suspect you’d be more concerned about where your next paycheck, meal, rent payment, or monthly medical coverage was coming from, than you would be about combing through your former boss’ records, without pay, to try to arrange other people’s. prescription refills.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 23, 2021 7:10 AM
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What happen to you is pretty shitty, OP. I should know.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 23, 2021 7:30 AM
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Not a good comparison, OP, but I walked into my therapist's office several years ago for a previously scheduled appointment, and the waiting room was full of banker's boxes. The receptionist told me she'd "tried to call" and tell me my therapist had Stage 4 cancer and was not seeing patients anymore. I teared up and told her I wasn't crying for me, but for him. He happened to be a friend of my primary care doctor (who'd referred me to him), and I told my doctor about it the next time I saw him. He said his friend (the therapist) was rejecting all cancer treatments and wanted to die at home. It was all very odd, but again, it had very little to do with me. I respected his wishes and found a new therapist. I agree with others above sympathizing with the office staff...it's a thankless job to pack up an office when your boss is sick or deceased.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | February 23, 2021 8:03 AM
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That happened to a vet's office. The vet retired and didn't send out notices to patients. The phone just quit working and a note was taped to he door about her retirement.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 23, 2021 9:55 AM
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[quote]I just got a letter from my doctor saying he was leaving his practice as an opportunity to work from home had become available.
It's possible, R7, and not just telemedicine. Insurance companies, for example, have doctors on staff to review claims.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 23, 2021 10:13 AM
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What a surprise, OP, both the death and the fact there was no plan for someone to step in and wrap things up with a notice to the clients and to settle up with patients' insurers. You would think someone would have been in a position to at least pay a receptionist or billing staffer to send out notices for a few days, a week, something.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | February 23, 2021 10:17 AM
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R1 = the OP's doctor's widow.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 23, 2021 10:17 AM
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How dare that doctor die and inconvenience you!
You must sue!
by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 23, 2021 10:27 AM
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R1 is just being a typical R1 cunt, I hope. It IS about OP and all of the other patients, not the doctor. He took an oath to help his patients and should have had a plan in place for when he died.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 23, 2021 10:29 AM
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70 year old doctors should not be allowed to have heart attacks.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 23, 2021 10:31 AM
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[quote]It ducks, agreed.
Just wait a goddamn minute!
by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 23, 2021 10:33 AM
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[quote] my family pressed me to sue
How much money would you demand as compensation for your pain and suffering, R11?
by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 23, 2021 10:34 AM
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R24, my dad was still alive so it would have been on his behalf and two brothers pushed for a malpractice lawyer.
Not one of them wiped her ass, fed her, or carried her up and down stairs.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 23, 2021 11:19 AM
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[quote] I'm like...what the fuck
OP, while you’re out searching for a doctor, learn some grammar.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 23, 2021 11:28 AM
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Apparently? You read his obituary... yes or no?
by Anonymous | reply 28 | February 23, 2021 11:43 AM
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My allergy/asthma doc closed his practice during this pandemic. They had been sending out emails telling of adjusted office hours, which I was ignoring for a while since I wasn't due for an appointment yet. However, when my pharmacy called me saying they needed a Dr. approval for refills, I looked at those emails and they indeed sent one that said the office was now closed, with no warning. They left a number & email to obtain medical records. So, I scrambled to find a new doctor but nobody seems to be answering the emails to get records. Luckily, I didn't have any pending insurance claims. Not sure what happened, as I can't find anything online. I wonder how people who don't use email found out, as there was no snail-mail letter sent.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 23, 2021 12:12 PM
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R28 - his doctor was Tanya Roberts.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 23, 2021 2:44 PM
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R5 I would have sued them for everything they had
by Anonymous | reply 31 | February 23, 2021 2:46 PM
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This thread is a real eye-opener. I would just have assumed that every doctor--who is after all in a life-or-death caretaking relationship with his patients--would have some directive in place to inform those patients in case his practice ended, by death, retirement, or whatever.
It used to be the rule that when magzines suddenly folded, their subscriptions would be completed by some other publication. I got 7 Days that way when Spy went under--and 7 Days was more fun. Isn't medicine at least as important as magazine publication?
And of course the usual DL hyenas chime in with their smug sarcasm to mock patients who are deserted by a doctor they had trusted with their health. What fucking assholes you are. You sound like twelve-year-old shitheads who've never had to get a prescription filled, never had to get to the ER with some mysterious and painful ailment.
And to the poster whose relatives urged him to sue: why weren't THEY going to that trouble? Your father was alive, yet he just stood there? I used to know gay guys who dreaded marriage equality because they didn't want to have to deal with in-laws--but blood relatives are already trouble enough. No one should think he has the right to order you around. If they want a lawsuit, let them sue.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 23, 2021 3:27 PM
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[quote]I would just have assumed that every doctor--who is after all in a life-or-death caretaking relationship with his patients--would have some directive in place to inform those patients in case his practice ended, by death, retirement, or whatever.
I would assume the same thing because it’s the common sense thing to do.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | February 23, 2021 11:50 PM
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I received a letter from my doctor of 15 years saying that the office would close in a month, suggesting two other MDs. It's difficult to be solo today. Two years prior he sold the practice to one NYC's three major hospital systems. Don't know details, but once you're their employee all kinds of restrictions exist. By leaving them, he was legally not permitted to open a practice within 25 miles of Manhattan. Now in Central New Jersey starting from scratch.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 24, 2021 12:11 AM
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When COVID started my doctor disappeared for 7 months. He was part of a practice but no one said anything. After 7 months, he shows back up wanting a physical. I told him the other doctor is my doctor now.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 24, 2021 12:16 AM
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I had one die of a heart attack and his replacement died from a stroke a year later. I asked the third one how lucky he felt.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | February 24, 2021 12:24 AM
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R35, I’m hoping you were able to say this in person and pivot on a heel. “Dr. Bob, I’m ready for our appointment now.”
by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 24, 2021 12:25 AM
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