Not being able to see an actual gastro doc at Mayo

Mayo patient experience was a horrible experience for me
I am quite sure this is not how things are supposed to go but I would love some input and help!
I was a self referral to Jacksonvilles gastro dept. I have many complex issues so I had to go to Mayo.
I have been there for over two years now. I still see the same NP who did my initial evaluation.
I am just not a good fit with her. She seems overwhelmed and does not communicate well with me or my other docs.
So it was suggested to me to try to see an actual doctor there with all I have going on.
I went to pateint experience and simply asked if it is ever possible to change providers if yours is not a good fit.
Then I got scolded! I was told that at Mayo there is a model and that a self reffered patient in gastro dept will only ever see an NP. I was also told that the gastro docs do not see patients and they are clearly too busy and if they did, they could never see enough patients and just be grateful for who I have.
Also was told that no patients can ever change providers and "If you are not comfortable and happy with your Mayo experience, we ask you to go elsewhere!"
I left in tears! Sadly Mayo is all I have that even knows what my condition is. Yet the NP I deal with can not get most things done and I go unheard. So is what patient experience said true? And why would they attack me that way instead of helping me? Not every NP or doctor is a good fit with every patient. When you have severe illnesses you just want to team you feel comfortable with. Yet I now realize I am lucky for just being there at all.

@gastrogirl, first of all, I want to say - I hear you.
I'm very sorry that the Office of Patient Experience was not able to resolve the issue in a way that helps you feel confident in the care that you are receiving and that you felt attacked. Rapport and "fit" between a patient and the care provider is important to build trust and confidence and to be successful in managing challenging chronic conditions like the ones you face.

Patients are assigned according to medical need. There is no difference whether you self-referred or a physician referred you to Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic model means that your care is reviewed by a team of experts. Whether your main provider is a nurse practitioner or a physician, your Mayo Clinic team will be hand-picked according to your unique needs. It likely includes specialists within and across departments to evaluate your condition from fresh perspectives.

Given the current strain on the medical system throughout the nation at the moment, it may not be simple to change providers within or outside of Mayo Clinic.

How might we strategize ways to get off to a better start with the nurse practitioner? Is that an option to try?

I will get back to you later. Can we private chat about this?

Again my wonderful NP, that I been trying to change because she is unhelpful told me NO she can not get me into one and to go to my primary doc.

@gastrogirl, yes, you can send me a private message. Or send an email using this form https://connect.mayoclinic.org/contact-a-community-moderator/

I can’t speak to the GI dept but I had a horrible experience with a vascular MD in Jacksonville. I was referred by my PCP, spoke with scheduling and made appt for a vascular work up.
I flew across country only to find that the MD was an hour late for the appt, gave me a cursory 15 minute exam and dismissed me without any plan for the work up requested by my PCP. Between that experience, for which I received numerous apologies with a promise to “do better” and recent unsuccessfulattempts to secure a Womens health doc /pcp because I just moved to AZ, I’ve completely given up on the vaunted Mayo Clinic. A 2 year wait for a Mayo PCP anywhere in the Scottsdale- East/West valley area is ridiculous. Good luck with finding a GI doc. I am told that Honor health is a highly respected medical care system but not sure if there is comparable in the FLA area!

First of all let me state that I have the utmost respect for the Mayo Clinic, and all the great things it does.
Now having said that, and after reading some of the posts on this thread….I can’t help but feel that there’s a disconnect between what patients need from MC , what they were led to believe they could receive from MC ……and what sort of care MC can give them.
My personal experience went like this.
My wife is diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, and interstitial lung disease. Not happy with the care she has been getting from her local doctor’s…..I looked into MC in Scottsdale AZ , and the websites invitation to request an appointment to see a pulmonologist, or team of pulmonary specialists. There was a two week process of application, speaking to appointment counselor’s, submitting insurance information, medical information etc etc. We finally arrived at the point where I believed we would be able to receive an appointment, through a telephone call with a MC representative.
After a brief conversation….she put me on hold, saying she will check about appointments available. When she came back….. I was told there are no appointments available in pulmonary medicine now and indefinitely, with no wait list either. No other explanation was given.
Needless to say this was highly disappointing and frustrating to hear.
I wish MC Scottsdale, would inform potential patients, seeking help and care, that appointments are not available BEFORE they are taken through the process, and are hopeful about getting care…..only to be disappointed , after putting in time, and effort, responding to open invitations to receive care. And later told none is available.

I should edit to add that my expensive and worthless trip from the West coast to MC in Jacksonville preceded all Covid activity thus the strain on care used to explain so much of the current staffing issues was not applicable. Airfare, local transportation, hotel, cost of collecting records, time spent securing appt ( mine and my PCP) -all for a 15 minute cursory appt with a vascular doc who basically blew me off. Laughable if not so costly and overwhelmingly depressing at the time.

It is my understanding that Mayo is moving away from the PCP model to a Specialist one and that is why it is hard to get in. Once in, you typically will see the PA.

I had been a Mayo Jacksonville patient from 2011 through 2016. Self referral.
My pcp referred me recently and the request was denied.
I’m now waiting for an appointment in one month with a new GI in my area.
I left another GI locally because I only got to see a PA who really had not reviewed my chart very well.
It seems to be a new pattern nowadays to schedule a patient with a PA and not clarify this when appointment is made.
It saves time for doctors who then can perform more procedures.
My dermatologist appointments are now always PA, which I’m ok with, but will see surgeon for procedures.
Times are changing.