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Is there a way to change specialists?
Good Afternoon,
This may not be the appropriate group and if not, please advise.
I have a chronic serious condition that warrants going to the emergency room every so often. I would prefer not to but I can't seem to get an appointment with someone who can help me. Back in 2021, after an emergency visit, I was referred to a department and they told me to "pick a specialist" and I selected one I could see asap. First visit with her was a disaster. I had no confidence in her after a 3 minute discussion and I was taken aback by her reaction when she saw my issue. Very unprofessional. She did not listen to my answers at all or my records which indicated WHY I was not on certain medications. She could have cared less about my history. She wrote completely inacurrate information in her notes which I asked to be changed. I cancelled further appts, asked patient relations to change me and I received the standard letter saying she was following standard patient care. Well, she had not provided "care". I never saw her again. My Interventional radiologist no longer sees patients, my hematologist is no longer there and after 6 hemo fellow that come and go, I just gave up. So now, I manage my care by going to the emergency room. It was an IR who diagnosed me, treated me and helped me but I can't seem to get another appointment with an IR. I have an appointment at Cleveland clinic next week but I'm 5 minutes away from Mayo and 5 hours away from Cleveland clinic. It's been since 2021 that I actually had an appt with a specialist. Can't Mayo do something here? They still have the physician I never followed up with, 3 years later, as my specialist. It's ridiculous that a patient is forced to keep going to the emergency room because they can't change doctors.
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Hey there, I am so sorry. This has happened to me before. The rule in my medical group is you can change physican's one time and that is it. Call and ask the receptionist if you can please see another doctor in the group and go from there. Praying for you as it appears you have a lot on your plate. God Bless.
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5 ReactionsHi @eyecu, I'm sorry to hear about your experience with not feeling heard or seen and that you rely on emergency care to manage your chronic condition.
If this situation happened at Mayo Clinic, I encourage to reach out to the Office of Patient Experience and explain what has been going on. I might also mention that you have an appointment at Cleveland Clinic, but that you would prefer to stay local.
Here's the contact information:
Mayo Clinic Office of Patient Experience
Phone: 844-544-0036 (toll free)
Email: opx@mayo.edu
If you are located in the mid-west, you may also have options to consider a Mayo location within the Mayo Clinic Health System https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/locations
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9 ReactionsMy wife and I are patients at Mayo Jacksonville. We have the same cardiologist but would like to change to a different doctor. We don't want to upset anyone at Mayo but how do we go about making this change? We literally have not seen our cardiologist for years, we only get to see the PA. We both have what we feel are minor heart conditions and would like a fresh approach to our care…….thank you!
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3 ReactionsThat’s strange that you can only change doctors one time. My insurance company will PDF my cellphone with a list of approved, in network doctors to choose from until I’m satisfied with the one I picked . Later on if things go sour I can just pick one from one of the 3 pages. No limit as to how often I change doctors.
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4 Reactions@picolata, I can understand your wish to not upset anyone. That said, Mayo Clinic wants you to be confident in the care you and your wife are receiving.
To submit a request to change provider, it is generally suggested that you contact your current provider or department with the request via the patient portal.
If this is not possible, you can submit your request to the Office of Patient Experience to assist.
Office of Patient Experience
https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/patient-experience
Phone: 844-544-0036 (toll free)
Email: opx@mayo.edu
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5 ReactionsIf it's within the same group, they should let you change doctors at least once. If it's another group you want to go to, you may or may not need a referral from your primary physician….depending on your insurance. Blessings….
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2 Reactions@eyecu My partner had the experience of asking to change at providers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I'm going to share his experience (I was present during all of this).
He had seen a nurse practitioner (NP) in Urology for prostate symptoms. His concern, rightly so, was whether this was an enlarged prostate, prostatitis or prostate cancer. Over the period of about 6 months he lost confidence in her ability to interpret and explain tests and how to continue to proceed. It was apparent that she wasn't consulting with physicians in the department. I write this because I am very satisfied with the NP I see at Mayo Clinic for cancer surveillance. My NP does consult with the physicians in her department. I write this so that you will know about the variation among PAs and NPs. So, here is what he did.
The Office of Patient Experience (that @colleenyoung) referred to suggested that he first contact the Urology Dept. and ask for the Practice Manager which is an RN. On a day that we were present at Mayo Clinic, he went to the dept. and asked for the Practice Manager who wasn't available. Instead, the department offered the Charge Nurse (also an RN). He had a private meeting with the Charge Nurse who took notes, listened carefully, wasn't defensive and was non-judgmental. My partner asked for a physician and within a few days he was offered an appointment with a physician. When my partner saw the physician, the consult was very helpful and it became apparent that as my partner surmised the NP was "out of her league" on ordering and interpreting the myriad of complicated tests in prostate health and prostate cancer.
From this experience we learned that either an NP or PA is often the first provider that is seen in Urology (and perhaps other departments at Mayo). While my partner was initially very uncomfortable with asking for a different provide, he was treated with respect and kindness by everyone involved in the request. The next time he returns to Urology at Mayo he will see a physician.
So, to summarize here is my recommendation. Start with the department. Ask to talk with the Practice Manager. Let the Practice Manager know your concerns and why you would like to change providers. My partner never said anything negative about the NP's character or blamed her in any way. This aspect is important. He came prepared with a list of what he wanted to talk about. I was present for emotional support and as a "witness" to the discussion.
Does this help you figure out how to proceed?
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4 Reactions@picolata, I want to ensure that you saw @naturegirl5's post and first-hand experience of changing providers at Mayo Clinic. See her post here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/964639/
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