A few of my doctors leave automated appointment reminder calls. I have an appointment with one of my doctors on Tuesday. His office is located in Miami Valley Hospital (for those of you who aren't from Dayton, it's the big regional trauma center, similar to Universtiy Hospital-the kind of place they take really critical people. We live a few miles away). Usually the calls have his name or the practice name on the caller ID. Anyway, DH was out running errands yesterday afternoon, during the awful rain. Well last night I get a call at 5:00pm. The caller ID says "Miami Valley Hospital." I think it's the ER calling to report that DH was in an accident or something and I almost have a freaking heart attack. Nope, it's was the automated reminder line. I think it took a half hour for my heart to stop pounding.
Anway, should I say something when I go to my appointment? Should I talk to the front desk? The doctor? Ask for the office manager? I feel like they should call during normal office hours or use the practice's name on caller ID. Or am I just a nutty, paranoid wife?
Re: WWYD?
I think you might be overreacting a little. You said the Dr's office IS located in Miami Valley Hospital. I'm guessing the phone lines are run through the hospital, not through the practice - and it's likely routed through a switchboard system rather than having private lines so that the hospital information desk can be able to route calls to his office. The Dr's office probably doesn't have that much control over the caller ID.
I'd also bet that the automated reminder is set to trigger 48 hours before an appt and isn't manually flipped on/off by anyone in his office.
Now you know, so you don't freak out next time. Stop thinking the worst first!
Photos courtesy of Jen Rose Photography
This. Being that it's automated, there might not be much they can do about it anyway.
But, I will say, that if I were in your situation I would probably be worried too, and do what I could do double-check that DH was okay. But then again, I've been told that I'm nutty & paranoid, so...
I guess it was such a shock b/c the caller ID has never said the hospital name, always the doctor or practice. Plus Dh is a shitastic driver in the rain. Maybe he's the one I need to yell at, not the doctor.
ETA-Thanks for bringing me back to reality.