Patient
I was really looking forward to this appointment. Every cardiologist near my town was booked until September. I had managed to find an appointment about 20 minutes away, but it wasn't until days later. So when I called Capital Health and was offered a 9:20 AM appointment on Friday, 07/11, I took it immediately--even though it meant driving 40 minutes out of the way. I was told to be at the hospital by 9:00 AM to fill out paperwork. Less than 24 hours before, I received a voicemail saying I couldn't come in until 10:00 AM because the doctor wouldn't be there until then. When I called to confirm, I was told "nevermind" and that my 9:20 AM appointment was still valid. So I left my house at 8:30 AM and arrived at 9:00 AM--only to get a call at 8:56 AM telling me not to come in until 10:00 AM. I let them know I was already there, but was again told the doctor wouldn't be in until 10:00. So I sat in the parking lot with my mom and baby sister, waiting. At 9:40 AM, I went in and completed the paperwork. Around 10:10 AM, I checked with the front desk to make sure I was still being seen. I was told yes. At 10:30 AM--after sitting there for nearly an hour--I went back up again to ask for an estimated wait time, because I was nearing the 2-hour mark of being at the hospital with no sign of movement. I told them if I wasn't seen in the next 10 minutes, I would have to cancel. That's when the receptionist went to ask the doctor's assistant what was going on. She came back ten minutes later and told me that the doctor "didn't know I was there"--despite me checking in, filling out paperwork, and confirming twice that I was on the schedule. Meanwhile, other patients were being taken back. So not only did I waste two full hours of my morning--including a 40-minute drive each way--but I also had to manage my baby sister during all of this, thinking I'd be seen soon. I was misinformed and ultimately forgotten. This was not just inconvenient--it was a genuinely upsetting experience. I feel completely dismissed as a patient, and frankly, I'm appalled at the lack of coordination and communication.