My six-year-old son had an exam at this clinic this morning, during which time I was not permitted to go into the exam room with him and his mother, apparently due to COVID restrictions. Ok, fine. Inside the exam room, my wife asked the doctor if she could call me on the phone and allow me to hear the conversation regarding my son's exam since I couldn't go in with them. That request was denied due to HIPAA law. Again, irritating, but fine (I am familiar with HIPAA regulations). That was the end of it and absolutely ZERO fuss was made of it. So I sat in the waiting room, playing on my phone, listening to a YouTube video quietly so as not to be a distraction, waiting for them to come back out to the lobby. When they were done I got a summary of the exam from the doctor, we took care of the paperwork with the office clerks, made arrangements for a new prescription, and everything was fine and uneventful. Hours later, we get a call that we will no longer be seen by this office and that all future services will be denied. For what?!? we asked. Apparently it was later reported to the doctor by one of his staff that I was listening in on the conversation in the exam room supposedly through a discreet phone call from my wife during the exam. ABSOLUTELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY FALSE! No such phone call was made between us. No such call was attempted or even thought of. I did not and could not listen to any of the conversation, and no attempt was made to do so. So what led to this accusation and swift judgment? Apparently, me quietly listening to a video on my phone while sitting in the waiting room was the only evidence needed to jump to a false conclusion, make the accusation to the doctor (not to me mind you!), and then have the doctor's secretary call to say that we will be refused service for violating HIPAA law. What an outrage! Could I not be asked to put my phone away if some violation was suspected? Or if they only later suspected a violation, could they not have asked me or my wife first if I was on such a call from the exam room? How petty of the doctor and his staff to flatly deny service based on an accusation! How unjust to presume guilt over innocence! How embarrassing for Burleson Eye Care! Do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere!

Submitted Oct. 16, 2020