I scheduled a yearly physical with Dr. Stephen Luther, drove 25 minutes there and waited in the waiting room for 15 minutes, but then the receptionist called me to the window and said Dr. Luther won’t see me because I have not previously come in for a let’s-go-over-your-chart visit.

I said, “What? You mean, even though you scheduled this visit, he won’t see me until I pay to come in, shake his hand, he looks over my chart, I go home, call again, wait another week or two, then come back in???”

His nurse said, “Yeah, that’s our policy.”

I said, “Then, why did you schedule this appointment? It seems to me if you scheduled the appointment, you should honor it.”

The receptionist said, “I’m sorry, but that’s our policy.”

Really? Their office makes the mistake, I drive 25 minutes there, 25 minutes home, wait in their waiting room for 15 minutes, so what, Dr. Luther can collect the money for an extra office visit? It seems to me, that a doctor who cares about his patients, would place his patients above his policies instead of waste an hour an a half of their time because of his own mistake.

I even asked him to call me so we can talk about it, but he never called.

Submitted Oct. 26, 2017