Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've also had multiple problems with Children's (urology clinic). Including one time that they scheduled me for an appointment out in Fairfax (because there was a 4 month wait in DC, and this was only a 2 month wait), saying it was essential they the child have an xray (or maybe it was an u/s) 20 minutes before exam. I took the day off work, we left the house at 6 a.m. to get out to Fairfax in time for the Xray. Guess who did not even have the xray or u/s machine? The Fairfax branch of Children's. I actually broke down and started crying. This was after the staff at the DC office had been very mean to my child and started yelling at us for sitting in the area where the doctor had told us to sit, and then told us that it was "not her problem" when we said that's where the doctor told us to wait. We ended up just wandering around, trying to figure out where we were supposed to be for the doctor to find us.
The staff at the Fairfax branch were very nice, and helped us find a nearby hospital that could do the test, and then rescheduled the appointment for later that day. But it did turn a 30 minute appointment into a full day extravaganza, which my son still talks about.

I was also astounded at the fact that the rooms at Children had absolutely no books, toys, TV's anything. Each time we went, we ended up sitting in a totally bare room for over an hour waiting for the doctor.

OK, the staff member is terrible, no question. But you need to grow a spine. If that had happened to me, I'd have ripped her a new one, told her to go get her supervisor and bring her to me, and then ripped the supervisor a new one. And I'd have kept my ass planted there until the doctor came back.

Great. Do you think this would actually work? Guess what, it doesn't.

I'm one of the earlier posters who also had an unbelievably terrible time there. I think the other side of this is that the people trying to make the appointments are so burdened with the care of their children and everything else that the hospital somehow gets away with this. I had no idea that other people had had these experiences too. I thought it was just me for some reason. But hearing all of these stories, including OPs that so clearly mirror my own is terrible. There needs to be an exposure of this problem in the wider media.

Anonymous wrote:I suggest that all you parents who hate Children's so much take your business elsewhere, to one of the other dedicated pediatric hospitals with an identical array of highly specialized pediatric specialists and equipment.

This wins for clueless posting.

I love CHOP. We were at Hopkins which I also loved but have since ended up at CHOP because of a rare condition that they have more experience with. yes the drive is inconvenient but in the long run it saves me time and aggravation - not just from an admin perspective but also a diagnostic one. It is worth it and sometimes I have to go up weekly....Their CHILD LIFE is phenomenal (so is Kennedy Krieger's but even they look up to CHOP's child life). And to the really mean poster -- it isn't just about sucking it up. It's great you have something that works for you. just because you have a sick child doesn't make you the expert. You don't know whether that mom's child has something life threatening or life-limiting, must cope with pain that can't be well controlled, is in remission or not, has family that is around, or not. Every journey into this is unique and you didn't walk in this mom's shoes just because your kid is also sick. everyone has their limits. Often when I am truly stressed there can be something that might seem small to someone else considering the issues we are facing but it can be simething that just makes everything too much. Conversely, a nurse or admin person doing something kind -- even when things are bleak and they can't fix it can make a huge difference. I know we have to be strong for our children, but every little thing that makes it easier for the mom to cope, so she can make it easier on the kid who may be truly suffering, really helps. And no, telling off medical professionals even if it is deserved, can be scary because they can take it out on your kid - they can be a little less gentle with the ng tube or iv or whatever. people cope in different ways so what works for one parent won't for another. It's not ok to be mean to a parent of a sick kid and think you have it all figured out. No one truly does.

Anonymous wrote:Fortunately, I only had to deal with Children's in DC a few times. It took months to make an appointment. Unfortunately, I can't say that Children's in Fairfax was much better. I would call and call and no one would call back. I finally complained directly to the doctor who gave me the direct number of the scheduler for the department. I found that if I sucked up to the scheduler that I had a much better chance of getting a return phone call.

It really is just unconscionable that people who are dealing with the most trying circumstances of their lives are forced to deal with this. The doctors are, for the most part, fine - it's the admin staff and management who are completely incompetent. If you need a visual, imagine calling any office in the DC government - and being put on hold indefinitely or shuffled from office to office until they hang up. That's what it's like.

+1000000 I have never received a call back from CNMC. Never.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As another mom who has a child with a persistent and specialized medical condition I suggest you toughen up. What you experienced today is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. You will be forced to deal with lots repetitive nonsense so just get use to it. Force it with a smile and just remind yourself its for your kid. No one likes the bitchy mommy. Noter kid, not the docs, not the nurses, not the medical records person, etc etc.

You are a miserable bitch.

I also have a child with a serious condition and my child gets the best care because I'm agressive.

That's what you think.

Fortunately, I only had to deal with Children's in DC a few times. It took months to make an appointment. Unfortunately, I can't say that Children's in Fairfax was much better. I would call and call and no one would call back. I finally complained directly to the doctor who gave me the direct number of the scheduler for the department. I found that if I sucked up to the scheduler that I had a much better chance of getting a return phone call.

It really is just unconscionable that people who are dealing with the most trying circumstances of their lives are forced to deal with this. The doctors are, for the most part, fine - it's the admin staff and management who are completely incompetent. If you need a visual, imagine calling any office in the DC government - and being put on hold indefinitely or shuffled from office to office until they hang up. That's what it's like.

Op. Giant hugs tomyou. I have spent many hours at Children's. Our physicians were top notch. Sme nurses were good and some were terrible. Administrative staff was mostly poor. I found that the only time they were pleasant was when I kissed thier ass. Still they were barely competent at thier jobs.

To the nurse pp, why are you so tolerant of inefficiency? Seriously, what makes medicine so difficult to practice from an admin perspective?

Back on topic: I think Children's needs a parent advisory board to help them with their everyday processes. It's like no one in that building has ever been sick or had a sick kid. everything, from making an appointment to getting your sticker to getting to your room is way more difficult and requires way more effort than need be. I'd LOVE to be on that board.I'd start by making the head of the hospital make an appointment, drive with a young child to the hospital, park, wait in that absurd line for a sticker with the sick kid or multiple young siblings,fill out multiple forms and tell your story multiple times to people who seem to enter it into a computer but don't hit save b/c no one ever seems to remember what you've told them and then take about 3 hours to be discharged. It's just so inefficient. I do think, however, that the doctors and nurses are, for the most part, pretty great.

I'm trying to go to Boston, which is where the specialist at CNMC trained.

Anonymous wrote:This is OP.

It's now Wednesday. As detailed in my original post, I went through a long intake on Monday and then was told that I couldn't be given an appointment until "the calendar opened" so I would need to call back on Wednesday. Bitchy First-Responder Mom and Oh-So-Smug Nurse seemed to feel that playing by the rules, freshening my lipstick, and sucking it up would solve this problem.

Well, today I called back, prepared to simply wait my turn in the phone queue (22 minutes), go through the intake (17 minutes), and get my appointment.

Is anyone surprised to know that after the long process, I have now learned that the specialist involved NO LONGER SEES PATIENTS!!!!!

So this entire sequence of events...Monday's call...the two day wait...the follow up today...has been an exercise in stupidity, frustration, and incompetence.

But I'm sure, Bitchy Mom and Smug Nurse, you will have some homily or other to preach to me about wising up, carrying on, getting through, or learning to do better....I await your wise counsel and superior vision. I don't know how I got through without you for the last 9 years.

Can you go to the Bloomberg Children's Center at Hopkins?

This is OP.

It's now Wednesday. As detailed in my original post, I went through a long intake on Monday and then was told that I couldn't be given an appointment until "the calendar opened" so I would need to call back on Wednesday. Bitchy First-Responder Mom and Oh-So-Smug Nurse seemed to feel that playing by the rules, freshening my lipstick, and sucking it up would solve this problem.

Well, today I called back, prepared to simply wait my turn in the phone queue (22 minutes), go through the intake (17 minutes), and get my appointment.

Is anyone surprised to know that after the long process, I have now learned that the specialist involved NO LONGER SEES PATIENTS!!!!!

So this entire sequence of events...Monday's call...the two day wait...the follow up today...has been an exercise in stupidity, frustration, and incompetence.

But I'm sure, Bitchy Mom and Smug Nurse, you will have some homily or other to preach to me about wising up, carrying on, getting through, or learning to do better....I await your wise counsel and superior vision. I don't know how I got through without you for the last 9 years.

I'm so glad to see this post.

My husband is a doctor and I'm a nurse and we have a VERY HIGH tolerance for health care inefficiencies. A large part of my job as an RN is calling for appointments on behalf of patients.

However, we had a brutal time getting our 5 year old a sub-specialty appointment at Children's. We called and called and called some more. We went up the chain of command. Finally my husband made physician-to-physician calls. The entire process took 2 WEEKS and about 20 (!!!!) calls. For a single appointment.
It's like Fort Knox at that place. It's really unbelievable.

In contrast, getting an appointment at Hopkins was as straightforward as making a single call.

Anonymous wrote:

I was also astounded at the fact that the rooms at Children had absolutely no books, toys, TV's anything. Each time we went, we ended up sitting in a totally bare room for over an hour waiting for the doctor.

A friends who is a pediatrician tells me that this is rapidly becoming the policy at most pediatric hospitals. They are afraid the toys, books etc., carry germs. When you look at the rate of hospital acquired infections, it's hard to dispute this.

Anonymous wrote:As another mom who has a child with a persistent and specialized medical condition I suggest you toughen up. What you experienced today is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. You will be forced to deal with lots repetitive nonsense so just get use to it. Force it with a smile and just remind yourself its for your kid. No one likes the bitchy mommy. Noter kid, not the docs, not the nurses, not the medical records person, etc etc.

I'm glad mediocrity is your standard for your child. Are you are miserable of mother as you are as a human being?

Go take take a hike.