I AM EXTREMELY CONFLICTED ABOUT MY EXPEREIENCES WITH YOUR PRACTICE. First, I have no problem with the doctor or the PA's I have seen. Everyone has been professional, informative and sincerely caring.
On the other hand, your communication, systems of communications, check in and out, etc. are all completely flawed. I have never been able to do the following:
1. Successfully talk to someone to make an appointment.
2. I cannot set up a portal on your website. I have asked about it while in the office and have not been followed up with. There seems to be no way to set it up by visiting your website.
3. Your check in process is hit or miss. On my last visit - today - I checked in for lab work only. I checked in with the first person. She gave me a form, told me to lay it face down in the first window to the left. She said - clearly "then have a seat in the first corridor next to the bathrooms" I took the form to the window and placed it (face down) and the woman behind the glass looked at me without so much as a hello, so I just went and sat down where I was told to sit. 4 others were seated, appropriately distanced, so I took the farthest seat down the corridor. After an hour of all the other people being called back and new ones arriving, I thought I have to be next. Another man arrived and then he was called back and I new something was wrong. I returned to the window, asked about why others were being called ahead of me. They asked my name, I told them and everyone then acted like I had done something wrong. They said I was waiting in the wrong place and they had called my name a long time ago. I said - " did you just assume I left the building?"; "You couldn't walk around the corner to see if I was sitting in another area?" And may I remind you, "I was sitting where they told me to sit." Eventually they all got nicer and we got on with the drawing blood.
4. Three months ago, I could feel I had another kidney stone. This was on a Thursday, so rather than wait for the weekend, I was proactive and called your office. After at least 30 minutes of being redirected by the "system", not talking with a person, I got through to the receptionist or someone and explained I needed to see someone, so they forwarded my call to the triage nurse. I had to leave a message and I never heard back from anyone - at all. I called my General Practice Doctor (who is a saint) and he provided me with the meds I needed and I was able to get through the episode. I NEVER heard back from your practice.
5. I had a kidney stone a couple of years ago and saw Kayla Lerro. She was quite good and suggested I do a urine specimen test over 48 hours - which I did. Apparently she left the practice, so I never heard the results of the test. I called several times, but was unable to break through your phone system (your phone system is worse than a cable provider - you can never talk with an actual person). So I gave up and thought I should be able to see the results on my patient portal. Again, I have no patient portal with you.
6. I am not a neophyte with patient portals, I have one with my cardiologist, one with my GP, and one with my dentist. Somehow, I can't get one with AUNC.
In closing, your physicians and PA's are quite good, but you are not serving your patients well with your antiquated systems of communication and processing patients.
Roger Cannon
