You Phone System Is Like Fort Knox

Why can’t I just have the back line to your medical assistant?

This is an excellent questions and one that I know is the source of great frustration to many of you.  The reason why you can’t just “leave a message” or talk directly to my medical assistant is because our office system requires that messages be funneled starting first with the phone triage receptionists.  There are four wonderful individuals who answer the hundred of calls that come through per day.  These messages are then sent electronically to the proper medical assistant or physician.  Since my medical assistant receives 30-50 messages per day, it would be impossible for her to take each call that comes through.  Our electronic medical records system also tries to reduce human error by ensuring that every single message that comes through is recorded on the computer.  This is exactly the reason why we cannot use a voice mailbox to receive your messages, and the reason why we have the extremely frustrating phone system in place.

 Can you give me the secret to navigating the phone system?

The only thing I can tell you is not to stay on the line if you are more than 3^rd in line and don’t have the time to hold.  You may find that you are number 1 or 2 if you call even five minutes later.  The phone lines are usually busiest first thing in the morning. 

Can’t I just speak to you directly?

I love to have time to speak to each and every one of you, so that’s why I have appointments!   It’s much easier to call the same day and try to get in to see me if your concerns are urgent rather than to expect a phone call from me.  It’s difficult for me to assess your symptoms over the phone, and I think it’s just bad doctoring to prescribe medicine sight unseen.  It would surprise many of you to know that I receive on average 30-40 messages per day, and I need to leverage my time by delegating staff to triage my calls.  As a patient who has visited me at the office, I’m sure you’ve been impressed by how attentive I am to your needs and by the quality time I spend with you.  This is only possible if I focus on the patients who are in the office rather than dedicate my office hours to being on the phone.  I hope too that you are understanding of the fact that my family is just as important to me as my job, and that I must be out of the office by 5:30pm to pick up both kids from daycare.  One of the saddest sights is seeing your child be the last one picked up from school EVERY SINGLE DAY.  I am trying to improve this for them.  Thank you for your understanding.