So I just found out that mine recently retired. They gave me a list of doctors that were accepting new patients. So I called some to see if I could get in. Well come to find out it takes two to three days to get in. You have to go fill paper work out and then bring it back to them. Im sick now wtf. I ended up at the er while waiting on them. Has this happened to anyone else or is this just a norm and ive had the same family doctor for to long.

Happens to the worst of us.

Usually when that happens they put something in the local paper so you have a chance to retrieve your medical files before they destroy them. I'm guessing that was the case. However, they should do more about it. Whether it be send you a letter or make a phone call. Not everyone gets the paper.

Are you sick because Mechanicsburg is 1-3?

Snot.... thread hijack here... what happen to WL-S against Triad? Triad pretty good?

I think you just got caught up with unfortunate timing. I can understand a little delay when you are between offices. However, I think if you would have called the new doctor's office that you are in the process of retaining and explained to them that you are sick NOW, they would not have turned you away.

Also BEWARE.........almost all hosptial, doctor's offices, medical provders of any sort, etc., have retained the services of outside record copy services to copy their medical records. These services charge a fee for copying medical records. IF you want your medical records transferred from your old doctor's office to the new doctor's office the chances are VERY VERY high that you will be billed for this. I had this personally happen to me. They gave me the choice of if I wanted my medical chart copied and transferred to my new doctor or not. YES I want my complete medical chart in front of my new doctor to have access to. This is not cheap.

SnotBubbles;490706 wrote:Usually when that happens they put something in the local paper so you have a chance to retrieve your medical files before they destroy them. I'm guessing that was the case. However, they should do more about it. Whether it be send you a letter or make a phone call. Not everyone gets the paper.

Are you sick because Mechanicsburg is 1-3?

That is truly what made me sick lol. Seriously though is triad that good? I figured mechanicsburg is gonna be lucky to be 6-4 this year. I was thinking more of maybe a 4-6 season who knows though. I work friday nights so cant really watch games anymore uggg.


I finally got me an appointment so hopefully this sickness is over soon.

I've truly always had the good fortune to have my doc's notify me (usually a few months) ahead of time before they actually retire. It was done mostly with letters in the mail, but one time an office just called.
I assumed that between dentists, OB's, and GP's that this was the norm? I can't believe that a "good" doctor would just up and quit without notifying patients beforehand.

My doctor retired recently. We knew about this well beforehand. Guy was practicaly family after going to him for so long. The other doctors that are part of his office are good too though so I just go to them now if I need something. I haven't yet but it's the same building/group so the billing stuff doesn't change which is nice.

Family practice has been a specialty of medicine which has suffered for a long time. In the past 15-20 years, physicians have chosen to enter other specialties that paid more, had less red tape (ie. dealing with Medicare/Medicaid), required less hours and offered a smaller workload. What we are seeing is that the older physicians are retiring and there are less family physicians around to take their place. The average salary of a primary care physician is approximately $150K and works over 70 hours per week. By comparison a specialist typically earns a salary north of $500K and puts in about 15-20 hours less in the same given time. Studies have shown family practice physicians feel more overwhelmed than before and a majority of them have chosen to retire, get out of the business altogether or plan to retire within five years.

I have attached an article which sort of highlights this trend (albeit this article is specific to Texas, but it is an example of a problem being faced nationally)

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu1_tm5hMG3ABc0NXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzZ3RzZ3UyBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDOARjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0Y3NTRfMTMz/SIG=12066i41t/EXP=1285156205/**http%3a//www.tafp.org/news/TFP/08No3/cover.asp