Recently, I was reflecting on the importance of appreciating and acknowledging each other at this time of year, and I thought of all of you, our patients, when the following scenario came to mind….”Your call is very important to us. Please hold, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.” How does this make you feel when you have heard this? Does it make you feel important and cared for? As for me, I get nervous and a little annoyed every time I hear this message.
Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that make us feel important and cared for. One of the simple ways we serve our patients at McDonald Physical Therapy is to have a real person answer each patient’s phone call. We want to do everything we can to help our patients feel respected and well cared for. We believe by answering our patients’ phone calls, we are making their experience less stressful and helping their healing process. The last thing they need is to be placed on hold by an automated system!
These systems are very impersonal and can be intimidating and frustrating to some patients. These systems are a convenience for medical and business organizations, but they are not “patient centered” systems. Over the years, we’ve been advised to use an automated phone system to be more efficient and save on costs. We’ve been told answering our own phone calls is a thing of the past.
We disagree! When a person is in pain, possibly feeling badly about their physical, mental, or emotional limitations, they need “patient centered” care. They need to know they can call someone who cares, listens, and is ready and wanting to help.
One of the main reasons for us existing is to be there for our patients when they call us so they can get in quickly and we can address their injuries, ease their pain, and increase their strength as quickly as possible. Our goal is to get patients in within 24 to 48 hours. {The last thing a patient needs is to be sitting home waiting for an appointment for 3 to 4 weeks!) Our patients’ well-being is “personal” to us!
As of January 12, 2020, we are now celebrating 31 years of serving patients in the Michiana area! We have heard many patients call us their family physical therapy provider and that they won’t go anywhere else. This makes us feel deeply honored because this is the ultimate compliment and gift to all of us here at McDonald Physical Therapy.
We thank you and hope that answering your phone calls with a real person helps you feel acknowledged, cared for, and respected. We hope that our extra efforts to get you in as quickly as possible shows how important your pain is to us.
Thanks, again for asking your doctor for a referral to come to McDonald Physical Therapy when you are in need and remember that you are also able to come see us without a doctor referral. Where you go for physical therapy is your choice. We are very grateful for you and wish you a very Happy New Year!
Enjoy the journey,
Fran
