Southwestern Eye Center

I woke up this morning with decreased sight in my left eye. Since I am a writer, I panicked. I called Southwestern Eye Center for an appointment. The young lady who answered gave me a last-minute spot for the following day.

However, the authorization initiated by my primary care doctor had expired in March. I told the scheduler that I would call Humana myself because I didn’t have time to see my primary doctor for another referral with my sight decreasing as we spoke.

I contacted Humana who made arrangements for me to be given an emergent authorization to see a Dr. Adelman. I called the doctor’s office back immediately. I told the second scheduler that Humana provided a number to the Critical Intake Department for a verbal authorization so I could been seen the following day.

However, she told me that their phone system didn’t allow for outside calls. I was so stunned that I couldn’t speak! When I recovered, I repeated that I was losing my sight RAPIDLY. She boredly repeated that she couldn’t call Humana. I honestly thought I had fallen into a black hole and it was 1975

when offices DID have a bank of phones with no capability for outside calling. Or, if they did, you had to dial 9 for an outside line. I checked my iPhone with my one good eye to make sure I was still in the year 2018! I know what I would have done in the same circumstance if faced with a frightened patient.

I would have taken the phone number to Humana, picked up my iPhone which I would have used anyway during my break to check my Facebook and Instagram pages, and used it to help the stressed patient! I could not believe that she would not be proactive to assist me. Or ANYONE in distress.

I asked to speak with a supervisor. She acted like she didn’t hear me. I said it again. This time she told me to hold on, with an attitude. Then the call disconnected. I was about to call back but realized that I did not want to trust my precious eyesight to an office with such a lack of compassion, foresight and professionalism.

I don’t care how good the doctors are in a practice, if the support staff is this lackadaisical, I am not about to PAY for the services. I called Humana and got the names of other opthamologists in my area. I called the first one on the list. I was told they had no openings for 2 weeks. When I told the scheduler my problem,

she put me on hold, and came back with an appointment for the following day! She had no problem with calling for the authorization. THAT is the level of customer care that is expected from a doctor’s office! Thank you to the office of Leslie Eisner,

MD for agreeing to help me save my most needed sense! And 1,000 “Boo’s” to the Southwestern Eye Center for not wanting to put in the effort!UPDATE: Just an hour ago I was called by this office, on an “outside line” that didn’t exist this morning to CONFIRM an appointment for tomorrow.

This is the same appointment that needed an authorization which my insurer agreed to do by phone due to time constraints. But there was no “outside line” available to get the authorization! I’m really confused…..