[Vision2020] Moscow Family Medicine

[Saundra Lund]

Does anyone know what on earth is going on at Moscow Family Medicine?!

Brief history:  we've been patients of Dr. Ruby's at MFM for 25 years.  He
delivered my daughter and has provided excellent care to our family for
two-and-half decades  :-)

My dh called yesterday to schedule his annual physical as he does every year
only to be told that Dr. Ruby is transitioning to working at QuickCare only
& has no remaining appointments available before he transitions.  My dh was
instructed to go to MFM's Web site(!), choose a new doc, and then call back
to schedule the appointment.

First, WTF?!  Since when does a medical practice not have the good business
sense -- let alone the COMMON DECENCY -- to let long-term patients know that
their doc will no longer be available?  They certainly know how to contact
us:   they've got our phone numbers, mailing address, and email addresses.
And, they certainly didn't hesitate to email us commercial advertisements
for their "cosmetic laser" nonsense, for the love of God.  But, they can't
let us know that our doc is leaving?!  One might think that's because other
than the established docs, they've been having soo much trouble keeping docs
at the practice for long over the last few years -- if they had the common
decency to notify patients that their primary care doc was no longer
available, they'd probably be spending a huge chunk of their clerical time
doing that.

Disgusting.

Second, being told to "go to the Web site" to pick a new doc is incredibly
unprofessional, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEIR WEB SITE ISN'T UP-TO-DATE!  Yes,
it's true.  We went to the Web site & my dh picked Dr. Spain, someone we've
all seen over the years when Dr. Ruby wasn't available, and we were pleased
with his great care.

But, he's "not accepting new patients."  I don't know what kind of
alternative reality the MFM management is living in when someone who has
been going to the practice for 25 years is a "new" patient.  My guess is
that's a management theory that's driving a long-established practice right
into the ground with no regard for their patients.

My dh was prepared, though, with a second choice.  But, guess what?  That
doc is no longer at MFM.  Huh -- go to the Web site to pick a new doc, but
gee . . . I guess they don't care enough about their patients to even keep
the Web site up-to-date after leaving established patients hanging out to
dry and directing them to the Web site.

Unbelievable.

I really hate to see this happening to MFM.  To be honest, we've seen a
significant decline in the quality of the practice management over the last
6-7 years or so, but I was optimistic that they'd get that straightened out.

I'm no longer optimistic.


Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
~ Aesop (The Lion and the Mouse)