Vent about Dr. Perret and her office staff
MBush4
member
I've had a pretty rocky relationship with Dr. P and her office. I'm in the process of switching to another doctor at Touro, but that appointment isn't until the end of the month so until then I've been calling Dr. Perret with any emergencies...
Last week I took my GD test. Because pre-pregnancy I had pre-diabetes as well as a family history of diabetes, I had a feeling my numbers wouldn't be very good. So I asked the lab tech about how long it would take for my doctor to get the results and she said end of the week at the latest. This morning I called Dr. Perret's office to see if they had results (the first time I met with her she said "If we don't call you, call us when it comes to lab results) and also because I've been having some leakage and I wasn't sure if it was normal.
The nurse, in typical fashion, wasn't there so the office took a message for her. She didn't call back within the first 6 hours so I called the office again to see if there were any hang ups but also because the leaking was increasing. She called thirty minutes later and asked what I needed. I asked about the GD test and she said, "Oh yeah, we got the results last week." "Were they okay?" "No. Your numbers are really high. You'll need to take the 3-hr test. Dr Perret asked me to call you about that." "Okay. When were you going to call?" "Oh, today." "Can I know what the numbers were and what I need to do for the three hour?" "You can just look it up online. Did you need anything else?" "I'm having leakage issues and I was wondering if you could tell me what I need to look out for to make sure it's nothing serious." *silence for a minute* "I see you have an appointment set up with Dr Lapeyrolerie on the 27th. Why?" "I am switching to her." "Why would you do that??"
It took a lot for me not to go off on the woman. But essentially I broke it down to a) appointments taking 2+ hours EVERY time b) the fact that I'm lucky if I get calls returned within a day or two ("we only call back the same day if you say it's an emergency") and c) the fact that as a FTM I don't know what to look out for and that's the reason why I visit a doctor and call; to know when I need to be mindful of things I'm still not sure about. But the fact of the matter is that the doctor and her staff herd us through the office like cattle.
She said she'd have the doctor call back but.... I just got a call from her saying that the doctor said they were going to rescind my lab work and that I should just switch to using Dr. Lap to send my lab work. That if it's an emergency they can help, but that since I'm switching they have no obligation to help me.
REALLY?!
Re: Vent about Dr. Perret and her office staff
I left her due to her office staff as well. It started off with the 2 hour appt. crap before I was pregnant. I only started seeing her a year before I got pregnant, and I think it was only an hour that time. The next appt. to discuss TTC was 1.5 hours, and then my final annual visit before I got pregnant, when I checked in, I asked if she had any deliveries or anything and how she was running time-wise. They said she had been there all day and wasn't running very late. So, I decided to give it one hour. At 57 min, I got called back and joked with the nurse that I was about to leave, that she had 3 minutes left, at which point she tells me it will be at least another hour to 1.5 hours, because she had 2 deliveries! WTF, can't you even be bothered to update the front desk? At this point, I walked out, but at my next appt., I told Dr. Perret, who literally said she doesn't have control over what her staff does.
My first tri only got worse. I went in on a Friday and Dr. Perret said her nurse would schedule my NT scan on Monday and call me with the info, and that it would be at Lakeside Hospital. Well, I hear nothing all week, so I finally call and leave a message on Thursday, since NT scans have timelines. I have to call back Friday, and they are like, oh you did leave a message yesterday. So, then someone (turned out not to be a nurse) called back with my appt. Had I not asked if there was anything specific I needed to do for this appt. and been given the phone number, I wouldn't have known this appt. was actually at East Jefferson, and not Lakeside, and would have missed my only shot at this test.
Then the following Monday, the nurse calls to give me my appt. I'm like "yeah, it's such and such date at EJ," and she says "no, it's this date at Lakeside." So I tell her about the other call and we cancel the EJ appt. since it was later.
I show up at Lakeside on my appt. date and after waiting awhile, they ask me why I'm there, since my appt. isn't for two weeks. I tell them that is wrong, because I would be over 14 weeks at that point, and ineligible for the test. They are able to squeeze me in anyway, and I later find out that the nurse called to schedule me and someone else's scans during the same call and got our dates mixed up. What's even worse is when the nurse (Perret's) tells me this, she makes huge HIPAA violation, saying "oh, yeah, I called for you and Jane Doe and got them backwards."
So, naturally I am pissed, but keep it together to call and talk with the staff at Perret's. I talk to the girl who made the EJ appt., since the nurse was out that day, and when I tell her what happened, her response was "So, you got your scan?" "Yes" "Then what's the problem?"
She then preceeds to tell me that she thinks I must have made the appt. because the nurse (let's call her Betty) always writes appts. in charts and she doesn't see it in my chart, and am I sure I didn't make the appt? At one point, I tell her I don't appreciate her calling me a liar. She says 'I'm not saying you're a liar, I'm just saying Betty always writes this down and it's not here." I said, you are calling me a liar and I don't appreciate it, and I think I hung up at that point.
So I call Lakeside and ask them for the name of the person who made the appt., and sure enough, it's Betty. I think I called back and told the girl. The liar comment may have happened on this call, I can't remember (it's been a year now).
I eventually talk with Betty, who apologizes and explains what happened. I told her my main concern was making sure nothing like this happens again, and then told her about my interaction with the other girl. Well, Betty starts defending the girl, so I just cut my losses and end the call.
Then I called back to leave a message for Perret to discuss this and give her a chance to take some responsibility for all this before I leave her. I think Betty actually answers (maybe not), and when taking the message, asks what it's about. I just say it's personal, and am then told that it might take up to 3 days for her to call me back. At that point, I'm done. I don't even need to talk with Perret. These are her f'ing gatekeepers and if this is how they are going to treat me during 1st tri, I'm not trusting them with the rest of my pregnancy.
Well, Perret did call late the next day, and I explained everything. She still didn't own any of it. She tells me the good news is that the girl is going to nursing school in January (it was Oct/Nov then), so she wouldn't be around then. Excuse me? That's seriously your answer? She then says that this is the best staff they can get with what they can pay. She ultimately acknowledges the grandeur of this f-up, and does say something about "if you are even willing to come back."
I told her that I just didn't feel comfortable at this point, and was leaving. I also told her that the one consistent comment from everyone I spoke with that is a patient of hers (5-6 people at that point), is that they love her, and can't stand her staff. At that point, one other patient had left her, and another was about to. I figured she could do with that info what she wanted, and was just telling her so she was informed.
The problem is it doesn't look like she's hurting for business, despite whatever level of turnover she has, so I doubt anything is likely to change anytime soon.
I switched to Quinn Peeper, who is right across the street, and have never been happier. The office staff is terrific and would go out of their way to let me know if he was running late, and how long he would be. I did mention I would just like to know what was going on in regard to that when I first went there, so I'm not sure if they remembered or are just like that all the time, but it happened every time I was there (he didn't run late every time, but whenever he did they told me).
I'm glad you're leaving. Run, don't walk. As good a doctor as she is, she's not worth the aggravation, especially as a FTM, when you've already got enough to be worried about.
IVF #1: 9/11: ER: 12R, 11M, 10F, No Frosties; 5dt: 2 blasts, 1 morula; DD born 6/3/12
IVF #2: 11/12-12/12: ER: 20R, 20M, 16F, 4 Frosties; 5dt: 3 blasts, DS born 8/9/13
Okay, I'm glad I'm not the lone person having a crappy time. Although, I'm not surprised. Multiple times when I've been there women waiting in the waiting room or heading out after a frustrating visit there have been other upset women.
I had an appointment the week of Isaac that they had to move back. I knew there would be a wait time, but it was ridiculous (1.5 hours in the waiting room alone). I had a mandatory meeting at work that I was risking missing and when I asked about how much longer the wait would be they got snippy and said, "You aren't our only patient".
I just feel like it's a major lack of professionalism on the part of her staff and it frustrates me when I meet with her because I notice more and more that I feel like a head of cattle being moved through the office.
I shared my story with friends of ours who switched to her when she got pregnant, due to their insurance coverage. She didn't think it would be that bad, and went on to have a similar experience. I forget the specifics, but they royally f'ed up the scheduling of something important for her too.
I think they ended up leaving too, but I can't remember.
I just don't understand how she can tolerate staff like this. They represent you. Why do you want that image attached to you, especially when yours is actually pretty darn good. If it takes more money to get good staff, suck it up and pay it. Eventually word will spread enough and business will suffer. I can understand GYN patients dealing with it since it's only a once a year situation, but why any pregnant woman would waste her time is beyond me. With my new doctor I was almost always in and out in 30-45 minutes for monitoring appts. unless there were emergencies.
IVF #1: 9/11: ER: 12R, 11M, 10F, No Frosties; 5dt: 2 blasts, 1 morula; DD born 6/3/12
IVF #2: 11/12-12/12: ER: 20R, 20M, 16F, 4 Frosties; 5dt: 3 blasts, DS born 8/9/13
I agree. I'm trying to email the hospital to file a complaint. I don't want her to get in trouble per se, but I don't want them to keep the mind set of, "Oh well, we'll have new patients soon anyway." I mean, I didn't have her before I got pregnant. I was using a different doctor with Ochsner, but when I found out I was pregnant she had recently stopped doing OB. ugh... Yeah... oh well.
I'm sorry to hear so many bad experieces w/Dr Perret and her staff. Dr Perett delivered both of my pregnancies my first 2/5/09...and my 2nd which was TOTALLY unexpected! I had an IUD (Mirena) which I had for two years...then BAM I was pregnant again! I was totally scared b/c the Mirena never came out, prior to conception & I was fearful removing it would cause a spontaneous abortion...which is what many doctors said prior to contacting Dr Perret. (I was living in Houston at the time). Dr Perret held my hand through the entire process & successfully removed the Mirena. After moving back to NOLA I continued seeing Dr Perret. I never had issues w/her or Wanda (her nurse). They had always been sweetie pies to me & my sister who was Dr Perett's patient post Katrina & delivered on 6/8/06.
Long story short, I delivered on 1/26/12 @ Touro. I barely made it to the hospital, & had my son naturally, I was a complete ball of nerves! I didn't think I can do it, but Dr Perett kept me calm & gave me what I needed to press through the pain. Dr Perett is a great Doc, very personable & greatly cares for all of her patients. Like I said I delivered Jan 2012, so things could've changed since I last saw her. I'm a firm believer that you have to be comfortable with you doc, esp during a pregnancy! Hopefully things get better there, with her staff b/c she's a good doc!
I agree wholeheartedly that Dr. Perret is an excellent physcian. That much was never in doubt. However her "business side," i.e., managung her staff, as well as her staff itself, is what the issue was.
I really did wrestle with whether to stay or go, but ultimately did not trust her staff to take care of me and my unborn child. I think it's a shame that there is this black spot on her reputation, because she is a wonderful doctor, but even that, is not enough to supercede what I went through.
IVF #1: 9/11: ER: 12R, 11M, 10F, No Frosties; 5dt: 2 blasts, 1 morula; DD born 6/3/12
IVF #2: 11/12-12/12: ER: 20R, 20M, 16F, 4 Frosties; 5dt: 3 blasts, DS born 8/9/13
This exactly. I had to go to the hospital today because I have a vicious case of food poisoning or the stomach flu and despite calling te answering service twice NEVER heard back. I understand that the answering service isn't get direct responsibility, but again, it's an issue of not feeling like I am being taken care of properly. So I called Dr. Lap's answering service and heard back from them within thirty minutes to which they said, "get to LD now." When I did get into LD they said I was severely hydrated and they had to put 5 bags of fluid in me. I don't like feeling like a patient is not important enough to call.
Aside from the long wait times, I've never had any problems like those discussed here with Dr. Perret or her staff. I agree, the wait times SUCK. And I suppose I have the luxury of having been a part-time employee so I could schedule my visits around work, and then a SAHM during my second pregnancy so it wasn't a problem really, other than the inconvenience of being there so long.
When I have left messages with Wanda or for her, I get a return call the same day. I have received calls directly from Perret when discussing my bloodwork (possible problem post partum with the whole RH-/+ thing) and when I was sick with a stomach bug over the weekend while 31wks pregnant - the vomitting and dehydration were causing me to have contractions. She was awesome when delivering my first daughter (I went med-free and like the above poster said, she was like a midwife). She didn't deliver my second, as she was out of town that day. I enjoy my visits with her and for me, the wait times are worth the level of care. Again, I've never had any problems with the staff - they've always been courteous and I've gotten the help I have requested.