Worst office managment

[liveforchrist]

I really am starting to wonder if some people are just stupid or brainwashed....but let me spell it out:

1. I AM NOT going back to him, I was just misdiagnosed by him 2 weeks ago and I have only had 2 visits with him, 1 for the initial visit and 2 for the misdiagnosis.
2. TWO OTHER DOCTORS AND THE TEST SAYS NEGATIVE.
3. I AM GOING TO GEORGETOWN.
4. HE LIED AND SAID I HAD 5 BANDS I HAVE 2.

I really think you did not read what I wrote.

This is a public forum to keep people informed and since I am going to the medical board and to whoever will listen about this, I will not just be coming here. Strange that one doctor has SOOOOO many lyme patients don't you think? Why is he not sending them to places like Hopkins and Georgetown?

Hello Sinwagon: I hope you get the answers you are looking for and I hope the information listed below will help you understand the diagnosis of lyme. There are false negative western blot tests, which means you can have only 2 out of 5 bands positive of lyme and still have lyme; it is a clinical diagnosis. I wish you the very best of luck! Take Care

Please pay special attention to #2 & #7 in this link.
Basic Information about Lyme Disease


"I must very strongly emphasize that all diagnoses of tick-borne infections remains a clinical one". Dr. Burrascano
http://www.ilads.org/files/burrascano_0905.pdf

Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, objective physical findings (such as erythema migraines, facial palsy, or arthritis) and a history of possible exposure to infected ticks. Validated laboratory tests can be very helpful but are not generally recommended when a patient has erythema migraines. These tests may be falsely negative in patients with early disease, but they are quite reliable for diagnosing later stages of disease.

From CDC website see link below:
DVBID: Diagnosis | CDC Lyme Disease

You may see a lot of Lyme due to the growing numbers in this area We are the highest in the country in the Northeast area
Lyme Disease Association

With your symptoms you may have Lyme disease. So I hope this info helps!

 

[sinwagon]

Hello Sinwagon: I hope you get the answers you are looking for and I hope the information listed below will help you understand the diagnosis of lyme. There are false negative western blot tests, which means you can have only 2 out of 5 bands positive of lyme and still have lyme; it is a clinical diagnosis. I wish you the very best of luck! Take Care

Please pay special attention to #2 & #7 in this link.
Basic Information about Lyme Disease


"I must very strongly emphasize that all diagnoses of tick-borne infections remains a clinical one". Dr. Burrascano
http://www.ilads.org/files/burrascano_0905.pdf

Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, objective physical findings (such as erythema migraines, facial palsy, or arthritis) and a history of possible exposure to infected ticks. Validated laboratory tests can be very helpful but are not generally recommended when a patient has erythema migraines. These tests may be falsely negative in patients with early disease, but they are quite reliable for diagnosing later stages of disease.

From CDC website see link below:
DVBID: Diagnosis | CDC Lyme Disease

You may see a lot of Lyme due to the growing numbers in this area We are the highest in the country in the Northeast area
Lyme Disease Association

With your symptoms you may have Lyme disease. So I hope this info helps!

Again...I have nor have I ever had any symptoms. Thank you for the information.

 

[hotcoffee]

I don't know if you were referring to me .

Did you not see the screen name SouthernYankee at the very beginning?

Sinwagon... you have an ego....

Now this question is for you....

Why are you going to the doctor and being tested if you have no symptoms?

What sense does that make? Sounds like you are making it up as you go along....

 

[sinwagon]

Did you not see the screen name SouthernYankee at the very beginning?

Sinwagon... you have an ego....

Now this question is for you....

Why are you going to the doctor and being tested if you have no symptoms?

What sense does that make? Sounds like you are making it up as you go along....

No, I selected him as my primary care doctor. I went in to be established as a patient and he did blood work. I did not ask to be tested for lyme, he just took it upon himself to do it. Since I have thyroid problems he did blood work and a thyroid scan so get the facts before you start shooting off at the mouth.

I was tested last year for EVERYTHING because I continued to get thrush and had a benign tumor that had to be removed on my tongue and that test came back negative (it was through a different doctor).

He wrote up a lab slip with a bunch of blood work on it, I did NOT ask to be specifically tested for Lyme.

 

[InsanelyBusy]

Hello Sinwagon: I hope you get the answers you are looking for and I hope the information listed below will help you understand the diagnosis of lyme. There are false negative western blot tests, which means you can have only 2 out of 5 bands positive of lyme and still have lyme; it is a clinical diagnosis. I wish you the very best of luck! Take Care

Please pay special attention to #2 & #7 in this link.
Basic Information about Lyme Disease


"I must very strongly emphasize that all diagnoses of tick-borne infections remains a clinical one". Dr. Burrascano
http://www.ilads.org/files/burrascano_0905.pdf

Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, objective physical findings (such as erythema migraines, facial palsy, or arthritis) and a history of possible exposure to infected ticks. Validated laboratory tests can be very helpful but are not generally recommended when a patient has erythema migraines. These tests may be falsely negative in patients with early disease, but they are quite reliable for diagnosing later stages of disease.

From CDC website see link below:
DVBID: Diagnosis | CDC Lyme Disease

You may see a lot of Lyme due to the growing numbers in this area We are the highest in the country in the Northeast area
Lyme Disease Association

With your symptoms you may have Lyme disease. So I hope this info helps!

Thanks for the info!

 

[hotcoffee]

Thank you for all that info. Right now I am just trying to determine if 2 bands makes you positive.

I used to see Dr. Cafferty when he was with Dr. Nasr about 4 years or so ago. I made the jump a few weeks ago to start seeing Dr. Cafferty again.

He did blood work, I went back about 2 weeks later. He said that Calvert Internal Medicine was wrong, I do not have Fibromylagia but my labs reported that I have Lymes disease.

It was odd to me...I asked them to fax me my blood work. I looked at it, lookd at it again. I was only seeing in one area of the lymes disease 2 bands out of 10, it said for a positive there must be 5. The other section showed 1 band, it said for a positive there must be 2 out of the 3. Both said at the bottom NEGATIVE!

I hope that there is some explanation behind this, I hope that Labcorb and myself are not understanding something. I personally like Dr. Cafferty and I hope this is a huge misunderstanding becuase I do not want to have to try and find another doctor. Since leaving Calvert Internal who I was with for years, if I have to find another Doctor, it will be my 3rd one since June for me and my entire family and just getting established as a patient is difficult.

I apologize....... I confused you with another person on another thread who stated she never had any symptoms.

I simply can't imagine anyone with a horrible disease like Fibromylagia changing doctors.... and 3 since June... how aweful for you....

While it is true that the current guidelines state that there must be 5 bands to call the test positive for Lymes.... this is being highly debated.... because patients all over the country, not just in Dr. Cafferty's office as you seem to so maliciously imply, are suffering from Chronic Lymes with only 2 bands positive for Lymes....

I apologize for confusing you with another person... perhaps my comment was a little out of line.... but I certainly hope that your Fibromylagia is not a complication of another problem.... good luck with your doctor hunt...

 

[sinwagon]

I apologize....... I confused you with another person on another thread who stated she never had any symptoms.

I simply can't imagine anyone with a horrible disease like Fibromylagia changing doctors.... and 3 since June... how aweful for you....

While it is true that the current guidelines state that there must be 5 bands to call the test positive for Lymes.... this is being highly debated.... because patients all over the country, not just in Dr. Cafferty's office as you seem to so maliciously imply, are suffering from Chronic Lymes with only 2 bands positive for Lymes....

I apologize for confusing you with another person... perhaps my comment was a little out of line.... but I certainly hope that your Fibromylagia is not a complication of another problem.... good luck with your doctor hunt...

Thank you! He doesn't believe and neither do I that I have fibromyalgia lol. I only have pain in my legs and fibro and lyme state widespread pain. The leg pain also only occurs when sitting for long periods (such as driving and is in the muscle not the joint) and when on my legs alot or when my crazy dogs sleep in the bed with me and have me in an uncomfortable position.

I have read that the Hoshimotto's disease that I DO have can also cause some pains here and there. I don't mean to be malicious in regard to Dr. Cafferty I am just bothered by the lies he told me i.e., saying that I tested positive for 5 bands, I could have accepted him saying "well you only tested positive for 2 but 5 is not only necessary because...blah blah blah" but saying that I tested positive for 5 is what bothers me and makes me question things. Then I thought "ok, maybe he made a mistake" so I called to ask him once I saw the blood test and then for him to say "oh well, your sympoms" I said "I don't have any" he said "you said your neck and shoulders hurt" I continued to say "no, no I did not, infact I told you it was only my legs thats why you disputed fibro" he continued to say it was in his notes, and to try and say that I did say this.

I hate medication, I don't want to take it unless I have to. THat is why I get a depo shot instead of birth control becuase I can't remember to take it and I hate taking it. I certainly would not make up something and say that I had aches and pains when I did not.

I like Dr. Cafferty so much that I desperately want to be wrong about this. That is why I am going to many different sources i.e., 2 other doctors (in my mom's doctors office), the lab, the infectious disease specialist, to make sure that 1. to make sure I am getting proper treatment and 2. because I don't want to believe the first person that comes along that Dr. Cafferty is wrong.

he was wonderful with me and my family when he was with Dr. Nasr. He was wonderful with my uncle when he had lung cancer. I want him to not necessarily be right, because that would mean I do have lyme but I want there to be a logical explanation for all of this so that I can put my fears to rest, come right up on here and say that I was wrong and continue to see him. I just don't know if there is a logical explanation to him lying to me about the things I stated above.

 

[hotcoffee]

Thank you! He doesn't believe and neither do I that I have fibromyalgia lol. I only have pain in my legs and fibro and lyme state widespread pain. The leg pain also only occurs when sitting for long periods (such as driving and is in the muscle not the joint) and when on my legs alot or when my crazy dogs sleep in the bed with me and have me in an uncomfortable position.

I have read that the Hoshimotto's disease that I DO have can also cause some pains here and there. I don't mean to be malicious in regard to Dr. Cafferty I am just bothered by the lies he told me i.e., saying that I tested positive for 5 bands, I could have accepted him saying "well you only tested positive for 2 but 5 is not only necessary because...blah blah blah" but saying that I tested positive for 5 is what bothers me and makes me question things. Then I thought "ok, maybe he made a mistake" so I called to ask him once I saw the blood test and then for him to say "oh well, your sympoms" I said "I don't have any" he said "you said your neck and shoulders hurt" I continued to say "no, no I did not, infact I told you it was only my legs thats why you disputed fibro" he continued to say it was in his notes, and to try and say that I did say this.

I hate medication, I don't want to take it unless I have to. THat is why I get a depo shot instead of birth control becuase I can't remember to take it and I hate taking it. I certainly would not make up something and say that I had aches and pains when I did not.

I like Dr. Cafferty so much that I desperately want to be wrong about this. That is why I am going to many different sources i.e., 2 other doctors (in my mom's doctors office), the lab, the infectious disease specialist, to make sure that 1. to make sure I am getting proper treatment and 2. because I don't want to believe the first person that comes along that Dr. Cafferty is wrong.

he was wonderful with me and my family when he was with Dr. Nasr. He was wonderful with my uncle when he had lung cancer. I want him to not necessarily be right, because that would mean I do have lyme but I want there to be a logical explanation for all of this so that I can put my fears to rest, come right up on here and say that I was wrong and continue to see him. I just don't know if there is a logical explanation to him lying to me about the things I stated above.

Do why don't you just go to your mom's doctors, since you trust them already?

 

[sinwagon]

Do why don't you just go to your mom's doctors, since you trust them already?

My mom's doctor is up in Beltsville or Lanham something like that. I need a doctor for our entire family (me, hubby and 3 kids) so for a primary I would prefer someone closer to home because they would have to miss the entire day of school to go to an appointment up there.

 

[SouthernYankee]

Not at all, I retired from the Navy after 20years in 2002 then started the job on base I have now Jan 2003, so check your information before posting. I ask you, if someone has a problem with some business and they try to give there opinion or find out if others have the same problem with that business and they don’t say something nice they are automatically labeled a disgruntled former employee? That seems the easy way out for business owners to explain what is posted or others that don't know the story. If you haven’t experienced the conduct of the staff I guess it didn't happen, is that right?
Firedup1 is out of touch with the problems I’m finding more and more patients have, or as I stated earlier, they have a vested interest. Now what fireup1 does not seem to know is that there were other threads started on here complaining about the same treatment being given to patients. Some how those threads have been removed, if this site is for the community, why can’t the opinions of the local Doctors offices remain? I do know that some of the posts got personal but there are allot of those types of posts all over this site and they still remain. Now if the posts are being left by people that only leave rude and sometimes crude comments they should be barred from posting. I know that people are banned from posting all the time. Why can’t people be aloud to post their experience on the site?

SouthernYankee.... just like your screen name... you are a confused soul.... so let me ask the questions....


Did you tell the staff that you were going to start a thread to drag them thru the mud when they fired you?

Did they fire you because you told a Lymes patient that the test was negative?

Did they fire you because you left a patient all bruised up from trying to take their blood pressure, when they told you it was incredibly low all the time... but you had to keep blowing up the cuff because it just couldn't be low?

Did they fire you because you were to return a call to a Lymes patient who called in asking if Lorazipan would work on the spots and wavy lines she was seeing in her eyes?

Did they fire you because you said you mailed out the test results to the patient and the patient has not received them three weeks later?

Did they fire you because you were supposed to fax the change of prescription to the pharmacy three days ago and you told the patient you had already done it?

Did they fire you because the patient takes one medication prescribed by the doctor [allowed by their insurance] but you printed out another for them that the insurance company would not pay for.

What exactly did they do to you to bring on this thread... spill it....

 

[hotcoffee]

My mom's doctor is up in Beltsville or Lanham something like that. I need a doctor for our entire family (me, hubby and 3 kids) so for a primary I would prefer someone closer to home because they would have to miss the entire day of school to go to an appointment up there.

Well there's Shah.... have you tried them yet?

 

[sinwagon]

Well there's Shah.... have you tried them yet?

No I have not but did see them listed when I did my search. The next one I choose, I am going to be sure to research. Its a pain getting everybody's records and then having to be established before they will see you etc. I also saw that there was a new practice right in Solomons where the urgent care is located. I may check them out.

 

[hotcoffee]

No I have not but did see them listed when I did my search. The next one I choose, I am going to be sure to research. Its a pain getting everybody's records and then having to be established before they will see you etc. I also saw that there was a new practice right in Solomons where the urgent care is located. I may check them out.

It's part of Calvert Internal

 

[SouthernYankee]

If you call an ear to listen to what they need and help getting what they need your right. I'm sure that some of you have been in one of there exam rooms and have seen the notice on the wall requesting the patiant not talk to the workers because they are to busy. I thought that listening to a patiants needs was part of the job. If this is one of the rules your talking about maybe that is one of the many reasons she left. The management tied the employees hands with this rule and maybe that is why they seem rud to everyone, if they can't talk in a room why would they talk just outside the managers office?

First off my staff would not treat people like this. I have heard thru the county and on this blog, that they had an outstanding employee leave a month or so ago, did you ever consider maybe the reason why she was so outstanding was because she gave you all ANYTHING you all wanted and now maybe rules have changed since this person left and you all are not happy with this??? put yourself in their shoes???? Also would you like it if you owned a business and your name was being dragged thru the mud ?? Yeah, i DON'T think so!!

 

[hotcoffee]

SouthernYankee.... I knew this thread had something to do with the sign....

​

I asked about that sign when I saw it! ​

IMHO It sounds like that ex-employee fancies herself a qualified diagnostician......Doctor Cafferty is the only person in that office qualified to discuss medical issues.... and her discussions about test results and the state of the office and all those other off-the-wall discussions might have been detrimental to the practice.... my opinion....

I noticed you didn't think she would want to answer my questions in here.... I'll make them available for you again....

I'll substitute "you left" for "they fired you" so we don't have to argue that point....

Did you tell the staff that you were going to start a thread to drag them thru the mud when you left?

Did you leavebecause you told a Lymes patient that the test was negative? Don't you think that the researchers have a little more information that you might have..... people with chronic lymes and neurologic damage [confirmed by a neurologist deary] migh be positive for lymes with only two bands....

Did you leave because you left a patient all bruised up from trying to take their blood pressure, when they told you it was incredibly low all the time... but you had to keep blowing up the cuff because your vast trianing told you it just couldn't be low?

Did you leave because you were to return a call to a Lymes patient who called in asking if Lorazipan would work on the spots and wavy lines she was seeing in her eyes? Did you even pull the file for the Doctor?

Did you leave because you said you claimed that you had mailed out the test results to the patient and the patient has not received them three weeks later?

Did you leave because you were supposed to fax the change of prescription to the pharmacy three days ago and you told the patient you had already done it?

Did you leave because the patient takes one medication prescribed by the doctor [allowed by their insurance] and their insurance would pay for....but you didn't check the prescription you printed out against the prescription the doctor wrote..... and you expeced the doctor to check it.....

Spill it....

If you call an ear to listen to what they need and help getting what they need your right. I'm sure that some of you have been in one of there exam rooms and have seen the notice on the wall requesting the patiant not talk to the workers because they are to busy. I thought that listening to a patiants needs was part of the job. If this is one of the rules your talking about maybe that is one of the many reasons she left. The management tied the employees hands with this rule and maybe that is why they seem rud to everyone, if they can't talk in a room why would they talk just outside the managers office?

What we need is for that employee to do their job. What we need is for that employee to record the vitals so that the Doctor will have the basic information he needs when he comes in the room. What we need is for that employee to take the messages off the telephone, pull the file, discuss it with the Doctor as he can work the message in, and then do as the Doctor says [for instance call the phamacy or check the fax for the form from the insurance company].... what we need is for that employee to be professional....

What school taught that employee to make up their job as they see fit? The time that employee spent on deciding how to change the daily working of the office was wasted.

The actions of a disgruntal employee who by the nature of the position is in direct contact with a patient may be detrimental to that patient's care.....

If this employee told a patient something that was in direct contridiction to what the doctor knew to be correct.... this would cause someone to spend time questioning the best advice of the doctor.....

What makes this employee think they know so da^m much?

Yep.... IMHO those signs are posted because that employee had a big head... and that big head might have killed someone.... It's a real shame the practice had to resort to that measure....

IMHO You started this thread to be vindictive.... I hope that person that left hasn't hurt one of the patients by allowing this detrimental babble of yours to continue... I doubt she has the liability insurance to cover the loss....

 

[sinwagon]

SouthernYankee.... I knew this thread had something to do with the sign....

​

I asked about that sign when I saw it! ​

IMHO It sounds like that ex-employee fancies herself a qualified diagnostician......Doctor Cafferty is the only person in that office qualified to discuss medical issues.... and her discussions about test results and the state of the office and all those other off-the-wall discussions might have been detrimental to the practice.... my opinion....

I noticed you didn't think she would want to answer my questions in here.... I'll make them available for you again....

I'll substitute "you left" for "they fired you" so we don't have to argue that point....





What we need is for that employee to do their job. What we need is for that employee to record the vitals so that the Doctor will have the basic information he needs when he comes in the room. What we need is for that employee to take the messages off the telephone, pull the file, discuss it with the Doctor as he can work the message in, and then do as the Doctor says [for instance call the phamacy or check the fax for the form from the insurance company].... what we need is for that employee to be professional....

What school taught that employee to make up their job as they see fit? The time that employee spent on deciding how to change the daily working of the office was wasted.

The actions of a disgruntal employee who by the nature of the position is in direct contact with a patient may be detrimental to that patient's care.....

If this employee told a patient something that was in direct contridiction to what the doctor knew to be correct.... this would cause someone to spend time questioning the best advice of the doctor.....

What makes this employee think they know so da^m much?

Yep.... IMHO those signs are posted because that employee had a big head... and that big head might have killed someone.... It's a real shame the practice had to resort to that measure....

IMHO You started this thread to be vindictive.... I hope that person that left hasn't hurt one of the patients by allowing this detrimental babble of yours to continue... I doubt she has the liability insurance to cover the loss....

FYI....A nurse from Dr. Cafferty's office called me with my daughters test results the other day and I asked her questions regarding those results and she answered them. When the labs were drawn that was the first and only time my daughter has been seen there.

 

[hotcoffee]

FYI....A nurse from Dr. Cafferty's office called me with my daughters test results the other day and I asked her questions regarding those results and she answered them. When the labs were drawn that was the first and only time my daughter has been seen there.

When I first went to Dr. Cafferty's new practice, I didn't get my lab results from a nurse.... they held the results until the Doctor could discuss them with me....

Right before the "sign" went up at Dr. Cafferty's office, I received a call from a "nurse" about my test results and what she told me was completely different than what Dr. Cafferty told me in the office a couple weeks before, and I discussed it with Dr. Cafferty at the next appointment.

I don't know if you and SouthernYankee are friends or even know each other.... I'm not even sure if SouthernYankee only knows the one that "left" or she is the one that "left".... but I for one am glad that person is gone....

Those of us who have chronic lymes have generally been told over and over and over and over again that there is nothing physically wrong that will show up on any test. My last doctor, my last neurolgist.... they never tested for lymes.... they tested for spinal injury or damage... and found it.... but they could not tell me what happened to cause the damage.... my other symptoms... they wrote them off to being in my head....

Dr. Cafferty found lymes [2 bands] and other issues [some carpel in my left arm.... something in my left eye...really horrible exhaustion...... anxiety disorder...short term memory loss.... problems with balance.... times when I can not swallow.... [and more].... I was started on medication to see if that helped [which it did of course] .... I was thrilled.... there was light at the end of the tunnel....

Then this "nurse" who said she worked for Dr. Cafferty's office calls and tells me that my tests are all normal with the exception of cholesterol.... and I need to go on a diet to control my cholesterol.... Do you know how depressing it is to be getting out of a boat that is sinking... only to be thrown back in?

Yeah.... I'd like to have those couple of weeks back....

I've met the nurses employed at the Doctor's office now... they seem very intelligent... well trained... and nice....

 

[sinwagon]

When I first went to Dr. Cafferty's new practice, I didn't get my lab results from a nurse.... they held the results until the Doctor could discuss them with me....

Right before the "sign" went up at Dr. Cafferty's office, I received a call from a "nurse" about my test results and what she told me was completely different than what Dr. Cafferty told me in the office a couple weeks before, and I discussed it with Dr. Cafferty at the next appointment.

I don't know if you and SouthernYankee are friends or even know each other.... I'm not even sure if SouthernYankee only knows the one that "left" or she is the one that "left".... but I for one am glad that person is gone....

Those of us who have chronic lymes have generally been told over and over and over and over again that there is nothing physically wrong that will show up on any test. My last doctor, my last neurolgist.... they never tested for lymes.... they tested for spinal injury or damage... and found it.... but they could not tell me what happened to cause the damage.... my other symptoms... they wrote them off to being in my head....

Dr. Cafferty found lymes [2 bands] and other issues [some carpel in my left arm.... something in my left eye...really horrible exhaustion...... anxiety disorder...short term memory loss.... problems with balance.... times when I can not swallow.... [and more].... I was started on medication to see if that helped [which it did of course] .... I was thrilled.... there was light at the end of the tunnel....

Then this "nurse" who said she worked for Dr. Cafferty's office calls and tells me that my tests are all normal with the exception of cholesterol.... and I need to go on a diet to control my cholesterol.... Do you know how depressing it is to be getting out of a boat that is sinking... only to be thrown back in?

Yeah.... I'd like to have those couple of weeks back....

I've met the nurses employed at the Doctor's office now... they seem very intelligent... well trained... and nice....

I have not been a patient long enough to know anyone who works there or anyone who has left. The only office staff I am familiar with by name is Ashley and thats because I have had issues with her. I probably would not remember her name either if it were not for my daughters name being Ashley. I have only been there 3 times. Once for the initial visit, once for a depo shot and once for the follow up after the labs were run at the first visit.

 

[SouthernYankee]

Was it a nurse? did they indentify them self as a nurse? I'm not trying to slam you I just want to know.

FYI....A nurse from Dr. Cafferty's office called me with my daughters test results the other day and I asked her questions regarding those results and she answered them. When the labs were drawn that was the first and only time my daughter has been seen there.

 

[sinwagon]

Was it a nurse? did they indentify them self as a nurse? I'm not trying to slam you I just want to know.

Yes, she said her name, which I can't remember and she said she was a nurse from Dr. Cafferty's office calling with my daughter's test results.