Letter to the Editor

To the Editor of the Los Angeles Times:

     Imagine my frustration  reading about the shortage of dentists at the Remote Area Medical clinic held in Los Angeles this past weekend. Hundreds of needy people went without care because California will not allow doctors licensed in other states to volunteer their services.
     I was prepared to fly to LA for this event, but my application was rejected as unacceptable because I am licensed in the state of New York.  This policy is truly inexplicable. Many doctors would willingly take time away from their own practices, patients and families, fly out at their own expense, and help those truly in need, if only it were allowed.
     California is a progressive and innovative state. There must be a way to promote and encourage this kind of volunteerism, as many other states do.

Sincerely,
Mitchell Rubinstein D.M.D.

Printed in the L.A. Times, May 3rd 2010

The "Waiting" Room ?

   What is a reasonable period of time to keep a patient waiting? I recently took my 4 year old son to an opthalmologist, who kept us waiting over an hour. Our appointment was at 1:00 and we were taken into the treatment room (which also turned out to be a "waiting" room) a little after 2:00. It was at least another 10 minutes before the doctor appeared. What sort of mood to you think my 4 year old was in by then?
   No one would tolerate such a delay with a restaurant reservation or when bringing a car in for service. Why do some doctors consider this normal? Why do some offices run continuously late, whereas others are able to run on time? There is rarely a good excuse for keeping patients waiting an inordinate amount of time. 

Staff should be trained to consider the patient's feelings when scheduling appointments. The goal can not be to cram as many patients in as possible. Visiting a dentist's office is often a stressful event. A caring and helpful scheduling procedure will make the whole office run more efficiently.