What Makes SHIFT Different
Our medical system is broken. The most unfortunate part about the statement I just made, is that the patient is the person who suffers from this broken system. Recently, I made an appointment for myself that was not urgent (thankfully) and was scheduled out almost 6 weeks for my first appointment. I waited for this appointment day to arrive and had an overall good experience at the actual appointment. The atmosphere of the clinic was fine, the receptionists and staff were friendly, and the doctor was phenomenal at her job. I filled out some paperwork prior to my appointment, and filled out another sheet upon my arrival where I was told it would give me access to my online “patient portal.” OK, all is well as I leave my appointment with a plan in place.
Now, fast forward two weeks….I have not received any kind of communication from the doctor’s office to provide me any results from my tests that were run on that day. I have not received an invitation to join the patient portal (for which I filled out a form to be invited to join). My curious mind gets the best of me, so I try to reach out to the office to get some answers. Three phone calls later, I still have no answers. My first phone call was over 50 minutes of hold music with no answer. Then, 35 minutes of hold music followed by a voicemail (where I left a voicemail and requested a call back). Then, a third phone call where I tried to reach a different department and again needed to leave a voicemail (which has not been returned either). I try to see if there is an email option to reach out to the clinic - NOPE - please use the “patient portal” —- THAT I DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO!!!! UGH!!!! My frustration has reached the next level!
What’s the point of this story? Well, I wanted to share a little about WHY SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness is different. First of all, our small business is just that, OURS. It isn’t a part of a large corporation or gigantic health system where decisions are made by administrators who are making decisions for their own financial benefit rather than the patients walking through their doors. At SHIFT Physical Therapy, every single person who walks through our door is known to us on a first name basis. We are invested in their lives and genuinely want to do everything in our power to make their experience at Shift the BEST possible experience.
We are ACCESSIBLE at SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness. Do you sometimes need to leave a message at SHIFT Physical Therapy, yes, but we can also promise that you will get a phone call back on the same day if you are leaving a message during business hours, or on the next business day if you are leaving that message after hours. We have an email for people to reach out at any time - and sometimes you will get a response right away or within a few hours via that option (even on weekends at times!). We have Facebook messenger as an option to get in touch, which is also a great way to get in touch outside of normal business hours.
It is not uncommon for us to be able to schedule a same-day appointment at SHIFT Physical Therapy, especially if it is necessary to see us urgently. It is truly in the best interest of the patient to see a provider as soon as possible. If you suddenly experience low back pain that is hindering your ability to work or participate in your daily activities, one of the worst things that could happen is being told “we can schedule you an appointment in 3 weeks.” Imagine what will happen to that person during the next 3 weeks - they limit their participation in normal day-to-day activities, they isolate themselves from activities with family and friends, and they will likely start to physically decline (get weaker from not moving) and mentally decline (feel anxious, fearful, stressed, or depressed). Without having answers in a timely manner, you can see where recovery from their injury will only take longer. Having the ability to schedule patients quickly helps empower the patient and drastically decreases the amount of time their recovery will take.
Clearly, I started this blog with my personal frustration of a recent experience with a larger healthcare system. My intention is not to tell you that SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness is perfect, because obviously we are human and make mistakes as well. However, we are also human in the sense that we crave connection and know that the connection with our clients is extremely valuable to us and our business. We do things differently at SHIFT, because that is ultimately how we want to be treated by our providers too. We want to be accessible, schedule appointments in a timely fashion, and be easy to communicate with. So, if you are looking for a change in your provider - reach out to us at SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness.
Written by Renee Hancock, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist and Business Owner
