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I work as a receptionist at a drug/alcohol rehab. Anyone who calls the main number gets me. And only me - there's only one receptionist working at a time. Federal laws are fun - so we can't actually confirm that patients are actually there. Or that they've left. Or even their counselor's name so the caller can talk to them (cuz that would be confirming the patient is here).
When callers ask for a patient by name, I have to tell them I can neither confirm nor deny their presence. Most callers sadly say they understand, and I inform them that if they're in contact with anyone here to get their counselor's name. Most of the people I interact with (callers or waiting admissions) are not sucky.
I understand that family members dealing with a family member in rehab can be very frustrating and emotional, so I give my callers as much slack as possible. I'm firm, but apologetic. I truly sorry I can't let you know your son is here, especially since you're worried that he's either at rehab or doing drugs right now. But I can't.
I once had a call from out-of-state, saying that a patient (PT) was on the phone with them, but the call got interrupted and the male caller (CM) wanted me to tell PT to call them back. So I explained I couldn't take messages, nor confirm/deny, etc. So cM put his wife on the phone (CW) who I explained the same thing to. CW decided it was an emergency (yea right), so I put her over to the supervisor's voice mail. Well, CW called back, twice, with the same thing. Wanted PT to call her. Then didn't understand why I kept saying my can't confirm/deny line. I explained it was federal law. CW said they didn't do that in her state. (For those outside the US - federal law trumps state law.) After explaining to CW that since she had already left a message with supervisor, there was nothing more that could be done, CW got off the line.
I will put people over to the supervisor's voice mail for non-emergency things that I can't answer that the callers have decided they won't take "I can't help you" for an answer. (I also do that for the really nice callers whom I wish I could help but can't - but they don't belong on here.) I always tell them that if the supervisor doesn't answer, to leave a message. If I see the supervisor, I do tell him he has a message. He'll come out of his office looking at me like I'm crazy. I'll sigh and tell him I told the caller to leave a message. Rinse and repeat. I get at least one of these each shift I work. At least.
When patients leave, sometimes they forget things. We're all human, so no big deal. We won't keep their stuff forever, but if they left Wednesday* morning, their stuff isn't going anywhere until at least next week. Wednesday* afternoon, I get a call of "Have you found my stuff I left Wednesday* morning and forgot stuff." I find out that they haven't had time to look, and the lookers told the caller they'd call him. The message gets relayed. Caller calls back twice more that day.
Former patients calling about their medical records is the worst, actually. Most of the time they want a letter confirming that they were at the rehab - either to tell their work, the courts, or even gas/power companies. No matter what they want, they have to fill out a written consent form completely, and wait for the medical records people (2 people for all of it - they're always busy) to get around to it. They always need the letters/paperwork/whatever tomorrow and don't understand that that is not happening.
I got a call transferred to the front desk from admissions (no clue how the caller got the admissions direct number). Immediately the caller started off verbally abusive about being transferred to me and not who he wanted. He knew exactly which medical record person he wanted, but refused to let me transfer him. Why? He wanted me to guarantee that the person would answer her phone, and was threatening me with his lawyer if I did not. I'm new, so I don't know our policy on hanging up on people, so I didn't. I told him that the person was at work today, but I could neither see her office nor the door to it, so had no way of guaranteeing that anyone would pick up. After a few rounds of me repeating myself, he finally gave in to me transferring him. I called the other medical records person to give them the heads up that he was a jerk. I found out later that this person had been given the direct number to the right person (but didn't call it) and was always threatening. Joy.
A person called wanting a letter saying they can go back to work. It was a bit of an argument to get them to understand that yes, they needed to talk to medical records, they're the people who do that. The caller had left AMA (Against Medical Advice) the day before (let's say, Wednesday*), and wanted a letter saying they could get back to work on Friday*. Not happening. I explained to him the impossibility of that (even if the form was handed in that day, there are other people in line. First come, first serve.). He kept calling back.
Insurance companies apparently have case managers for people who frequently go in and out of rehabs. I was unaware of this until after a very common insurance company called me. After introducing themselves as a rep from that company, the rep asked for three patients by first and last name. I gave them my neither confirm/deny spiel. They got all "but I'm from the insurance company! I'm special!". We went back and forth for a bit, and luckily the director of admissions was walking by, so I grabbed her and asked for help. The rep got ripped into that they knew the correct way to get the patients, and I learned about case managers.
Insurance companies also handle transports for patients in some cases. I knew this in the back of my mind, but when I got a call that immediately asked me to hold, then got bitchy at me when I tried to figure out who the hell they were, then actually put me on hold. One of the medical record ladies was right there, so I asked her if I was allowed to hang up on people. She said sure (in that case) and I did. Minutes later I got a call from the same number with a rep that introduced himself, explained what he was doing, and all was right with the world. In hind sight I wished I had told him that the previous rep did not do her job very well.
I just realized this is very long, so here's something not sucky to end it all off with:
Caller calls to ask about patient. Give spiel. Caller then asks if they can ask general questions. (I love when people ask that - there's nothing confidential about when lunch time is.) Caller gets information about free time, visiting, that patients can get mail and drop offs, that they can have money (and what to use it for), and anything else that is a general question that I can actually answer. Call ends with both parties happy, and the caller thanking me for the info. Luckily, I get at least one of these calls a shift, too.
When callers ask for a patient by name, I have to tell them I can neither confirm nor deny their presence. Most callers sadly say they understand, and I inform them that if they're in contact with anyone here to get their counselor's name. Most of the people I interact with (callers or waiting admissions) are not sucky.
I understand that family members dealing with a family member in rehab can be very frustrating and emotional, so I give my callers as much slack as possible. I'm firm, but apologetic. I truly sorry I can't let you know your son is here, especially since you're worried that he's either at rehab or doing drugs right now. But I can't.
I once had a call from out-of-state, saying that a patient (PT) was on the phone with them, but the call got interrupted and the male caller (CM) wanted me to tell PT to call them back. So I explained I couldn't take messages, nor confirm/deny, etc. So cM put his wife on the phone (CW) who I explained the same thing to. CW decided it was an emergency (yea right), so I put her over to the supervisor's voice mail. Well, CW called back, twice, with the same thing. Wanted PT to call her. Then didn't understand why I kept saying my can't confirm/deny line. I explained it was federal law. CW said they didn't do that in her state. (For those outside the US - federal law trumps state law.) After explaining to CW that since she had already left a message with supervisor, there was nothing more that could be done, CW got off the line.
I will put people over to the supervisor's voice mail for non-emergency things that I can't answer that the callers have decided they won't take "I can't help you" for an answer. (I also do that for the really nice callers whom I wish I could help but can't - but they don't belong on here.) I always tell them that if the supervisor doesn't answer, to leave a message. If I see the supervisor, I do tell him he has a message. He'll come out of his office looking at me like I'm crazy. I'll sigh and tell him I told the caller to leave a message. Rinse and repeat. I get at least one of these each shift I work. At least.
When patients leave, sometimes they forget things. We're all human, so no big deal. We won't keep their stuff forever, but if they left Wednesday* morning, their stuff isn't going anywhere until at least next week. Wednesday* afternoon, I get a call of "Have you found my stuff I left Wednesday* morning and forgot stuff." I find out that they haven't had time to look, and the lookers told the caller they'd call him. The message gets relayed. Caller calls back twice more that day.
Former patients calling about their medical records is the worst, actually. Most of the time they want a letter confirming that they were at the rehab - either to tell their work, the courts, or even gas/power companies. No matter what they want, they have to fill out a written consent form completely, and wait for the medical records people (2 people for all of it - they're always busy) to get around to it. They always need the letters/paperwork/whatever tomorrow and don't understand that that is not happening.
I got a call transferred to the front desk from admissions (no clue how the caller got the admissions direct number). Immediately the caller started off verbally abusive about being transferred to me and not who he wanted. He knew exactly which medical record person he wanted, but refused to let me transfer him. Why? He wanted me to guarantee that the person would answer her phone, and was threatening me with his lawyer if I did not. I'm new, so I don't know our policy on hanging up on people, so I didn't. I told him that the person was at work today, but I could neither see her office nor the door to it, so had no way of guaranteeing that anyone would pick up. After a few rounds of me repeating myself, he finally gave in to me transferring him. I called the other medical records person to give them the heads up that he was a jerk. I found out later that this person had been given the direct number to the right person (but didn't call it) and was always threatening. Joy.
A person called wanting a letter saying they can go back to work. It was a bit of an argument to get them to understand that yes, they needed to talk to medical records, they're the people who do that. The caller had left AMA (Against Medical Advice) the day before (let's say, Wednesday*), and wanted a letter saying they could get back to work on Friday*. Not happening. I explained to him the impossibility of that (even if the form was handed in that day, there are other people in line. First come, first serve.). He kept calling back.
Insurance companies apparently have case managers for people who frequently go in and out of rehabs. I was unaware of this until after a very common insurance company called me. After introducing themselves as a rep from that company, the rep asked for three patients by first and last name. I gave them my neither confirm/deny spiel. They got all "but I'm from the insurance company! I'm special!". We went back and forth for a bit, and luckily the director of admissions was walking by, so I grabbed her and asked for help. The rep got ripped into that they knew the correct way to get the patients, and I learned about case managers.
Insurance companies also handle transports for patients in some cases. I knew this in the back of my mind, but when I got a call that immediately asked me to hold, then got bitchy at me when I tried to figure out who the hell they were, then actually put me on hold. One of the medical record ladies was right there, so I asked her if I was allowed to hang up on people. She said sure (in that case) and I did. Minutes later I got a call from the same number with a rep that introduced himself, explained what he was doing, and all was right with the world. In hind sight I wished I had told him that the previous rep did not do her job very well.
I just realized this is very long, so here's something not sucky to end it all off with:
Caller calls to ask about patient. Give spiel. Caller then asks if they can ask general questions. (I love when people ask that - there's nothing confidential about when lunch time is.) Caller gets information about free time, visiting, that patients can get mail and drop offs, that they can have money (and what to use it for), and anything else that is a general question that I can actually answer. Call ends with both parties happy, and the caller thanking me for the info. Luckily, I get at least one of these calls a shift, too.
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