Re: Regarding Dr Anthone and Dr.Crookes office staff

August 18, 2001

I have to say that Dr. Anthone's staff has been very difficult, and I think,

unprofessional. It takes many calls and emails to get any response. I'm now

in a loop with , having asked her a question about a special

consultation with the anesthesiologist regarding special needs, and needing

to know when to arrange for travel for my Sept. 19 surgery date. Two emails

and a call and no response over a week.

Don't they care that we have complex lives? My parents cannot understand

what the problem is.

Please, can people tell me if they have these kinds of problems making

contact post-op when they're having difficulties related to the surgery? If

so, I may use another surgeon.

Would like to hear from others regarding their experiences.

Thanks,

Robyn

Regarding Dr Anthone and Dr.Crookes office staff

> I am in the medical field and I am sick and tired of the staff being

excused at Dr. A's office and Dr. C's office.

> is a control feak and on a power trip, which several medical

professionals and I have brought to the doctors attention. What do they do

about it NOTHING. Yet we are at the mercy of this staff with questions and

possible need for immediate contact with these doctors. The doctors choose

to do risky surgery and yet won't and don't have people to follow up with

our calls.

> Dr. A. is a bigwig over at USC and he can get more help for himself if he

opened his mouth, but even he is intimidated by the conrol freak he has for

his back office nurse.

> No excuses for them please, we deserve better when we put our lives in

their hand.

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

August 19, 2001

Robyn and others,

I have had two or three occasions as a postop when I had concerns and/or

problems. Dr. A has been paged at the USC Care number, and has responded

within 5-10 minutes. He has been gracious and kind each time, very helpful,

and always encouraged me to call with any problems whatsoever. My local

physician's PA called him one time, and was so impressed with him, his

demeanor, his helpfulness, that she commented on it to me.

Having worked with physicians for many, many years, I give Dr. A top marks.

I would have no reservations about follow up care with him.

That said, I too found and the office staff particularly unhelpful. I

just don't bother with them. It is easy enough to page Dr. A and have my

concerns answered.

Carol, the nutritionist, has also given her phone number, and is available to

answer questions.

Hope this helps,

Dawna

August 19, 2001

For the record, I have never had a problem with , she has been

nothing but supportive, nice, kind, and prompt with repsonses when I

really need them. In your case Robin perhaps she has been off for a

few days, or maybe the anesthesiologist that she needs to contact is

on vacation, it is that time of the year. Or perhaps simply whatever

is going on for them this week your situation isn't a priority. I

know that none of us like to hear that but reality is there are only

so many hours in a day and only so much can be done.

All I can say is that she has been a godsend to me.

Open DS with Dr. Anthone 7/6/01

> I have to say that Dr. Anthone's staff has been very difficult, and

I think,

> unprofessional. It takes many calls and emails to get any

response. I'm now

> in a loop with , having asked her a question about a special

> consultation with the anesthesiologist regarding special needs, and

needing

> to know when to arrange for travel for my Sept. 19 surgery date.

Two emails

> and a call and no response over a week.

>

> Don't they care that we have complex lives? My parents cannot

understand

> what the problem is.

>

> Please, can people tell me if they have these kinds of problems

making

> contact post-op when they're having difficulties related to the

surgery? If

> so, I may use another surgeon.

>

> Would like to hear from others regarding their experiences.

>

> Thanks,

> Robyn

>

> Regarding Dr Anthone and Dr.Crookes

office staff

>

> > I am in the medical field and I am sick and tired of the staff

being

> excused at Dr. A's office and Dr. C's office.

> > is a control feak and on a power trip, which several medical

> professionals and I have brought to the doctors attention. What do

they do

> about it NOTHING. Yet we are at the mercy of this staff with

questions and

> possible need for immediate contact with these doctors. The doctors

choose

> to do risky surgery and yet won't and don't have people to follow

up with

> our calls.

> > Dr. A. is a bigwig over at USC and he can get more help for

himself if he

> opened his mouth, but even he is intimidated by the conrol freak he

has for

> his back office nurse.

> > No excuses for them please, we deserve better when we put our

lives in

> their hand.

> >

> > ------------------------------------------------------------------

----

> >

August 19, 2001

For the record, I have never had a problem with , she has been

nothing but supportive, nice, kind, and prompt with repsonses when I

really need them. In your case Robin perhaps she has been off for a

few days, or maybe the anesthesiologist that she needs to contact is

on vacation, it is that time of the year. Or perhaps simply whatever

is going on for them this week your situation isn't a priority. I

know that none of us like to hear that but reality is there are only

so many hours in a day and only so much can be done.

All I can say is that she has been a godsend to me.

Open DS with Dr. Anthone 7/6/01

> I have to say that Dr. Anthone's staff has been very difficult, and

I think,

> unprofessional. It takes many calls and emails to get any

response. I'm now

> in a loop with , having asked her a question about a special

> consultation with the anesthesiologist regarding special needs, and

needing

> to know when to arrange for travel for my Sept. 19 surgery date.

Two emails

> and a call and no response over a week.

>

> Don't they care that we have complex lives? My parents cannot

understand

> what the problem is.

>

> Please, can people tell me if they have these kinds of problems

making

> contact post-op when they're having difficulties related to the

surgery? If

> so, I may use another surgeon.

>

> Would like to hear from others regarding their experiences.

>

> Thanks,

> Robyn

>

> Regarding Dr Anthone and Dr.Crookes

office staff

>

> > I am in the medical field and I am sick and tired of the staff

being

> excused at Dr. A's office and Dr. C's office.

> > is a control feak and on a power trip, which several medical

> professionals and I have brought to the doctors attention. What do

they do

> about it NOTHING. Yet we are at the mercy of this staff with

questions and

> possible need for immediate contact with these doctors. The doctors

choose

> to do risky surgery and yet won't and don't have people to follow

up with

> our calls.

> > Dr. A. is a bigwig over at USC and he can get more help for

himself if he

> opened his mouth, but even he is intimidated by the conrol freak he

has for

> his back office nurse.

> > No excuses for them please, we deserve better when we put our

lives in

> their hand.

> >

> > ------------------------------------------------------------------

----

> >

August 19, 2001

Hi Larry:

> I am in the medical field and I am sick and tired of the

> staff being excused at Dr. A's office and Dr. C's office.

Well then, maybe as someone in the medical field, you can explain to

me why people seem to feel such an incredible need for constant,

immediate contact with office staff?

Other than weighing me and taking my blood pressure during

appointments, my total contact with the office staff has consisted

of:

:

-- sending in my insurance paperwork,

-- telling me when it was approved,

-- scheduling my tests,

-- scheduling my surgeries, and

-- waiting with me for about ninety minutes before my DS.

Angie:

-- scheduling my next appointment(s)

Similarly, the only services I've ever asked for from the office

staffs at the offices of my PCP, my local surgeon, my dentist, my

orthodontist, or my periodontist are to schedule appointments and

process paperwork.

But comments like yours, Larry, make me think I must be missing out

on something really neato and important. So, if you would, please

tell me just what other services are these people supposed to provide

for me?

> is a control feak and on a power trip,

Control freak: yes

Power trip: I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure.

Yes, can be very frustrating to deal with. People with general

questions should save them up either for the pre-op info sessions or

for the post-op meetings. People with medical questions needing

immediate answers should read below.

> Yet we are at the mercy of this staff with ...

> possible need for immediate contact with these

> doctors. The doctors choose to do risky surgery

> and yet won't and don't have people to follow

> up with our calls.

Sorry Larry, but this is just inmitigated BULL$H!T

Since 11/10/2000, the date of my first surgery, (panniculectomy), I

have felt a " need for immediate contact " with Dr. Anthone a total of

five times. Each of those times I dialed 1-800-USC-CARE and asked

that he be paged.

On three of those occasions, Dr. Anthone was in surgery. On those

occasions, I received return calls, within 10 minutes, from: Dr.

Crookes, Dr. Baker, and Dr. Paik. They were all able to resolve my

problem within minutes. On another occasion, Dr. Anthone called me

back, and he too resolved my problem quickly and with his usual care

and kindness.

On the fifth occassion, Dr. Anthone instructed me to go to my local

emergency room, and then to have them call him. When the idiot

emergency room physician finally called Dr. Anthone at 1:30 a.m. on

Sunday night/Monday morning, Dr. Anthone called him back within

minutes.

On yet another ocassion, I asked Dr. Anthone about the possibility of

doing a revision for my sister, who had a JI Bypass in 1979, and who

has regained most of the weight she lost these past few years.

Instead of simply giving me a message to pass along, Dr. Anthone

asked for her phone number, so he could call her himself. He then

did call her, in Massachusetts, twice, (he got the answering machine

the first time, and called her back the next day when she had not yet

returned his call), and spoke to her for just over an HOUR.

I just don't see how a surgeon could be any more accessible to his

patients unless he moved us all into his home.

August 19, 2001

Hi Robyn:

> Please, can people tell me if they have these

> kinds of problems making contact post-op when

> they're having difficulties related to the surgery?

Once you are a post-op, the staff becomes pretty much irrelevant,

except for scheduling your appointments.

Here's my experience as a post-op:

Since 11/10/2000, the date of my first surgery, (panniculectomy), I

have felt a need for immediate contact with Dr. Anthone a total of

five times. Each of those times I dialed 1-800-USC-CARE and asked

that he be paged.

On three of those occasions, Dr. Anthone was in surgery. On those

occasions, I received return calls, within 10 minutes, from: Dr.

Crookes, Dr. Baker, and Dr. Paik. They were all able to resolve my

problem within minutes. On another occasion, Dr. Anthone called me

back, (in less than FIVE minutes, during a dinner with company from

out of town), and he too resolved my problem quickly and with his

usual care and kindness.

On the fifth ocassion, Dr. Anthone instructed me to go to my local

emergency room, and then to have them call him. When the idiot

emergency room physician finally called Dr. Anthone at 1:30 a.m. on

Sunday night/Monday morning, Dr. Anthone called him back within

minutes.

On yet another occasion, I asked Dr. Anthone about the possibility of

doing a revision for my sister, who had a JI Bypass in 1979, and who

has regained most of the weight she lost these past few years.

Instead of simply giving me a message to pass along, Dr. Anthone

asked for her phone number, so he could call her himself. He then

did call her, in Massachusetts, twice, (he got the answering machine

the first time, and called her back the next day when she had not yet

returned his call), and spoke to her for just over an HOUR.

In short Robyn, don't sweat the staff. Once they've processed your

paperwork and scheduled your tests and surgery, you are in your

surgeon's very capable and caring hands.

Tom

Panniculectomy, Dr. Anthone, 11/10/2000

Open DS, Dr. Anthone, 03/30/2001

Goal: Lose 80% of Excess Weight

*******************************

* Starting Weight = 386 *

* " Ideal " Weight = 142 *

* =========================== *

* Total Excess Weight = 244 *

* 80% x Excess Weight = 201 *

* Goal Weight = 386-201 = 185 *

* =========================== *

* Total Needed to Lose = 201 *

* Loss To Date = 116 *

* =========================== *

* Remainder to Goal = 85 *

*******************************

Weight By Date:

11/10/2000 . . 386

03/30/2001 . . 360

04/19/2001 . . 338

05/03/2001 . . 328

05/18/2001 . . 316

06/03/2001 . . 301

06/15/2001 . . 299

06/25/2001 . . 293

07/03/2001 . . 286

07/16/2001 . . 278

07/23/2001 . . 276

07/30/2001 . . 275

08/06/2001 . . 272

08/13/2001 . . 270

USC DS Support Group: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ds_usc>

August 19, 2001

Dear Tom,

Thank you for the encouraging words about being post-op with Dr. A. It's

very good to know that I can reach him, if need be, without going through

the office staff.

I have to say, however, that I have been very dissatisfied with 's

response pre-op. They had all my tests -- with excellent results -- for 5

weeks before I could get her to return a phone call. I tried to be patient:

I sent only two emails and called once. On July 30 we lost my brother in law

to drowning, and I emailed , explaining that I would be away and why

and asking her to phone me on my cell phone with a surgery date. I stressed

that with this trauma in the family, it became ever more important to know

what was going to happen. No phone call after two weeks . . . On the last

day I was up in NJ I called Angie and laid it on the line: you've had my

tests for 6 weeks, why no response, death in the family, important that my

parents know when I'll be having surgery, etc. It was only then did ANGIE

call me back the next day, while I was in the airport, and offer me surgery

dates.

had promised to arrange meetings with Dr. A and the anesthesiologist

before my surgery day once I had been given a surgery date. In spite of two

emails and one phone call I have yet to receive information about this

meeting which would enable me to make travel plans from Texas. Time is

running out and fares are rising.

I am a professional, and if I returned calls and emails on 's timetable

I would soon be out of business. I don't care if it's a " power trip " or

what, but I have never encountered this level of unprofessional unresponse

from a doctor's office before. When I tell my story to family and friends,

they are equally amazed. I'm sorry: in my opinion, there is no excuse.

I've always been polite and have not been harassing in the number of times

I've emailed or phoned, as recounted above. But my patience is worn out.

There, I've had my say.

Peace and regards!

Robyn

Re: Regarding Dr Anthone and Dr.Crookes office

staff

>

> Hi Robyn:

>

> > Please, can people tell me if they have these

> > kinds of problems making contact post-op when

> > they're having difficulties related to the surgery?

>

> Once you are a post-op, the staff becomes pretty much irrelevant,

> except for scheduling your appointments.

>

> Here's my experience as a post-op:

>

> Since 11/10/2000, the date of my first surgery, (panniculectomy), I

> have felt a need for immediate contact with Dr. Anthone a total of

> five times. Each of those times I dialed 1-800-USC-CARE and asked

> that he be paged.

>

> On three of those occasions, Dr. Anthone was in surgery. On those

> occasions, I received return calls, within 10 minutes, from: Dr.

> Crookes, Dr. Baker, and Dr. Paik. They were all able to resolve my

> problem within minutes. On another occasion, Dr. Anthone called me

> back, (in less than FIVE minutes, during a dinner with company from

> out of town), and he too resolved my problem quickly and with his

> usual care and kindness.

>

> On the fifth ocassion, Dr. Anthone instructed me to go to my local

> emergency room, and then to have them call him. When the idiot

> emergency room physician finally called Dr. Anthone at 1:30 a.m. on

> Sunday night/Monday morning, Dr. Anthone called him back within

> minutes.

>

> On yet another occasion, I asked Dr. Anthone about the possibility of

> doing a revision for my sister, who had a JI Bypass in 1979, and who

> has regained most of the weight she lost these past few years.

> Instead of simply giving me a message to pass along, Dr. Anthone

> asked for her phone number, so he could call her himself. He then

> did call her, in Massachusetts, twice, (he got the answering machine

> the first time, and called her back the next day when she had not yet

> returned his call), and spoke to her for just over an HOUR.

>

> In short Robyn, don't sweat the staff. Once they've processed your

> paperwork and scheduled your tests and surgery, you are in your

> surgeon's very capable and caring hands.

>

> Tom

>

> Panniculectomy, Dr. Anthone, 11/10/2000

> Open DS, Dr. Anthone, 03/30/2001

> Goal: Lose 80% of Excess Weight

> *******************************

> * Starting Weight = 386 *

> * " Ideal " Weight = 142 *

> * =========================== *

> * Total Excess Weight = 244 *

> * 80% x Excess Weight = 201 *

> * Goal Weight = 386-201 = 185 *

> * =========================== *

> * Total Needed to Lose = 201 *

> * Loss To Date = 116 *

> * =========================== *

> * Remainder to Goal = 85 *

> *******************************

> Weight By Date:

> 11/10/2000 . . 386

> 03/30/2001 . . 360

> 04/19/2001 . . 338

> 05/03/2001 . . 328

> 05/18/2001 . . 316

> 06/03/2001 . . 301

> 06/15/2001 . . 299

> 06/25/2001 . . 293

> 07/03/2001 . . 286

> 07/16/2001 . . 278

> 07/23/2001 . . 276

> 07/30/2001 . . 275

> 08/06/2001 . . 272

> 08/13/2001 . . 270

> USC DS Support Group: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ds_usc>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

August 19, 2001