On 7/21/17 at 11:25AM, I went to visit my doctor, Dr. Anglin, because I have been having high blood pressure and the medicine that they previously prescribed didn't seem to be curtailing it anymore. I am an established patient at this office for almost 1 year, and they have seen me before with very high blood pressure.
The physician's assistant came into the room, I described an event where my blood pressure was very high a few days prior, and she said that my blood pressure was high now.
Although the blood pressure was high while I was in the office, it was likewise as high the first few times I went to visit this doctor many months back. At this visit, I presented no other symptoms; no headache, no chest pains, no shortness of breath, just high blood pressure on this visit. The PA, as a result of the interview, said that she was going to prescribe another combination of medication to help the lisinopril do the job more effectively and to get my blood pressure back in control. She recommended I come back the following Monday to follow up. She also said she was going to go ahead and do an EKG so that she can get a clear reading and make sure that I am fact was not having any type of medical emergency at the moment.
A nurse came to start applying the EKG monitor stick-ons, but I have a very hairy chest which needed an area to be shaved first.
She looked inside the exam room for several minutes and then went into other rooms essentially looking everywhere for razor to be able to do the shave. After 3-5 minutes another nurse came in with her, and was essentially trying to part my chest hairs away to be able to attach the probes. She then went back out to look for a razor, and after 5 or 10 minutes of unsuccessfully being able to find a razor she comes back in the room with the PA. The PA then started to say that they were not going to do an EKG after all, but that they would rather that I drive myself to the ER because my blood pressure is high. That was not the case 10 or 15 minutes prior but only mysteriously came about when they were unable to get a razor to shave my chest area to conduct the EKG.
I let her know that there was no way that I was going to go to the ER, as I did not feel like I was having a medical emergency. I presented no other symptoms and it seems rather curious that all of the sudden when you can’t find a razor that I need urgent medical care elsewhere. All of a sudden Dr. Anglin abruptly walked into the room saying he was overhearing my conversation with the PA from the hallway. He goes on to rudely, non-caring, and very arrogantly say “sir you need to go to the ER. We're going to do nothing for you here.” I reiterated to him that it was not fair that I should just be pawned off to the emergency room because his office did not have supplies. Not only would it cost undue hardship financially, but also was needless urgent care to someone that is not presenting any symptoms that require urgent care other than a similar high blood pressure which is been on my charts since day one.
I put my shirt back on and then spoke further with Dr. Anglin in the hallway, in the presence of his PA, and nurse. I told him that his persona and how he came in to talk to me in the exam room was very arrogant, rude and did not fulfill his Hippocratic Oath as a doctor to care for his patients. He basically came across like he really didn’t care what I thought, that no one else feels the way I do, and that I should just be on my way. I let him know once again that by him turning me away his actions had the potential of making my condition worse by not treating me at all or doing the EKG in his office. I also told him that it is very suspect that suddenly when there is no razor to be found, I should now need to go to the ER. That is unheard of. Then he said the rudest of all things in the entire conversation which is essentially, look sir I need to worry about me and my practice and I will not put that at risk to treat you. If I treat you and you have a heart attack over the weekend I'm going to be liable for that. I was very appalled by this statement and I replied “there lies the key situation; you care more about yourself sir than you do your patience.” He said you can think what you want, have a good day and dismissed me. As I walked out realized that by that time it was 12:10, and his office was already closed for lunch until 1:00PM….
So I offer a couple questions for consideration:
a. If I in fact was having such a grave medical emergency that required me to go to the ER, why would he send me away to drive myself to the ER instead of calling my wife, an ambulance, or even offering to do so?
b. If I’m in crisis, should I get behind the wheel of a car?
In my humble opinion this doctor truly does not care about his patients but cares much more for himself than that of his patients which he took an oath to put above all. Not only that, but he was very unprofessional and acted in a manner in which I have never seen from a medical doctor. He pretty much told me that he's been in business for 10 years and essentially doesn't need/want my business or to help improve my health.
Needless to say Dr. Anglin will no longer be my doctor as I do not need such an individual to be entrusted with my health and life. However, I did want it to be known in the circles that monitor and protect the community from practicing doctors that care more for themselves and their practice than that of the patients that they are entrusted to take care of.
If I in fact did need urgent emergency medical care then he should have been the one to come in the room from the beginning to tell me that the plan has changed and he felt that would be better for me. However, this only happened when they could not find a razor to put on the EKG monitor. In my humble opinion I really do feel as though this doctor needs to be reminded by other doctors & his peers of why it was that he became a doctor to begin with.
He Should be reminded of his Hippocratic Oath:
I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.
