With Halloween in the immediate past, I am reminded of something my mother used to tell me: “Don’t take candy from strangers.” In our society there is an inherent distrust of the new and the unknown – a major hurdle for a doctor’s office. At our office we know that trust is something which is not given, but instead must be earned – and we strive to do so every day. People will not follow our recommendations without trust. There are several attributes that contribute to a feeling of trust which include being dependable, competent, honest and sincere. It also involves being able to listen, and empathize with each individual’s concerns. It is placing the interests of another over your own.
Here is the problem… our current healthcare system is changing in a way that pressures doctors to break this trust. Reimbursements from some health and vision plans are so low that we are unable to provide the best possible care (see the following paragraph to understand our response to this problem). Plans are moving toward simply meeting the minimum standard of care and frequently do not cover the best solutions. Doctors are forced to use laboratories that don’t provide the highest service or quality control. Further, doctors are forced to spend less time with their patients and thus are never able to earn the trust that is so important. So why don’t most doctors say no to these arrangements? Simply put, most doctors would go out of business if they did not accept them.
In order to avoid these pressures and maintain the high quality of care that we aim to provide, we have had to stop accepting certain vision and health plans over the years. This has meant saying goodbye to some of our patients, which we sincerely apologize for, but we feel that any compromise in care is a compromise we are not willing to make. We are grateful for the many patients who have stayed with us for 20-plus years and instill their trust in us. That is the best compliment we can receive. Our promise is that we will offer you the best possible care regardless of your health or vision plan. Our goal is to be your trusted adviser!
-Dean Amundsen, O.D.