This appointment had been scheduled approximately six months in advance. Historically, this office,…read morelike nearly every medical and dental practice I have encountered, sends appointment reminders several days before an appointment and often additional reminders closer to the date. Instead, I received a text message reminder at 8:01 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. appointment. Having not yet checked my phone that morning, I was completely unaware of the appointment.
At 8:11 a.m., I received a phone call asking where I was. The tone of that call was far from pleasant. When I questioned why I had not received the usual advance reminder, I was told that I had been reminded that morning by text message. Regardless of my frustration, I immediately stopped what I was doing and rushed to the office in an effort to keep the appointment.
Upon arrival, I showed the staff that the reminder had been delivered after the appointment was already supposed to have begun. Rather than acknowledging the issue, I was told that I was "an adult" and should not need a reminder. I found this response unnecessarily rude and dismissive. Whether a patient needs a reminder is irrelevant; the fact remains that the office's normal reminder process was not followed.
I also inquired about the length of my appointment because I had previously contacted the office on September 2, 2026, after my new insurance became active. During that call, I requested an appointment with the dentist, specifically asking whether Friday appointments were available. I was told that the dentist did not work on Fridays and that someone would call me back. I did receive a return call, but no voicemail was left, and I had not yet had an opportunity to follow up.
When I relayed this conversation to the receptionist, I was told that it did not "sound like a conversation they would have had." Rather than attempting to understand the situation, my account was essentially dismissed. At that point, Dr. Washburn was called to the front. He approached me and asked, "You wanted to see me?"
My response was that I simply wanted to keep the appointment I had scheduled six months earlier. However, I also felt he should be aware that sending a reminder after an appointment is scheduled to begin is ineffective, and that the attitude I encountered from staff was inappropriate. Patients should be allowed to express dissatisfaction when standard office procedures are not followed without being treated as though they are the problem.
To my surprise, instead of addressing my concerns, I was immediately dismissed from the practice and denied the appointment that I had rushed to attend.
As someone who has worked in medical administration and medical billing for more than 20 years, I have interacted with countless healthcare practices. I can honestly say that this was one of the most unprofessional patient interactions I have ever experienced.
What makes this situation even more frustrating is that I remained loyal to this practice during a lengthy staffing shortage. When the office was unable to retain a dental hygienist and my cleaning was delayed by approximately six months, I chose to be patient and understanding. I accepted the inconvenience and continued to support the practice. Now, after waiting again for a long-overdue cleaning, I have been dismissed as a patient simply for expressing concerns about a missed reminder and the manner in which I was treated.
I believe patients deserve to be treated with respect, particularly when they are making a sincere effort to keep appointments and communicate concerns in good faith. Unfortunately, that was not my experience.
