Paying for healthcare is tough already, but one patient at an urgent care facility in California felt that even getting proper treatment from a doctor was another challenge. Reddit user HorkNADO explained that he’d injured his toe and feared it had fractured, as it bled from a hematoma. After limping into urgent care, he heard something he couldn’t believe: “[The] receptionist states there’s no doctor on site.”
“I’ve heard alot of crazy things in my life – but an urgent care with no doctor during normal business hours has no business operating,” exclaimed HorkNADO. “I came here because I needed to see a doctor URGENTLY.” He ranted about how bars have bartenders and grocery stores have clerks, but for an urgent care that doesn’t have a doctor around, “why are the urgent care’s doors even open?” he questioned.
The Urgent Care Offered a Virtual Visit with a Doctor, But OP Refused
The urgent care facility did offer a virtual interaction with a doctor, but a physical one was what HorkNADO felt he needed. He says he ended up going to an emergency room, which was evidently the more expensive option he was trying to avoid. “Now I’ll probably have to file for bankruptcy cause I had an X-ray done at ER,” he sarcastically concluded. Plenty of people sympathized with OP and were also upset that a doctor wasn’t readily available in person to see him.
“TIL to call urgent care before I go…to confirm they have qualified personnel on site. I’m sorry that happened,” sighed a commenter. “The idea of walking in and there being no doctor is INSANE. I’m sorry you had to deal with this,” expressed another. “Soon surgery will be virtual too. The doctor will just walk you through it over video,” joked a third.
It should be noted that the Medical Board of California doesn’t say it’s illegal for a physician to remotely supervise the goings-on at a clinic. There are staff who can still help patients to a degree, like nurse practitioners and physician assistants, with the remote supervision of a doctor. However, HorkNADO wanted a doctor in the flesh; “I asked them if they could perform what was needed, and receptionist said no. I walked out at that point,” he recalled.
Whether there were any NPs or PAs to help, HorkNADO says he didn’t ask. In the end, the urgent care didn’t refuse OP treatment. He went into a doctor’s office expecting to see a doctor, only to realize no one was on site to provide the treatment he wanted without the doctor’s virtual supervision.
