Science

Your Call Is Very Important To Us

ImagesHere's what it's like to try to get through to my doctor. This is a verbatim transcript:

[Recording of Deep Male Voice] Thank you for calling CareMount Medical. If this is a medical emergency, pleases hang up and dial 911. We are experiencing extremely high call volumes and appointment requests due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. If you are calling with questions regarding Covid Testing and results at CareMount, please press 1 for further information.

[Did not press 1. Recorded Chipper Female Voice comes on the line.] Thank you for choosing Caremount Medical. You have reached our Mount Kisco office. If this is a medical emergency, hang up and call 911. For office hours and locations, including Urgent Care offices, visit us on the web at www.caremountmedical.com. Your call maybe monitored for quality and training purposes.

If you are a hospital or physician, please press star. For radiology, press 1. For internal medicine, including gastroenterology, infectious disease, nephrology, pulmonology, rheumatology and hematology/oncology, press 2. 

[After pressing 2. Same female voice] For internal medicine, including infectious disease, endocrinology, nephrology pulmonology, rheumatology, hematology/oncology, please press 1.

[After pressing 1. Same female voice] To renew an existing prescription, please press 1. To schedule or change an existing appointment, or to speak to a care team member, please press 2.

[After pressing 2. Same voice.] To renew an existing prescription, please press 1. To schedule or change an existing appointment or to speak to a care team member, please press 2.

[After pressing 2 - Same voice] Your call may be monitored for quality and training purposes. 

[New voice, male and deep] To schedule a Covid vaccine appointment, press 1. To speak to a care team member to schedule an appointment with your provider, or to reschedule an existing appointment, press 2.

[After pressing 2. Back to the female.] Thank you for choosing CareMount Medical for your health care needs. Personal attention is given to every caller. 

Annoying Hold Music begins. And plays. And plays and plays, interrupted by occasional "We are experiencing higher than normal call volumes."

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After 15 more minutes on hold, I give up.