A few weeks ago, a friend related a troubling story to me. She had gone to University Health Services for her third dose of the HPV vaccination (which is designed to be given in three shots over six months) and was informed that at her previous visit, she had accidentally been given a tetanus shot instead of the vaccine and would need to come back for an additional HPV shot.
Horrified, I repeated this story to a number of female friends in the coming days. Each responded similarly — with their own UHS horror story. One had an ovarian cyst misdiagnosed as menstrual cramps (the cyst later ruptured, leaving her hospitalized for a week). Another was given three days’ worth of antibiotics that, as a Community Pharmacy pharmacist later informed her, was actually a medicine that required 10 days worth of dosage. I could list many more examples, but needless to say, I had been thoroughly warned. Or maybe, to put it more ominously, I should have known.
Early in February, I scheduled a Friday afternoon appointment for a massage at UHS. I had heard great things about their massage therapists and was looking forward to relaxing after a very stressful week. When Friday rolled around, to my dismay, I was called into work, meaning I would need to cancel my massage.
I referred back to an automated e-mail I had received the previous day, and was relieved to discover I still had sufficient time to cancel the appointment and avoid being charged a cancellation fee. However, when I called to cancel, the receptionist told me that they had a 24-hour cancellation policy, and I was going to be charged $25. Frustrated, I explained the e-mail I had received clearly stated that their policy said, “If you are not able to keep your appointment, please call to cancel at least 1 hour prior to your appointment time or you may be charged a missed appointment fee.”
The receptionist instructed me to forward the e-mail I had received to a UHS administrator and explain that I should not be charged for canceling. I expected my dilemma to end there.
Then, last week, I received a statement with the $25 “missed appointment fee.” At this point, I was beyond frustrated, but tried to remain calm, even when, after calling UHS to discuss the bill, I was transferred to three different people to speak to about my issue. I ended up leaving a voicemail for an administrator who was “gone on vacation.”
This morning, the administrator finally returned my call. In a rude tone, she explained that while I might “think that I know what the e-mail said” regarding their cancellation policy, I actually didn’t. I had her stay on the line with me while I forwarded her the initial automated e-mail I had received. To my shock, she then inferred that I had somehow forged the automated e-mail, presumably to get out of the $25 fee.
Look, I still have trouble uploading photos onto my laptop, and even as a senior, I can barely read my DARS. The fact that this woman, who has never met me, would insult my integrity and intelligence by suggesting that I would forge an official university e-mail is beyond comprehensible.
What more, I sadly consider myself lucky that my UHS horror story is one that has cost me time and energy (and sanity), rather than threatened my physical health, as in the case of too many of my friends. While UHS has upgraded to a new, flashy building, they might want to consider putting some of that money into their administrative, communications and heath care systems, which at this point, could still use a serious renovation.
Sophia Pogoff
Senior, Journalism
