New Patients Requesting the Owner to Treat Them, What to Say

An owner has many responsibilities beyond patient care. Since the owner is often known in the physician community is it sometimes difficult as the clinic expands and one hires more clinical staff to reduce his or her clinical hours.

Many times patients will call in and ask for the owner but their condition may not really require the owner’s assistance but since the docs consider that the owner is the same as the practice in many ways, it becomes quite difficult to reduce the clinical hours so that the owner can take the helm of his or her ship.

Here is how I’d recommend your Reception handle calls from New Patients requesting to be seen by the owner:

Patient: “The Doctor told me to see Owner.”
Receptionist: “Owner is very busy running the practice on a day-to-day basis and has a very limited schedule when he sees patients. Fortunately, owner also only hires the very best physical therapists to work with him AND he has a firm policy that if after 3 visits working with one on his other physical therapists if you are not happy with your care he will personally move you over to his limited schedule.”

If the patient persists in seeing me:

Patient: “I really need to see owner.”
Receptionist: “Sure. I can schedule you on owner however he does not have a very flexible schedule and as long as your schedule is flexible perhaps we can work it out. Would you like mornings or afternoons?”
Patient: “Afternoons.”
Receptionist: “I’m sorry but owner only sees patients from 8-10 daily. Can I schedule you at that time?
Patient: “Sure.” (Go ahead and schedule as the openings allow.)
or
Patient: “No. I really need afternoons.”
Receptionist: “Let me go ahead and schedule you onto PT (name). She is very good, patients love her and she is one of our best. I will let owner know that you preferred him and I will see to it that he introduces himself to you and makes this transition as smooth as possible. Okay?”
Patient: “Sure. Let’s do that.” (Go ahead and schedule on another)

NOTE: If any patient who requests the owner is placed upon another PT please make a note next to their name that they requested the owner so that he or she may introduce themselves and ease the patient’s concern and to let them know that their PT will take excellent care of them.