Threatened by VA Staff
I had an appointment at the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. While I was checking in to my appointment, I was openly threatened by the staff member who was checking me in.
Background: I am a 100% Service Connected disabled veteran. I use a wheelchair for mobility. Not really important, but for context.
Situation: I arrived for my appointment. There are 3 “Check in” windows, numbered 1, 2 and 3. The waiting room has quite a few people in it, but there was no one waiting at any of the check in windows. I roll up to window 2 because I didnt see anyone at window 1 (remember, I am in a wheelchair. I view the world from a different angle than you do when walking. If someone has 2 computer monitors in front of them, I cant see they are there without going up to the window and trying to see around monitors, pictures and all the other stuff we all keep on our desks...NBD, Im used to it). The lady at window 2 was typing something and asked me to go to window 3 because she was going to be a minute. Again, no big deal. I turn to my left, roll over a few feet, turn right and Im at window 3.
Now the problems start. The worker at window 3 immediately begins berating me for moving to her window from window 2 without moving back to the edge of the waiting area and waiting for her to call me forward. Now when I say “berating” me, Im saying she was talking AT me like I was a naughty toddler. Loudly enough for the other folks in the waiting area to hear. I guess she really wanted to make her point that she was in charge because she yelled at me for a good 30 seconds about my absolute lack of respect by coming directly to her window. You know...where the other staff member sent me.
When she stopped to take a breath, I asked her “Are you done?” very much like I would ask a child throwing a temper tantrum. If you want to yell at me like Im a child, you are getting treated like a child.
Yep, you guessed it. She was now triggered (and I thought she was worked up before). Her volume increased. So I asked her again, in a matching volume “Are You DONE?”
She got up and walked away from her desk, out of my line of sight over to the area behind her coworkers at windows 1 and 2, still yelling at me. She crap talked me more to them (and the folks in the waiting room, because she was still at an above average volume). When she came back to her window after maybe 20-30 seconds, I again asked her “Are you done?” She then yelled “NAME?” at me. I matched her volume and shouted my last name back. “LAST FOUR?” and she got my last 4 yelled back at her.
OK, Im checked in now...I roll over to the waiting area and park. She continues to loudly berate me to her co-workers..how I “Can't read the signs” and she “is not going to show no respect to someone who doesnt show her respect”. She knows I can hear her. She knows everyone in the waiting room can hear her. It seems like she WANTS everyone to hear her.
I roll over to window 1. Ask the lady there for the name of “Miss Charming” (yes, I said EXACTLY that). She (window 1) asked if she should tell the doctor I was going to the patient advocates office. I told her I certainly was I just needed the name first, at which point window 3 yelled “I've got your name too!”
That is a threat. That is a threat from someone who has access to my sensitive personal AND medical information. My name, address, phone number, social security number, etc. If anyone can explain to me how that is NOT a threat, I would love to hear it. I personally think she wanted to try and scare me (which she did) and as a warning to the other vets in the waiting room that if THEY piss her off, she has their names too.
So, I filed my complaint with the patient advocate. She said I would probably hear back that afternoon from the head of the clinic or the workers supervisor. I didnt. I filed a report with the VA police. I waited a day and messaged the patient advocate to let her know I had not heard back yet. This morning the patient advocate messages me that they have 7 business days to follow up with me, so they have until the 22^(nd) to complete contact or make 3 documented attempts to contact me on 3 different days
Straight up, I think thats a load of crap. She should have AT LEAST had her computer access locked immediately so she could not follow through with her threat. Instead she apparently has 7 business days to potentially steal my information and screw up my life?
I took this picture of the waiting area when I got back from the Patient Advocates office, glad I did now since someone decided to say
"She might have been passive aggressive and bitchy, but this post just screams "I didn't notice their check-in SOP, she corrected me on it, I got embarrassed and made it worse by poking the bear saying 'are you done' while matching her increasing volume."
OK, CainAu1998, please explain again how I didnt follow their SOP? It sure looks to me like this says "wait here until no one is in front of you". Do you see the same thing? Also, I am in a wheelchair. That makes me about 2-3 feet shorter than a person standing up. When someone is behind a counter that is shoulder height to me in my chair, with 2 computer monitors in front of them, THEY CANT SEE PEOPLE WAITING IN WHEELCHAIRS.