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Possible conflict with fellow therapist
I'm seeking advice and hopefully get some direction on where to look for facts in regards to a matter of a possible conflict of interest with a fellow therapist. Let me explain my situation, please bear with me.
I work for a chiropractors office where I have been practicing for the past 2 years. I was working Monday thru Saturday and had started getting to the point of being burnt out and tired all the time. I had asked the owner and the head chiropractor if we could hire someone to cover 2 days a week so I could have some time off. He agreed and we hired her. Since hiring her I have noticed that my appointments have declined. I need to mention also that a month or so after she started, she was asked to help cover our front desk/reception also. Of course being at the front desk, they do our scheduling for all doctors and therapists. I have over heard her several times when rescheduling a patient, if they want to come in on Tuesday or Thursday (these are the days she has taken over working for me). I rarely hear her asking them if they can come in on Mon, Wed, or Fri (when I'm working). I feel as if she is trying to take appointments from me and schedule them just for herself. The days that I'm here my schedule looks pretty bare and notice that her days are getting fuller. I have brought it up to our office manager about letting the patients decide who they want to see for massage, either myself or the other therapist. Her response is that she doesn't want to tell the patients when scheduling who they will be seeing or offering them to see one or the other. She says it's showing favoritism and doesn't want to do it. I asked her to schedule a patient with a standing appointment, which will fall every Weds with me. She got upset when I asked her to schedule this appointment.
I spoke with the lead Dr today and voiced how frustrated I am and that I want more control over my schedule. He agreed. Thankfully! I went over the situation with him and he said that massage patients should be treated the same as chiropractic. There are certain patients who will only see one Dr and no one else. There are becoming several who will only see one therapist. Most only want to see me since I have been here longest and they know me and know that I'm aware of their body and needs. There have been several who were scheduled on the other therapists day and came back to me on their following appointment saying they never want to see her again because she hurt them. Given the environment we work in we have a lot of people with Fibro, arthritis, liability cases (workmans comp/car accidents). These people can't handle a lot of pressure and it seems as if she's not used to working with acute cases and needing to use light touch. I've had patients tell me that she made them cry and when they asked her to ease up on pressure she said that she couldn't, if she did they weren't going to get better. I've also had report from one patient that I've been treating for headaches and vertigo, that one session with the other girl made all of her symptoms flare up again.
I have got the doctor to agree that the front desk will be telling patients which therapist they will be seeing when they schedule appointments and patients can request to only see whomever they prefer.
My question is...Is there a conflict of interest with the other therapist working the front desk and having control over my schedule and really nothing that I can do to change it once they are scheduled? I can't go in and change appointments because most of them also see the doctor when they are here so the two schedules have to work together. I personally don't think that she should be allowed to work front desk and massage therapy at the same time. I think she should have to choose which position she wants to do more. I really don't like how she does massage and treats the patients but I don't feel like it's enough to let her go....or is it?
Feeling stuck and frustrated!!!
Views: 411
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Cohen on
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You already did the only thing you can by making it possible for patients to choose. Leave it at that.
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Permalink Reply by Jimswife on
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It isnt fair that the other therapist is taking advantage of her position at the front desk. The doctor should be the one to have a discussion with her about scheduling fairly. The only thing you can do is encourage the patients you see to request you as their therapist for their appointments or schedule on one of the days you work. The patients that did not like the other therapist will gladly schedule on a day you are working. I thnk that sometimes patients just don't know that they can request you.
As far as the other therapist's techniques... well sometimes it works better for some and not others. Depending on what is going on. I work in an office with several therapists. We all have a different way. Some use a lot of pressure, little pressure, work strictly clinical /aggressively, and one likes to incorporate a lot of stretching and mobilization and so on. The patients will decide what they do and don't like. When a patient complains I ask what they did and didn't like. And ask if they told the other therapist. Most of the time they don't. I also let them know they can in fact request me or whoever. They usually are surprised but concerned about hurting feelings. Talk to the patients you see. And I am sure your schedule will fill up with patients that need and respond to your touch!
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Jimswife is correct, the doctor should be responsible and discuss scheduling issues with the other therapist.
Perhaps the doctor would hang a menu board in the office posting the hours and days each therapist is available. Patients would then know they have scheduling options.
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Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on
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IMO, she is trying to slowly push you out. I think perhaps when a client complains to you about the other therapist, tell them to take it to their DC...that you have no control, but the Dr does. And ultimately the client herself/himself has the power to decide.
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Excellent suggestion about hanging the schedule, Laurie. Stephanie, why not print out the schedule yourself, and hang it in a nice frame in the clinic. Might make it more acceptable to the staff if the schedule includes the schedules of the Drs as well.
Laurie said:Jimswife is correct, the doctor should be responsible and discuss scheduling issues with the other therapist.
Perhaps the doctor would hang a menu board in the office posting the hours and days each therapist is available. Patients would then know they have scheduling options.
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Garner, LMT on
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I have told the doctors about her getting complaints and that many patients only want to see me. They say they are willing to let the patients chose who they see but will only book them on a "first available" appointment which could lead them to still seeing her. I do have each of our hours posted in so they can see when each of us is there. I also tell everyone when I'm here and simply state that if they come in on Tues or Thursday that they will be seeing her instead. I know some people don't mind who they see but like myself, I only trust my body to a select few therapists and is what those that request me say also. They always say, "You know my body, I don't want anyone else". I've been receiving a backlash from one of the doctors accusing me of trying to steal patients and that I want them all to myself. In all honesty, and I'm sure some of you can agree, there are just some people I don't want to see so I'm ok with them preferring the other therapist. Of course I will see them if I have to, I don't turn anyone away.
Thank you all for your feedback. I really appreciate it.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Reynolds on
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Have you considered making up a sheet, much like most of us had in school when doing clinical hours. Where the client fills out a sheet asking what he/she did or did not like about the massage they received? Something short/brief that takes less than one minute to fill out. Drop it into a locked box and at the end of each day if there are any complaints you can take that to the doctors and the other therapist. As far as her taking advantage of her position at the front desk. Well as much as I hate to say it, that's smart business on her part. Maybe try and fill in a day or two yourself at the front desk if it's just the fact that you're getting burnt out on massage. Could be a nice change of pace.
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