Hi All! Most FUNNY thing about doctors joining our List: It’s FREE!
I keep getting offers asking how much it costs to be listed, but that’s not how we work. It’s FREE! But we do have a few Guidelines.
1. Doctors must agree to be Listed and provide a direct contact for me: Email is fine. Text/cell is awesome. I must personally speak to each doctor unless they are in a practice with another doctor already listed. Then that doctor can request I add their colleagues. Some doctors have large local patient wait lists and do not want to be listed yet. That’s ok. We tell people about them, if asked, until they are ready.
2. Doctors must agree to provide excellent care to their patients.
3. The practice must use similar methods of desensitization used by our Listed doctors. Usually they are trained from within but sometimes a doctor has created their own protocol. If it sounds different, I present their method to at least 3 other doctors, anonymously, and ask their professional opinion. Sometimes it’s best to let a few members visit the potential doctor and provide feedback then adding them to the List and removing them for no fault of their own, just something we are not used to experiencing. “Would I take my child to them?” Well maybe, but they’d have to do it Dr. So and So’s way. That might be complicated and insulting. So I tell people who ask and let them make their own decision while we give it some time to see how things go.
4. If there is a quality control issue in the office, please acknowledge that I’ve sent correspondence. I do not require doctors speak to me about patients and they are required by law not to violate the patient’s privacy. If a member wants me to reach out, there are ways I can ask a question generically and help that way. If a member doesn’t mind at all, I ask that they give the doctor permission so there is no question.
5. I ask that the office keep us updated on location, foods added etc… though it might take me a few weeks to edit the technology side of things.
Reasons a Practice is Removed:
1. Phone staff says they no longer offering OIT.
2. Doctor stops communicating with me when I need them.
3. Patients are “made ill” and the doctor refuses to call the parent/patient, or relies on PAs/RNs to run the program and defends their actions instead of taking responsibility for their own practice. When a member reveals they have never once met the doctor, that’s a problem. Our OIT Provider List consists of board certified allergists only. No one else.
4. Complaints of an egregious nature that I cannot even repeat in order to anonymously consult with other doctors. I will type these to my admins and collective we will decide what to do. This is extremely rare. Nevertheless, in today’s world, we are prepared to deal with it. Our Admins are not simply “facebook users.” They are parents with children in OIT treatment. They have their own businesses or experience running another. They are counselors, coaches, and able to differentiate between drama and real issues for concern.
5. Misrepresenting their services and/or protocols.
6. Adding food allergy injections as a method of desensitization. We cannot be involved with that method.
7. Generating an unusually large amount of work for me, our admins, and other consulting physicians, that we can no longer support their office.
8. Any combination of the above.
There are other things that may come up so these Guidelines are subject to change. But for the most part, this is what we have created as the actual need arises.
There are other allergists offering OIT, and we welcome any connection with potential doctors to our List. I’ll have a form for you in the next few days to provide to your local allergists for additional information and/or OIT Training.
My greatest wish is that all of our OIT Allergists would hire or train ONE MORE allergist to specialize in treatment. That would automatically double the number of our Providers. Wouldn’t that be awesome!!! (hint hint) 
🙂
Talk soon!
liseetsa