Referring veterinarians in the Stillwater community report significant misgivings about sending their clients and patients to the CVM Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, according to interviews and anonymous, opt-in survey responses collected April to August, 2023.
Those who spoke to us reported referring their patients over an hour away to Oklahoma City or Tulsa, rather than trusting their clients and patients with the Teaching Hospital mere minutes from their practices. To confirm these reports, we spoke with several people who currently work at the Teaching Hospital or worked there in the prior two years. Universally, all respondents confirmed that the volume of patients coming to the hospital has fallen to an unsustainably low rate.
“The worst record-keeping I have ever seen in my career. We don’t get them on time. They’re never complete.”
“I honestly feel bad for the reception crew. They never have answers to give us and the records are usually as bad as they come. But it’s not their fault. But every other hospital we deal with has figured out how to communicate with us like professionals. It’s referral hospital 101, really, and they are pretty much the worst I’ve seen in my career. I really mean that.”
“I’m always scared to death at what my clients will say about what happened there. That’s why I try not to send people there, I don’t even have them on my website or phone recording. I’ve been burned too many times sending clients over there and then my people are like ‘why would you send me there?'”
“They had specialists leave and still charged people specialist prices. I don’t even think they told us our clients wouldn’t see a specialist and that’s completely unethical. That is such a sign of disrespect, just be honest with us so we can coordinate care.”