Is This the Norm?

If the doctor wants the patients to know, they typically send out a letter stating what practice they will be at. Sometimes, they just don't want people to know, or the practice they work for doesn't allow it. I worked for a Dr. that didn't notify patients. She was leaving the practice and moving, and she didn't carry any of her practice with her. Also, is the doctor was fired on bad terms from the practice...that can affect notification. There are several other reasons, beyond that. I wouldn't say it's really common not to notify, but it's something that certainly does happen.

It depends. My parents had a primary doctor who left the practice, letters were sent out to notify her patients, so they could pick a new doctor in the office. But my primary left over Christmas a couple of years ago, I'd seen her for several prior, and when I showed up for an appt in January and didn't see her name on the sign-in sheet and asked I was told she was no longer there, Dr. _______ was now seeing her patients, unless I chose a different doctor. My parents doctor and my doctor were both in the same HMO, still are, on their own in private practice, so I'm guessing the policy varies by office.

I feel for you,

In the past 18 months I have lost my Primary care doc to another practice twice - no letter either time, I find out when I call needing an appointment. The first time I was told that the new doctor is not taking new patients so I had to go somewhere else. What a hassle!

It is a very volatile time for doctors' offices right now--lots of movement within and between practices. Mergers, closures, etc...I think we are all going to start seeing many of our doctors moving without notice.

She was likely an employee of the practice and you were then a patient of the practice. The only time i'm aware of Dr.s informing their patients they are leaving is when the dr. who owns the practice is selling it to another dr. who is taking over the practice. A practice obviously dose not want you to follow your dr. but to stay on with the practice. The dr. most certainly cannot legally bring her patients with her unless by your own doing you track her down. There is no obligation to inform you. The only reason that happens is that the new dr. taking over the practice is working to maintain the patients of the existing practice.

I thought it was just my GYN! I feel your pain. After building a relationship for 20+ years, it was a shock to learn that my doctor has retired 6 months earlier. And the office was none to happy to waste time with my surpise. Did I want a new appt. with a new dr. or not?????

I'm happy to share that my husband's doctor let him know before his last appointment and recommended his next doctor. Class act.

Our HMO will tell you when the PCP leaves and you are assigned someone new. But when a PA I really liked left my old doctor's office, I had no idea til I called. You could google her name and see if she's listed anywhere else. It is odd that the doctor whose name is on the practice just vanished.

I'm with you on wanting the doc you like. I don't care who gives me an Rx for a cold, but GYNs are personal. If you can't find her, you can ask who is LIKE her, who has a similar manner. That's how we found our current pediatrician when the old one moved.

I didn't find out my doctor had moved, either, until I called to make an appointment. She had left to become the ob/gyn consultant for a health insurance company, so she was no longer practicing.

I only got a notice from my dentist because the practice was closing altogether, and his patients' records were being sold to a new practice. My new dentist, for the record, is wonderful, and is the best dentist I've ever seen.

IDk if it’s the Norm but same thing happen to me but it was a practice with many doctors so I was just transferred to another dr in that office

If you really liked her, go online and find out where she's practicing now (If she is still in practice) and move to her new practice, if location and insurance work out. Nothing like keeping a good doctor.

My ob/gyn notified us all by mail when she sold her practice, but she was totally a solo practitioner and had no partners. Other than that time, I have never had any practice notify me of anything about any doctor at all. I think that with today's increasingly "corporate" practices, that are often parts of "chains" of many related practices, the thinking is that they don't want to let patients know a favorite doctor is leaving; they hope you'll just default to staying with that practice and they have plenty of doctors to see you and keep the money "in-house" (even if those other doctors are utter strangers to you).

I would think it depends on the reasons they left the practice. If something terrible happened, I would think any further info would not be given out.
You can search other towns. Usually when a doc leaves a practice, they cannot open one within a certain a,punt of miles. I think usually 50 miles.
So there are many reasons why you were not told.

When my doctors have retired they've let me know and when they've changed offices too. However, your doctor may have had a clause in their contract that prevented her from notifying you. I don't think that's common, however.

Silver Spring is a large city. I'd google her and see if she's set up a new practice. I'd also look in the phone book.

It's also OK to ask the office for more information. There are many reasons that she may have quit suddenly and not notified patients. The most drastic one that comes to mind first is she may have died. You'll probably find an obituary on line if that's the case.

I've called an office to speak to someone personally and been told that they've left due to a disagreement in the office said in more diplomatic words. lol So, just ask them for more information.

I have always gotten a letter when a doc leaves the practice.
Just a mass mailed one, nothing personal, but at least it was a heads up.

I've always gotten some type of communication letting me know if the doctor has left the practice. Very unprofessional of your doctor - I think she would have been the one to send the notice. If she joined another practice or started her own, I would assume she would want you to follow her there. Maybe she stopped practicing all together or went into a different field and it didn't matter to her if her current patients knew what she was doing or not.

I have ALWAYS gotten a letter anytime a doctor left a practice. Don't you hate it when you really like someone and have to switch?!

This happened with my pcp, although a letter finally arrived, which told us nothing as to why. I pressed hard because I was determined to follow her and they finally told me she moved across the country. I am guessing that in your case that there was a personal reason or they don't want mass exodus of the practice.

That sucks! I've always gotten a letter in the mail whenever a doctor/dentist has moved and saying who is taking over the patients for them.

Usually they send a letter. I'm sorry you didn't get one. My doctor moved to Maine. I've certainly travelled to see my doctors, but probably not to Maine...

Good luck finding another one you are comfortable with!

This actually happened to me too. I called to make an appt and they said she didn't work there anymore, I never received any correspondence about her leaving. When I called I got no offer for another doctor or a reason, the receptionist just sat there in silence. I was thrown so I just said okay bye, but ended up calling back to make an appointment with another doctor in the office. When I saw that doctor she was rude and horrible so I haven't returned to that office. I figure if they don't have any courtesy I can't trust them with my privacy or (at the time) delivering my children.

I've never gotten a letter when a doctor leaves. I only find out when I call for an appointment. I guess it depends on the clinic and doctor and what they think is good manners.

Usually the specialist I have seen that have moved I have gotten a letter from and even my son's dentist when he left the practice they let me know. I am with you I would have liked to know that for sure!

If it's a group practice, it can be normal. I've never had that personally be the case and always had notification if my own doctor was retiring or otherwise leaving the group.

It doesn't surprise me. Did you asked if they could give you information on where she went?

Hi, Keisha:

Call your local Medical Society and ask them this question.

Physicians usually call their patients to let them know they are
retiring.
Good luck.
D.

That was a personal decision that your doctor made. They are not required to do that. With all the patients that they likely have, it's probably easier to just wait until they hear from the patients. She might have felt more of an obligation if she saw you more often. You never know under what circumstances she moved away from there, and they aren't obligated to tell you.

Look her up online.

I would not expect the doctor's office to notify me if my doctor left, unless I had an appointment on the books with her and that appointment couldn't be honored.

My son's allergist left the practice (and moved out of state) without notifying us. I think contacting every one of their patients is unrealistic.

Sorry. :(

In the past we have received notices from our doctors that are leaving the practice. Not sure if it is the norm...but it is nice.