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Norfolk participant: “...and I don't usually have no problem. I usually get a appointment every four weeks,
but if I got...if I get sick before then, I can go in as a walk-in.”
Other participants described the difficulties of not being able to see a doctor or healthcare provider right away and
a preference for being seen at the emergency department (ED). Notably, several participants implied that ED
policies encouraging them to seek out primary care elsewhere coupled with long wait times had led to increased
odds of needing to go to the ED with a true emergency.
Suffolk participant: “Well, here's what I've been told about Obici here in Suffolk. If you don't have to come,
if you don't...if it's not an emergency, if it's something that you can go to a local doctor for, go there. They
don't really want you to come to the emergency room because of COVID. And so, therefore, it is more
likely that you have to be in a situation where you have to be taken by an ambulance. Um, I'm a veteran,
so I keep saying that, but anyways, I have to call and schedule an appointment. Now over there the
doctors don't work on a regular basis. They may not be in this for the next couple of weeks. And
therefore, I may have two weeks to wait before I can be seen.”
Norfolk participant: “I said sometimes hard. Um, like my primary, and she's a new primary doctor, I done
been to ER at least three times, four times, um, from November to now, and they kept telling me to follow
up with her, and she haven't seen me yet.”
Newport News participant: “It got so bad that I literally went to the outpatient all day, like it's so bad. I had
to go to Sentara and I told them I just wanted a physical, you know, just bloodwork, and they tested me for
COVID and sent me home, that's it. It's ridiculous. It's too hard. It's definitely difficult to just get preliminary
service. To get a regular primary physician, they told me that I can get my appointment in April. I asked
the lady if she was tripping. April was how many months away? Like, just for me to get a primary
physician, somebody who can be like, okay, I'll do this testing, I gotta wait 'til April? Come on, that's
ridiculous. That's, that's utterly ridiculous.”
Theme: Provider communication is also related to established provider relationships
Several participants described being very happy with how their provider communicates. Positive experiences in
this area seem to be related to having longer-term relationships with a provider, with good communication skills
likely increasing the odds that longer-term relationships will develop.
Portsmouth participant: “You know, when my doctor switched up, she was professional about it and had
requested me to someone else. And by them already working together, it wasn't a hard thing for them to
acknowledge what we already had going on. So everybody clicked. That was like, I couldn't even ask for
nothing better. And she took the time to go through my records, and I always loved going to get my
appointment.”
Norfolk participant: “The doctors that I have, especially my primary care physician has been my family
doctor for years. She took care of my mother, my sister, my godmother, my son. I mean, Dr. [Omitted
Name] is just a jewel and she's nearing retirement age and I'm panicked. I've been able to discuss any
situation with her. She's always open to answering questions. And if there's something that I don't
understand, she takes her time and really breaks it down so that I will. And I also wanted to say that, as
far as getting test results and all of that, I'm hooked up to my chart so I can go in and read anything that
any test that has been taken for me, the results and all are right there on both with Bon Secours and with
Sentara.”
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