And so my clinic, Quimper Family Medicine, is opening on April 30th, 2010. We are having an open house from 3-7 pm and food. In theory I'll be seeing patients Monday May 3rd, but it rather doesn't seem real. Also, I have a rather large amount of work to get done between now and then. I may fall over with fatigue.
Yesterday we got the letter, all mail merged and folded, with envelopes ready to stuff. A one year old list of my former patients, given to me by the hospital. The main snafu was that they were supposed to print my signature on it and they didn't. I signed them all. We had ordered the list by address, trying not to send 4 letters to a family of four. Before that, there were over 800 names. After we'd attempted to fix that, the printing place found that they'd printed 666. Yes, 666. We still found some duplicates and probably missed some, so I think we are sending out 650. We are also sending an invitation postcard to the physicians, providers and medical related groups in town as well as businesses that have been involved, and friends. If everyone were to show up, about the first 30 could park. I'm assuming they won't.
So I signed 650ish letters yesterday. My receptionist helped stuff and stamp. We hope the right names are in the right envelopes and that we caught most of the duplicates. I also tried really hard not to send a letter to anyone who has died in the last year. I called my old clinic twice, checking on names. "Is JM dead?" I hear my former receptionist poll the front desk. "JM is still alive, right?" "Yeah, he was in here last week."
We still have to do our own HIPAA form and I've written a rough draft of the billing policy and we need a pamphlet about how stuff works in the clinic: refills, hours, addresses, emergencies, what to do if you are hospitalized, etc. And, and, and....it's mostly a lot of fun and occasionally a bit frantic.
Off to Portland, OR later today for a two day synchronized swim meet. The Introverted Thinker is in her fifth year. When I picked her up from practice last night, she told me how they'd corrected the illegal move in her duet. My brain kept saying: "What?" Sorry, spacey mom. Pasta sauce from jar and frozen baby lima beans sort of night, but at least we had good bread.
Lists, lists, lists. Remember liquid nitrogen. I need a ring forceps. We had a lesson in the phone system yesterday. Call Dr. L.
Wheeeee!