Re: The call situation and Dr. Ricci's reply.

We are a two person private lab.  We are on call for four hospitals. We do
not get paid for being on call but get paid $100.00 for each call to which we
respond.  The reality is that if we don't do it some competetor will!  Yes it
is frustrating to get called in on bogus venous studies, but since I have
been burned more than once in my assumptions regarding that process I go
willingly - knowing that I won't always know whats best for the patient until
after I do the exam.

What really frosts my bacon though is the STAT carotids that are ordered at
night or on the weekend.  The other night at 11 PM I was called in to do a
carotid on a combative patient in the CCU.  They thought her change in mental
status (boy could she move) might be due to a carotid stenosis (embolis)!
 Needless to say, after one of the most difficult studies I have ever had to
do, everything was normal.

And yes we have hired others to help us with call and we pay them the same as
we get.

Bart Bean
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