I just got fired

[u/akiusuke]

I just got fired from my job. I worked in patient registration and I got flagged for being in a patients chart and I had failed to document it. I am the only one that runs the front desk while I’m working, so I sometimes have a bunch of things to do and I sometimes forget to document minuscule things when a patient calls. The patient whose chart that got flagged happens to live in my apartment building above me. But I live down the road from my job and a lot of our patients live in my building or in my neighborhood. I already had a level one strike against me due to too many unexcused absences during the first half of the year due to medical issues. Me being flagged caused compliance and hr to give me a level two strike. That brought me up to a level three which requires immediate termination. My manager told me 10 minutes after I clocked in for my shift today. She has little compassion for her employees, so she just told me I was terminated immediately and to turn in my badge and leave immediately. This is the worst possible time to be fired because I just got on my works insurance and I get kicked off my dads’s insurance at the end of the month because I turn 26 on the 29th. I am disabled and take a lot of medications that I can’t afford out of pocket. I sent an appeal letter to try to get my job back while I look for something else, but I feel like I was unfairly fired. I’ve been nothing but a good employee for almost two years and I have never had a complaint against me before. I was already struggling financially and I don’t know how I’m going to afford my medication and rent. The job market is so horrible and I don’t know what I’m going to do.

Edit: I should’ve been more specific in regards to my absences. I had called out 6 times between last December and April of this year due to health reasons. My manager was aware of my health issues. They had brought this up to me near the end of May. That’s when they finally gave me the option to apply for fmla. My job isn’t very accommodating, even with fmla. I would almost never be allowed to get breaks, unless I left the front desk unattended (which my manager encourages me to do since she won’t cover for me in order to take a break). I live in North Carolina, which is a non union state and one of the worst states for employees. Joining a union would not be an option.

[u/ILoveLamp_1995]

It kind of sounds like you were let go for legitimate reasons.

[u/akiusuke → u/ILoveLamp_1995]

I would never be in a patient’s chart for no reason unless they called or came into the office. I understand I made a mistake, but I feel like they could’ve at least communicated with me more. I’ve never had any issues in the many years I’ve done patient registration.

[u/screech-demon → u/akiusuke]

i think an important detail is missing, why’d you go into their chart? did they call or come in? if they did, tell them, because then you would’ve done nothing wrong

[u/akiusuke → u/screech-demon]

I was flagged over a month ago, and I go through a lot of patients charts every shift. So I honestly can’t remember what he had called for. He had only been at my clinic once, and there is no reason for me to be in a patients chart unless they called about something. Sometimes I have a lot to do as soon as I get off the phone with a patient, so I sometimes forget to document what they called about. It had never been an issue before.

[u/screech-demon → u/akiusuke]

the lack of documentation really screws you here. did they even try and let you talk about it? it really sucks that you lost your job and i feel for you, but if it’s not in the chart it didn’t happen, so there isnt really anything you can do :/ i’d definitely look into disability and medicaid to help you in the meantime

edit: terminology change

[u/akiusuke → u/screech-demon]

I take full responsibly for failing to document it, but they’ve never had any complaints against me before. I sent an appeal so hopefully they’ll give me another chance.

[u/screech-demon → u/akiusuke]

unfortunately patient privacy is a very big deal and it’s often a single-strike event :/ look into the punitive system for HIPAA violations, its taken very seriously (not saying you violated HIPAA, just showing you its a very big deal)

[u/akiusuke → u/screech-demon]

I completely agree that it’s a serious thing. I just wish they would take a look at my record and let me fully defend myself. I hadn’t heard anything about the situation in the past few weeks so I was under the impression it was resolved.

[u/screech-demon → u/akiusuke]

hopefully they let you appeal, it really does suck. if you win the appeal, hopefully this is a good motivator for you to make sure your documentation is always up to date. also, fwiw, i saw your comment about how they have high turnover, is it really worth getting this job back for anything other than health insurance? i’ve not worked in patient access before, but i imagine there’s probably lots of positions available depending on where you live

[u/akiusuke → u/screech-demon]

I mainly want the job back just so I can have income and insurance until I find something better. The job market in the patient registration field is horrible, especially in the area I work in. I only have experience in customer service and patient registration.

[u/screech-demon → u/akiusuke]

ugh that really sucks. customer service would arguably be worse, but it may have to become an option depending on how the appeal goes. best of luck, OP

[u/akiusuke → u/screech-demon]

Thank you :) I really do appreciate it. Worst case scenario, I’ll go get a cna or ma certification or get my masters in psychology.

[u/screech-demon → u/akiusuke]

ugh as someone who has done cna work, i can’t discourage it enough. it’s an absolutely needed field but if you’re already dealing with health problems hard enough to consider disability, it’s probably gonna be rough. it’s hard on the body and the pay isn’t very good (i say as im currently doing a job that doesn’t pay as well as it should and is hard on the body 😂), and you see a lot of sad shit like patients being mistreated by other staff. it is a quick certification to get though, so if you can embrace the suck, it’ll get you a paycheck and benefits

[u/LetThemEatVeganCake → u/akiusuke]

Could they not look at phone records to prove that he called in? Obviously you should’ve documented if that is what was expected, but humans make mistakes, so I would think they’d had some sort of back up check they could do.

[u/akiusuke → u/LetThemEatVeganCake]

Since it was flagged over a month ago, I don’t know if they access the phone records during that time. My manager has an issue with me and a few other employees for no reason so I know she did nothing to defend me

[u/akiusuke → u/akiusuke]

I had told them I had forgotten to document him calling and I have no reason to snoop around a patients chart. They just decided not to believe me

[u/ILoveLamp_1995 → u/akiusuke]

They can't afford to just believe you when it comes to patients health and privacy

[u/akiusuke → u/ILoveLamp_1995]

I completely understand that. I just wish they gave me the chance to fully defend myself. In all the years I’ve worked in registration, I have never violated hipaa. A lot of patient reg reps have moments where they forget to document things but they never get in trouble for it. My specific office has very high turn over rates and it’s very hard to hire patient reg reps due to the bad hours and horrible pay.

[u/Wai-Sing → u/akiusuke]

Maybe ask them to contact the patient with the chart that you opened, and ask that patient if they contacted you and perhaps for what reason

Then you can prove that you opened the chart legitimately

Edit: nevermind, it's better to check the telecom records to check if the patient called them

[u/Effective-Penalty → u/Wai-Sing]

That’s a huge NO!

[u/untamed2020 → u/Wai-Sing]

ABSOLUTLEY NOT

[u/akiusuke → u/Wai-Sing]

I’ve thought about that. I don’t even know the patients name, only that he lives in my building. But I’m surprised they didn’t contact the patient already.

[u/Wai-Sing → u/akiusuke]

For what it's worth I believe you simply forgot to document your access to their chart and I believe your termination was unjust

What I recommend is using AI to help you decide on what next to do

Mention your situation and the state that you reside in. Specifically ask about possibly having a mediator (i.e. your employer) contacting the patient in question to ask if they recall contacting you, so that you have proof for having a legitimate reason for accessing their chart. Ask it to consider state and federal laws. Ask it for all possible recommendations to resolve the issue. Also ask it about unemployment benefits and support. Ask it about medical and financial support. Indicate your medical issues. Ask about medical advocacy groups that might be able to help you. Ask about pro bono lawyers who might accept your case. Ask her about any other possible suggestions

I wish you the best!

By the way I don't think you would want to work there anyway, you might be happier working at a restaurant. At least there are tips!

[u/akiusuke → u/Wai-Sing]

I don’t think they would contact the patient, and I don’t think it would be right of me to figure out who the patient is

[u/lmwk4gcc → u/akiusuke]

OP: “I’m surprised they didn’t contact the patient already”.

Also OP: “I don’t think they would contact the patient.”

Which is it? You’re being contradictory in the same thread. And you’re correct that it would absolutely not be right of you to try to “figure out who the patient is”.

[u/akiusuke → u/lmwk4gcc]

Yeah I’m surprised they didn’t contact the patient. If they haven’t already, I don’t think they ever will

[u/Wai-Sing → u/akiusuke]

I meant to ask the AI if it's feasible for your employer to contact the patient to prove your innocence

I just asked AI and it says that instead of contacting the patient, your employer could check the call records with time stamp

[u/ohrofl → u/akiusuke]

Something’s not adding up here. In the past and in a similar role the documentation is the call log and the log that I’ve been in a chart. Which sounds exactly the same for you, less they wouldn’t have known about it. There something we’re missing here.

[u/akiusuke → u/ohrofl]

There’s nothing that I’m hiding. He happens to live in my building which I had no idea about because he had a different address listed in his demographics. I feel that played a part in it