OMI - Kaufman and Chheda departure

[Learner1]

Dr Kaufman gave me his new one. You should probably call and ask.

 

[bspg]

@Vojta I don't know. It seems the best thing to do right now is call.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Dr Kaufman gave me his new one. You should probably call and ask.

Likewise, he gave it to me as well but said it is a temporary email address until they are fully settled. I would just call the clinic and ask for it and am certain they will give to all current patients of his.

 

[Immunity]

I was shocked to find out the news as I also have an appointment with dr.Kaufman on 22.06. I planned it a half a year ago for me and my son and we will travel from Ukraine in order to see him.
I wrote several letters in reply to Kogelnik's mail and a separate one to Ellen. Got one reply from Kogelnik saying the following:"Dr. Kaufman's clinic has a form that they should have you sign prior to your appointment that they send us and then we will get them the records. Please leave ample time for the transfer."
There are 3 things I would like to know before going (And our tickets are non-refundable):
1. Is our appointment still on?
I will call them tomorrow but if I cannot reach them can I ask someone here in this thread to help me? Please PM me if you can help.
2. Will prices be the same?
3. Who and when will send these transfer documents? I don't have ample time left and nobody answers. Will they allow signing the documents at place?

If you find out the answers first, please post them here.
Thanks!

 

[Immunity]

Luckily, I got answers to my questions! Called the new clinic and they confirmed my appointment is in Dr's schedule, but asked me to additionally call OMI and cancel there. I don't know why they don't pass the information but I did as requested.
Concerning prices, I was told they were the same.
Waiting for the new registration forms from Ellen.

 

[khartson22]

Hey guys! About to head out to my appointment but wanted to post the email I got from the office:
"
Dear Kimberly,

Dr. Kaufman and I, along with Ellen, Lorie, and Adie, are excited to announce our new clinic, located at 2500 Hospital Dr, Bldg 4B,Mountain View, CA 94040. Our new phone number is 650-447-3001.
This new clinic will provide the same services, including intravenous infusions, SIBO testing, andspecialized laboratory testing that you have come to expect from the Open Medical Clinic.
With this change, we are also excited to share few key upgrades: We are switching our Electronic Medical Record to Elation. Elation is locally based in San Francisco, and we selected it after extensive research and peer recommendations. In the coming days you will receive an email with an invitation to register for the Elation patient portal called Passport. Please note, that registering with Passport is extremely critical because it will facilitate efficient, secure communication, while allowing us to maintain good documentation.
In today’s electronic age, digital security is of the upmost importance. Elation provides added security with their 2-step verification process using a text to your cell phone number. Should you have any trouble signing up, our office will be glad to assist you through this process. To ensure the highest standards of patient privacy, all communications will be through Elation. This form of communication is HIPPA compliant.
Lastly, and most importantly, for continued medical care with us, please fill out the Medical release form and Registration form below and mail it to the above address, or fax it to us at 650-695-0619 so that we can obtain your medical records. Our office can gladly assist you with any questions regarding this.
Change is never easy, and the last few months have been hectic. Our decision to separate from OMC was driven entirely by our intent to focus 100% of our time on providing customized, personalized care to our patients. We are excited that our office staff from OMC has also transitioned with us, streamlining the move for patients.
We look forward to continuing our relationship.

Sincerely,

Dr. Chheda and Dr. Kaufman"

 

[Gingergrrl]

Hey guys! About to head out to my appointment but wanted to post the email I got from the office:

Thank you for posting that and I have been able to communicate w/Dr. K re: my case but did not receive the general e-mail update yet and did not know about the new patient portal (although I suspected it was coming). I requested a medical release form to transfer my records to the new clinic but never received it from OMI. I will call Ellen so I can get that form and get the info for the new patient portal (b/c as of now, it is still allowing me to log into the old one from OMI). Am not really worried about the transition since Lorie and Ellen will be at the new location along with Dr. K and I believe that once everything is established it will not be different (especially for those of us who do not live locally to begin with).

Edit: Best wishes for your appt!

Edit #2: Just called and they will e-mail me the records release form (to transfer all of my records from 2014 to present from OMI to them) and info how to sign up for the new patient portal. The new office does not have a name yet and for the moment is like a private practice for Drs. Kaufman and Chheda (but it will have a name in the future).

 

[EMilo]

Received this email today:

I was just going to post something about this. They didn't contact patients who don't have current appts, although it sounds like Dr. Kaufman is planning on it, according to @Gingergrrl . I only found out because I called to make an appt and then they didn't offer any info -- I had to ask: Is there a new fax? Is there a new address? Did Dr. Kaufman get my email? Does the portal still work? Anyway, Ellen sent me a records release, new registration form and pharmacy info form, if anyone needs them, I can send/post on here. I also have Dr. Kaufman's new email. She said all emails are going through him for now and there is no clinic email.

 

[Gingergrrl]

They didn't contact patients who don't have current appts, although it sounds like Dr. Kaufman is planning on it, according to @Gingergrrl .

I did end up getting the general patient e-mail which was basically what Kimberly posted above (in post #26 of this thread) so I assumed that it went out to all OMI patients and that it was no longer necessary for me to post it here (but it now sounds like some patients did not receive it)? Her post contains the new clinic's ph# and fax# and if you call Ellen, she will e-mail you the records release form as well as info re: how to register for the new patient portal called "Elation Passport". Since Dr. K's new e-mail address was not included in the e-mail, I did not feel I had permission to post it publicly but if Ellen is giving it out to current patients, then that would be the way to get it. Also @EMilo I got your PM and apologies if I am slow to reply but I definitely will.

 

[voner]

I was just going to post something about this. They didn't contact patients who don't have current appts, although it sounds like Dr. Kaufman is planning on it, according to @Gingergrrl . I only found out because I called to make an appt and then they didn't offer any info -- I had to ask: Is there a new fax? Is there a new address? Did Dr. Kaufman get my email? Does the portal still work? Anyway, Ellen sent me a records release, new registration form and pharmacy info form, if anyone needs them, I can send/post on here. I also have Dr. Kaufman's new email. She said all emails are going through him for now and there is no clinic email.

I called and talked to Ellen. she said that they're working on getting everything set up properly, then they will send a email to all their patients, with all the necessary details. if you need to contact one of the doctors, give them a call and they will give you the new email.

 

[wherearemypillows]

Just sharing my experience as it might help others:

I received the email @khartson22 shared above, via Ellen, on Monday. It only mentions faxing or mailing as options for returning the forms, but emailing back Ellen with them (as scanned attachments) seemed to be just as acceptable to her. I gather that you probably won't receive an invitation to the Elation Passport portal until you return those forms, as the portal signup process requires you to input an invitation code texted to your cell phone number, the number which you would've sent to Ellen on those forms and which must already be pre-entered into the portal system by office staff.

Ellen seems to be keeping on top of emails and was quickly able to pass along to me Dr. Kaufman's email upon request.

 

[Gingergrrl]

In case it helps anyone, there are two separate e-mails going out (b/c I got both!) and one is from Dr. Kogelnik and OMI and one is from Dr. Chheda & Dr. Kaufman at their new clinic. Either location can send you the records release form if you want to transfer your records to the new clinic and once you e-mail it back to Ellen, she will send you the e-mail invite to the new Portal "Elation Passport". The new portal requires a code that is texted to your cell phone for you to register (as others stated above). It was easy to do and I have no computer skills.

 

[aquariusgirl]

But why did they split? Are they doing anything differently? From a new patient perspective...why should someone go w/them?

 

[Gingergrrl]

But why did they split? Are they doing anything differently? From a new patient perspective...why should someone go w/them?

I do not know why they split but from pure speculation on my part, I suspect that the original OMI will be more focused on research studies and the new clinic will be more focused on direct patient care. Both are extremely important pieces to the puzzle and I see one as more of a macro focus and the other more micro. But I could absolutely be wrong on this and anyone please correct me if this is the case.

 

[StarChild56]

Hi. New here. Has anyone had difficulty getting their phone calls answered? I called 3x on Friday trying to get a new patient appointment with Dr. K. Phone rang a long time then a generic cell phone voice mail answered, didn't sound at all like a business voice mail system. Just hoping I can get through sometime next week and it is just a fluke with the recent move.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Hi. New here. Has anyone had difficulty getting their phone calls answered? I called 3x on Friday trying to get a new patient appointment with Dr. K. Phone rang a long time then a generic cell phone voice mail answered, didn't sound at all like a business voice mail system. Just hoping I can get through sometime next week and it is just a fluke with the recent move.

@Forçe e Honra I would keep trying and the new clinic is open weekdays (9-5 pm) Pacific Time. Dr. Kaufman is out of the office next week through Thurs (but am certain he is still doing phone consults or scheduled calls if he had them). I suspect they are trying to make sure that established patients who already have appts and phone consults do not fall through the cracks and that they will start scheduling new patients as soon as they are able. I know they had some trouble with their new phone lines but when I called last week, I was able to reach Ellen so I would just keep trying until someone picks up (in case they are not getting messages). Don't give up hope and keep trying!

 

[Learner1]

I had an appointment last week at the new clinic. It shares a lobby with a lab. I especially liked the long bench I could collapse on while I waited.

Ellen and Lorie are there, and I've exchanged messages with both of them and Dr K regarding my treatment. Elation was easy to set up once I filled out the forms.

They were still getting normal move things done while carrying on with helping us and I'd expect things will smooth out shortly.

I suspect that the original OMI will be more focused on research studies and the new clinic will be more focused on direct patient care.

That was my understanding.

 

[valentinelynx]

I discovered this change after trying to get a medication refilled... I sent in my request to Adie as usual via email, and got a message back from Gina (still at OMC, I guess) saying I should call Dr. Kaufman at what turned out to be the new clinic's number (though I didn't know that at the time, and just thought Dr. K wanted to talk to me before refiling my Rx). Gina's message didn't say a thing about the new clinic! I only found out about that a week later when I got the email from Dr. Kogelnik and a few minutes later the one from Drs. Chheda and Kaufman. I had called the number Gina gave me (the new clinic number) but got no answer and no response to the voice mail message I left.

I certainly hope that there is no animosity involved in this development. My best guess is that it was too crowded in the old clinic, that the doctors were sharing too many resources, but this is pure speculation.

I sent in my registration forms by email just now. Hopefully, things will get sorted out soon. Fortunately, I had some old medication in a similar dose, as I still haven't heard back about refilling my med!

 

[TrixieStix]

I had an appointment last week at the new clinic. It shares a lobby with a lab. I especially liked the long bench I could collapse on while I waited.

Ellen and Lorie are there, and I've exchanged messages with both of them and Dr K regarding my treatment. Elation was easy to set up once I filled out the forms.

They were still getting normal move things done while carrying on with helping us and I'd expect things will smooth out shortly.


That was my understanding.

Did it seem like they were sticking with the same style of seeing patients themselves? I guess I am a little concerned they are going to convert to a model in which they don't interact directly with patients at every appointment as they did at Open Medicine Clinic. We hear stories from patients of other ME/CFS specialists in which they complain they never even see their doctor during appts and are instead seen by medical assistants.

 

[Learner1]

Dr Kaufman was lovely and I had his full attention. Its a lean staff geared to helping us.