Medical Card Issues...WTF

Hey everyone. I wanted to stop by and post an issue I had with my medical card on 02/27/2017 in Mesquite, TX at a Nova Medical Center at
I-635 NB at Oates Rd. I am an owner operator from the southern area of Dallas, TX and I just renewed my medical card back in October 2016 and I have always been given a 2 year medical card since becoming a commercial driver 15 years ago. I set up a new contract with a local carrier in the Dallas area and part of their policy requires every newcomer to have a fresh and "hot off of the grill" medical card to do business with them.(company name excluded) I didn't have a problem with it because they pay for the cost of a new DOT Physical at the Nova Medical Center they sent me to. I though, no big deal right, I'll slip in, grab a new 2 year cert. and be on my merry way. Well, the only thing I can say is, "Boy, was I wrong on this one." The doctor at this facility came in the room with a stone cold face, stand up straight posture and she was a woman of very few words. I can only describe it as drill instructor barking commands to do my physical. No bedside manner whatsoever. After the bending, stretching and walking portion of the physical was over she pulled out her stethoscope to listen to my heart and lungs. Now, here is where the #### hit the proverbial fan. She leans back away from me, walks to her computer and starts typing. When she finished she started to walk out of the room and I found that odd so I asked her if there was anything left that I needed to do. She snappingly looked back over her shoulder at me and tells me she is denying my medical card because, wait for it, I have a heart murmur and I have to go see my personal doctor and be referred to a cardiologist to have test done to see if I have an actual heart murmur. Then, I said "to see if I have a heart murmur"? She responds with "I thought I heard a heart murmur." I asked her to listen again and she refused. So, this is where I became somewhat of an ####### to her and told her that if I didn't have a heart murmur in October 2016 I don't have one now. I've never head a doctor in my 37 years of life tell me I've had a heart murmur let alone a doctor tell me she thinks she thought she heard one too. So now I have to go see my personal doctor and have him sign off on my clearance form saying I don't have a heart murmur and I am physically fit to drive a commercial vehicle. Luckily for me I have seen the same doctor for over 15 years and I have such a great relationship with his office that they told me to come in immediately. I hauled ### to his office 65 miles away and told him the story and my doc almost lost it. Needless to say I don't have a heart murmur. He signed my clearance form and I took it back to the Nova Medical Center in Mesquite,TX and handed it to the doc-in-a-box. She never spoke a another word to me and issued my medical card for 2 years. She was steaming mad and I could tell she was not happy. After this all took place I called the company I was doing this for and told the owner the story and he apologized so many times and then called the doc-in-a-box office and the words he used to speak to them were not nice at all. He then proceeded to tell me this was the last straw for him and he was never sending another driver there or his money because I was not the only driver this doctor has denied a medical card to in recent weeks for a non-existent medical problem. I really wanted to share this info because I have read so many drivers horror stories over the last few years about being denied a medical card and being taken off the road by a rogue doctor and it taking months and years to get things cleared up to the point where they could drive again. I am one of the lucky ones who was able to handle this mess in a matter of 5 hours. This doctor may have a personal vendetta against truck drivers and she may have had a bad interaction with a truck driver somewhere along the line to the point where she thinks she is making a difference by taking drivers off the road. I don't know what or why but I can't do anything but warn drivers about this doctor and this location. This new company eventually told me this same office and same doctor had denied a total of 47 of their drivers medical cards and only given 13 medical cards to their drivers and contractors in 2016. Only 3 of the 47 denials actually had and real medical issue that needed attention. I hope this can help a driver in the future. Thanks for reading.

Michael

 

It could have been much worse had I not been able to walk into my doctors office and handle this. There are plenty of drivers who don't have a primary doctor with a patient history. I wrote down all of her information to file a complaint with the State of Texas.