Novant Health First Charlotte Physicians Elizabeth

On June 28, 2026, I was struck by a drunk driver’s vehicle while sitting at a bus stop. I was transported by ambulance to Novant Presbyterian Hospital, where I underwent multiple examinations, including a cardiac evaluation. During that evaluation, I was informed that my heart was enlarged and was instructed to contact my primary care physician as soon as possible for follow-up. I obtained an acute appointment with my primary care physician on July 1, 2026 in Boston, MA. During that visit, my physician emphasized the importance of establishing care with a primary care provider in the Charlotte area so that I would have local medical support for situations such as this. I shared my ongoing concerns regarding my experiences with medical racism and explained that I have repeatedly felt my concerns were minimized within the Novant system, to the point that I have often sought care at Atrium immediately afterward because I believed my concerns were taken more seriously there. Although my physician understood my concerns, she still encouraged me to establish care locally. I therefore scheduled a new patient appointment with Dr. Ray Feaster. Unfortunately, the earliest available appointment was September 24, 2026. Because I had been experiencing intermittent chest pain since the accident, with the severity varying from day to day, I contacted the office again on July 10 to determine whether I could be seen sooner. The receptionist informed me that Dr. Feaster had no earlier appointments available and advised me to go to the emergency department if I was experiencing chest pain. I clarified that I was not experiencing active chest pain during the phone call. Rather, I explained that I had been experiencing intermittent chest pain following a motor vehicle accident and was concerned that waiting until late September for evaluation could become problematic. I specifically requested to be scheduled for an acute new patient visit, that would allow me to be evaluated sooner while I waited to establish ongoing care with Dr. Feaster. The receptionist simply responded that there was nothing available. Because I felt my concerns were not being appropriately addressed, I requested to speak with a manager. The receptionist abruptly placed me on hold without informing me that she was doing so. After approximately thirty minutes, a nurse answered the call. She listened to my concerns but advised that I could not be seen because I was not yet an established patient. As someone with nearly two decades of healthcare experience, I understand that many primary care practices have mechanisms available for situations like this. These appointment types allow patients with urgent but non-emergent concerns to receive an evaluation while awaiting a comprehensive new patient appointment. While speaking with the nurse, the receptionist remained on the line listening to the conversation without my knowledge. She then interrupted the nurse and stated that she actually could schedule me sooner but simply would not schedule me that day. I explained that, I was willing to see another provider for an acute evaluation as long as it was documented that the visit was temporary and would not permanently assign another physician as my primary care provider. At that point, the receptionist responded: “You’re not going to dictate how things go.” Patient's absolutely have the right to participate in decisions regarding who serves as their primary care physician. I simply wanted documentation reflecting that the acute visit was temporary while I awaited my scheduled appointment with Dr. Feaster. Instead of addressing my request professionally, the receptionist continued to be argumentative. She eventually threaten to disconnect the call the more I advocated for myself. The call ended shortly thereafter. When Advocating for your own healthcare will result in hostility, dismissiveness, or argumentative behavior from front-office staff it’s time to move your care. Thats exactly what I did and I will be sharing the recording of said call with your executives.