Private Battle Creek doctor says Bronson denied his patient COVID-19 testing
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A private physician in Battle Creek said Bronson Health Care declined testing one of his patients for coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, because he's not a Bronson doctor.
Dr. Raakesh Bhan said he doesn't know where to send his patients who need to be tested.
For 34 years Bhan has been practicing medicine in Battle Creek.
His practice, Comprehensive Medical Care, sees more than 3,000 patients. It's next door to a Bronson lab that tests for COVID-19, but Bhan said the lab staff has asked his staff not to send any patient to the lab for testing.
Bahn said, in the last week, he and his staff have had to close their office to patients except for emergency calls that aren't related to the lungs or throat, only. He said they've only been seeing two to three patients a day.
Comprehensive Medical Care has no COVID-19 testing kits.
When Bhan treated his first patient showing symptoms of COVID-19, who he felt would qualify for testing, his head nurse Deb Carls called a Bronson testing site in Battle Creek.
“We send our patients to Bronson all the time. All our patients to Bronson. They’re happy to take them," Bhan said.
This call was different.
Carls said through questioning, the Bronson lab intake employee she spoke to determined the patient did meet the criteria for testing, but when it came time to schedule a test, Carls was told Bronson couldn't test the patient.
"She came back and said to me, 'I’m sorry, we’re only seeing Bronson provider patients at this time'," Carls said.
Carls asked to speak to a supervisor.
“What [the supervisor] said to me was: don’t shoot the messenger. We’re only seeing Bronson patients at this time," Carls said. “I was upset. Because I feel bad for our patients. How do we give adequate care? How do we take care of people that possibly have this disease? They’re scared. We can’t even direct them to go get a test.”
Bhan said the patient went to a Bronson Urgent Care center, and was again told she couldn't be tested.
"It’s called Bronson Battle Creek. Every hospital takes care of their communities. It doesn’t matter who the patient is, or if the patient lives there. But telling the patient your doctor is not a Bronson employee doctor, we cannot test you, is the wrong statement," Bhan said. "If they are the only providers in town, hospital wise, they should be taking care of their community."
Marilyn Perez handles scheduling and screening patients for Comprehensive Medical Care. Perez said she's concerned as well.
"This is my doctor," she said, pointing to Bhan. "And I’ve been here on the front line everyday. And I’m concerned for myself and my family.”
Carls said they tried calling the Calhoun County Health Department, but were only able to leave a voicemail for the COVID-19 hotline.
One Calhoun County Health Department employee told Newschannel 3 they wouldn't comment on this specific case, but said private practices that don't have COVID-19 test and have patients they suspect have COVID-19, should have those patients screened for testing with locations that do have kits.
The health department doesn't determine who gets tested. Test labs have the ability to determine if patients are candidates for testing.
Bhan said his patient is stable, and "doing fine." He said if the patient's condition worsens, he may have to send her and future patients to the University of Michigan.
In an email, Bronson Communications Specialist Carolyn Wyllie said, "Currently no medical practices (Bronson or private) may send a person directly to a Bronson curbside specimen collection site. These are done by appointment only due to the limited supply of test kits. Practices are to direct the patient to call a Bronson Care Advisor at (269) 341-7788. The Care Advisor will determine over the phone if the person meets the current screening criteria for testing. If they do, the Care Advisor will schedule an appointment for them to go to a curbside site for specimen collection."
Wyllie said if patients meet the criteria for testing, Bronson will test them, even if their primary doctors are not Bronson doctors.
Wyllie said, "a Bronson staff member is reaching out to Comprehensive Medical Care to see if we can clarify the situation and if we can resolve their concern."