What is something I can give to my doctor to thank her?

[starrys]

my dad had surgery and he did it through charity care at the hospital because he doesn't have insurance and cannot afford it out of pocket. his doctor was aware of it. my dad got a bill from another surgeon that helped my doctor and it was around 3 grand. do I send him the copy of the charity care form? also, my dad is going up for his follow up checkup and i wanted to give his doctor something as a thank you since shes did it for free. what is something i can give her and her secretary?

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I think that a simple card expressing your thanks would go a long way. I never remember the small gifts (flowers, cupcakes, treats, etc.) that family brings in, but I ALWAYS remember what is written in a card.

The best gift you can possibly give someone is your heartfelt sentiments. You can't buy that.

[guest464345]

my dad got a bill from another surgeon that helped my doctor and it was around 3 grand. do I send him the copy of the charity care form?

It depends on the situation....if the other surgeon works for the same group as your other doctor, or is employed directly by the hospital/company that approved the charity care, you may be in luck. Unfortunately, most of the time in hospitals you're getting bills from completely separate entities (hospital, the radiology group, the surgeon, pharmacy, ambulance) with completely separate billing systems. So, even two professionals in the same OR might work for different places, and one billing agreement doesn't apply to the second provider. As a general rule, the professionals who bill separately from the hospital are not bound by the hospital's charity-care agreement.

So you might be stuck with the bill, but it would be worthwhile to call the second doctor's office to see if you can get a discount. Good luck.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I truly mean what I'm saying here:

Whatever dollar amount you are thinking about spending on thank you gifts ... just ask that they apply it to the bill.

LOL...exactly what I was thinking.

[emmbee]

There is a great little Willow tree statue that is holding a sign that says THANK YOU... or others that may be appropriate....

http://compare.ebay.com/like/200615050929?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y

[starrys]

LOL...exactly what I was thinking.

what's so funny? i wanted to sincerely express my gratitude towards the doctor. i don't understand why you find it humorous.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

offices get food, pens, and little statuettes/toys from drug reps all the time-- wasted effort. i agree completely that a sincere note expressing your gratitude for the care will be remembered long after a pizza or deli plate is gone. i liked the garage-sale old medical book too-- not big bucks, but unique and big thoughtfulness.