In the early afternoon of July 22, 1995,
I received a call from Mount Auburn from a physician
whose name I did not recognize and do not remember,
concerning a patient of Dr Patalano, a diabetic of two
years standing, who had slight pain and/or slight 
redness in his left eye. I discussed the differential
diagnosis with the physician at length, stated that
I believed the eye would respond promptly to topical
medication, but that because the symptoms might be
early signs of progressive severe eye disease,  I thought
that not from a medical, but from a medicolegal point of view
it was wise to have the patient seen by an ophthalmologist
at an early date. The physician asked me to see the patient,
and I agreed to do so, stating that I expected to be at
the hospital in about 30 to 45 minutes. When I noted that
I would be delayed for about 20 minutes
because of the need to get my instruments
from my office, I instructed Margaret to call the MAH emergency
room so to advise them. She did so and was told that they
knew of no patient waiting for me. I attributed this misunderstanding
to the disorganization of the hospital and went anyway.
When I arrived, I asked whether a patient was waiting for me
and was told, "not any more". I was then given the explanation
that the patient had gone off to lunch without being told when
he had gone or when he was expected back. No one asked me
to wait for the patient or to return to see him, and I
assumed that the patient had changed his mind and did
not want to see me. I therefore suggested that the physician
treating the patient send him to the Eye and Ear Infirmary.
.PP
Apparently the physician had expected me to wait for the patient,
because he telephoned me about an hour later and stated that
he would report my action to the supervisor of the ambulatory
services as a violation of federal law. At no time did the
physician ask me to return to see the patient, and at no time
did I refuse to do so.
Eye and Ear Infirmary.