Editor,

This may amuse other Whidbey residents who’ve dealt with WhidbeyHealth. A good laugh should always be shared.

One of the doctors wished to refer me to a specialist in Everett. No more adventure there than with any referral to a specialist, of course. The adventure is entirely in the referral process.

I received a copy of the referral on Monday, Sept. 17. It was dated Sept. 12, the previous Wednesday, and included the telephone number and street address of the medical office in Everett.

Also included was the extension of the Referral Department for WhidbeyHealth.

Note: The phone number of that office wasn’t included, just the extension. Nor was there any information about where on Whidbey that office is located. Both omissions would turn out to be major contributions to the adventure.

Obediently, I called the Everett medical office. They hadn’t received the referral, but they would be glad to call the WhidbeyHealth referral office and ask for the referral to be faxed to them.

That referral office phone number, remember, wasn’t on the referral form.

So I offered to track down the referral office and ask the people there to send the referral to Everett.

I tried WhidbeyHealth Medical Center first, but the person who answered didn’t know what the referral office phone number might be, or where it might be located. That person suggested I try the office where my doctor is located.

That office is in Freeland.

So I tried the Freeland office. The person answering there said, no, the Freeland office doesn’t handle referrals, but perhaps the Clinton office does.

After a check, that came back negative as well.

After a further check, the Freeland staffer discovered the Oak Harbor referral office phone number. So I called there, asking for the extension on the form. The person answering put me on hold. Of course, I was cut off, but at this point in this delightful process I expected that.

Once I was through laughing, I called again. This time the person answering wanted to know the name of the person to whom I wished to speak as well the extension number.

Fortunately, that name was on the form. I passed this test and was connected.

To voice mail, which promised an answer within a day, at the “earliest convenience.”

By this time, of course, delight had reached its peak. I was laughing so hard I could hardly keep my seat. I left a request that the staff person send the referral to the Everett office for which it was intended, and concluded the adventure.

Tomorrow I’ll try again.

For any skeptics, I retain the referral, with its lack of the referral department’s phone number — but including the extension number — its address, the name of the doctor requesting the referral, or the name of the doctor referred to. I’ll be happy to produce a copy of the document. The original I’m storing with my copy of Peanuts cartoons and other humorous delights.

Wayne Ude

Clinton