A Quantas flight attendant was vomiting, so I drove 49 miles to the Radisson in Newport Beach. Fortunately, she was already getting better. She hadn't vomited in six hours. I told her that she should continue to improve and advised her to suck on ice chips. I went to the ice machine and filled tub. Normally, I would have left antinausea pills, but she was pregnant. She thanked me effusively as I left.
An eight year-old's eyelid revealed a small bump. My diagnosis was a sty. As I explained, the mother held out her cell phone.
A diamond dealer, violently ill with stomach flu, remained overnight at an emergency room. Returning to L.A. Marriott, he felt better except for some diarrhea. I reassured him and handed over anti-diarrhea pills.
A Craigslist ad was recruiting hotel doctors. I keep track of new arrivals and offer to work for them. They often take me up on it because it’s not easy to find a doctor on the spur of the moment. A few hours after my query, the phone rang. The caller introduced himself, adding that he knew me, admired me, and was certain that I was a perfect hire.
The recent devastating hurricane that struck the Bahamas in September is one more example that tourism industry leaders must constantly be mindful of potential crises. From acts of terror and crime to earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis and weather-related issues, industry leaders must have plans to face both natural and man-made crises. Tourism crises come in multiple forms and there is no part of the world that is free from a potential crisis.
"This is Doctor Oppenheim," I repeated several times before hanging up. Caller ID identified the Doubletree in Santa Monica, so I phoned to ask if someone had requested a doctor. Someone had.
"She speaks Spanish. I'm not sure what's going on, but she needs a doctor."
GDPR: One Year Later It all started across the pond when the European Union's 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect on May 25, 2018. It mandated that companies do more to protect the personal data of consumers. In short—if hoteliers marketed to European Union citizens without the proper permission, then they were in violation and could be fined.
A national housecall service connected me with a guest at the Montage in Beverly Hills. She was suffering the flu; I told her I'd arrive in half an hour.
As I was driving, a guest phoned to ask when I'd arrive. “In about fifteen minutes.” On her initial call, I told her I would arrive within the hour, and I was on schedule, so the call meant that she was still vomiting. Vomiters are impatient.
Opening an envelope from an international travel insurer, I expected a check for some hotel visits but found only a form letter containing a dozen boxes, each listing a reason why payment was denied. An "X" through one box revealed that I had not submitted my invoice on an HCFA-1500.
Could I see a gentleman at the Omni with an upset stomach? The dispatcher for International Assistance was delighted to learn that I could. In most cities, dispatchers work hard to find a doctor willing to make a housecall but not in Los Angeles.
A guest in Long Beach had broken out in red spots. This looked like a terrific visit; skin problems are usually easy. A sudden rash is frightening but hardly ever indicates something serious. I have no objection to making a diagnosis over the phone, but guests are terrible at describing a rash's appearance. In any case, most want to doctor to look at it.
Her child's nose was bleeding, explained the mother. Could I come?
It upsets me to collect a fee and then send a patient to pay a fee at a clinic or emergency room for care I can't provide in a housecall. I try to anticipate these.
Almost every hotel guest is working or taking an expensive vacation, so illness is more inconvenient than usual. Everyone agrees that doctors have no magical powers…. except… maybe… if you really need them…..
My relations with other Los Angeles hotel doctors are civilized but not close. When I leave town there's only one colleague I trust to cover. Mostly this works out. I schedule my trips so they don't conflict with his.
American water. American food. Air conditioning. Air Travel. Stress.
It was one a.m. as I drove Santa Monica Boulevard, but crowds packed the sidewalks in West Hollywood, lining up to hear the latest band. A few blocks beyond, I parked at the Ramada.
Tourists come to America expecting a strange foreign land. They usually leave satisfied, but encountering an American doctor is an unexpected bonus, so everyone on the tour gathers round, and I often go about my business in front of a large attentive audience.