11:00
Read the following message
Dear Ms. Patel,
I’m writing regarding the appointment-booking pilot at Westside Community Health Clinic. According to the notice posted on October 3, from November 3 to December 20, all same-day appointments will be released at 8:00 a.m. through the mobile app, while the phone line will accept exception requests only between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. The notice also states that a government-issued ID must be uploaded in the app to confirm a booking. I understand the need to streamline demand and reduce long lineups. However, I’m concerned that the combination of an app-only release and a narrow morning window unintentionally disadvantages several groups your clinic serves.
By way of context, I am the primary caregiver for my father, Rajesh Kumar, who has diabetes and needs periodic nurse consultations. I also work the night shift at the Sunset Bakery from 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. When I finish work, I’m either commuting home or trying to sleep at precisely the time the slots open. In the past week, the app showed “0 slots” by 8:03 a.m. on two different days (I took a screenshot on Tuesday). Some of our neighbours—especially older adults and newcomers—do not own a smartphone or have trouble with photo ID uploads. The phone line opens at 9:00 a.m., but it was busy for twenty minutes; by the time I got through, the staff member said all daytime slots were gone.
I am not criticizing the need to manage demand; I’m asking that the pilot measure the right outcomes and consider equitable access. Could the clinic try a staggered release (for example, a portion at 8:00 a.m., another at 12:00 p.m., and a small evening batch at 7:00 p.m.) so that night-shift and after-school caregivers have a fair chance? Reserving a few same-day slots—say, 3 out of 15—for chronic-care patients referred by a clinician would also help. For patients without smartphones, could an in-person kiosk at reception allow ID verification with a clinic card or a recent mailed letter? Finally, a short “hold” period (e.g., ten minutes) after a user selects a slot would prevent timeouts that push people back to the end of the queue.
I appreciate the effort your team is making to improve booking. My goal is the same as yours: safe, timely care without forcing people to choose between sleep, work, and access. If you need volunteers to help test the kiosk or translate instructions, I am available on Thursday afternoons.
Sincerely,
Maya Kumar
Apartment 3B, 2147 Oak Street
I’m writing regarding the appointment-booking pilot at Westside Community Health Clinic. According to the notice posted on October 3, from November 3 to December 20, all same-day appointments will be released at 8:00 a.m. through the mobile app, while the phone line will accept exception requests only between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. The notice also states that a government-issued ID must be uploaded in the app to confirm a booking. I understand the need to streamline demand and reduce long lineups. However, I’m concerned that the combination of an app-only release and a narrow morning window unintentionally disadvantages several groups your clinic serves.
By way of context, I am the primary caregiver for my father, Rajesh Kumar, who has diabetes and needs periodic nurse consultations. I also work the night shift at the Sunset Bakery from 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. When I finish work, I’m either commuting home or trying to sleep at precisely the time the slots open. In the past week, the app showed “0 slots” by 8:03 a.m. on two different days (I took a screenshot on Tuesday). Some of our neighbours—especially older adults and newcomers—do not own a smartphone or have trouble with photo ID uploads. The phone line opens at 9:00 a.m., but it was busy for twenty minutes; by the time I got through, the staff member said all daytime slots were gone.
I am not criticizing the need to manage demand; I’m asking that the pilot measure the right outcomes and consider equitable access. Could the clinic try a staggered release (for example, a portion at 8:00 a.m., another at 12:00 p.m., and a small evening batch at 7:00 p.m.) so that night-shift and after-school caregivers have a fair chance? Reserving a few same-day slots—say, 3 out of 15—for chronic-care patients referred by a clinician would also help. For patients without smartphones, could an in-person kiosk at reception allow ID verification with a clinic card or a recent mailed letter? Finally, a short “hold” period (e.g., ten minutes) after a user selects a slot would prevent timeouts that push people back to the end of the queue.
I appreciate the effort your team is making to improve booking. My goal is the same as yours: safe, timely care without forcing people to choose between sleep, work, and access. If you need volunteers to help test the kiosk or translate instructions, I am available on Thursday afternoons.
Sincerely,
Maya Kumar
Apartment 3B, 2147 Oak Street
Choose the best option according to the information given in the message:
1. What is the main purpose of Maya’s message?
2. During the pilot, when are same-day appointments released?
3. Why does Maya believe the current system disadvantages some patients?
4. In the sentence, “They are usually commuting home at 8:00 a.m., not refreshing a screen,” “They” refers to …
5. As used in the email, the word “staggered” in “staggered release” most nearly means …
6. Which suggestion does Maya NOT make?
Here is a response to the message. Complete the response by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down
Dear Ms. Kumar,
Thank you for 7.... about the booking pilot. Your message clearly shows how an 8:00 a.m. app-only release 8.... night-shift caregivers and patients without smartphones. Our early numbers indicate that demand 9...., which confirms your experience. Based on community feedback, we will trial a mixed schedule with small noon and evening batches, and we will install a reception kiosk for ID verification. We will also reserve a limited number of same-day slots for chronic-care referrals. These steps will 10.... your suggestions while we continue monitoring access and wait times.
We’re grateful for your offer to help test the kiosk; our staff will follow up with details. Clearly, 11....: timely care that works for all our patients.
Respectfully,
Anita Patel
Clinic Operations Manager