A patient of Dr. Warner calls the office at 9:15 a.m. and states that she has been experiencing nasal stuffiness, a cough, and a sore throat for 4 days. This morning she has a fever of 102.8◦ F and a stabbing pain under her ribs when she coughs. She asks if Dr. Warner can fit her in for an appointment this morning. There is one appointment open today at 4:00 p.m., and there are four appointments for urgent patients open tomorrow. • What should the medical assistant do? • Given the different types of scheduling (e.g., stream, wave, modified wave, clustering, etc.), what factors should the MA consider when replying to the patient?
