First appointment of day? Doesn't work. Some doctors show up 1 hr late or spend time joking around with staff. I'm not kidding. I once sat in an ENT's exam room for an hour and could hear laughter and talk coming from the next room. Turns out it was my doctor as I found out when my doctor strolled into the exam room an hour late. And we wonder why they are always late. Keep them waiting that long and see what happens.

If our healthcare system becomes nationalized, customer service will become a thing of the past and you can bet your bippee that wait times are going to go through the roof. Vote McCain!

Shirley: That would frustrate me no end. I've complained to my doctor before about other personnel issues. Maybe if you talk to her/him, it might resolve the problem.

Lucia: I hope all of our readers study up on health care and the candidates, and votes today ...

Wow, Southern Living takes a different path. I have been practicing OB/GYN for the past 23 years and love my chosen profession. I truely wish I never had to make a patient wait but unfotunately as I take care of patients who go into labor my schedule at times takes a back seat to a need for urgent care. I can't schedule a babies birth but am quite delighted to deliver them when the Good Lord gives to us. I have always given each patient my total attention and the time to address their problems. . This also includes an apology for my lateness. Over the years most people have expressed their understanding as well as my attention to their individual needs. This article has really tarnished my image of what I have always felt to be one of the most outstanding magazines over the past several decades.

Dr. Freeman: First, let me state that these opinions are my own and may not necessarily reflect that of Southern Living.

I appreciate that you practice medicine with dedication, compassion and humility. Would that all doctors shared your outlook and attention to patients.

However, even though I love my primary care physician, I have spent many an hour waiting and waiting and waiting. (He, by the way, is not an OB/GYN.)

I've presented tips for patients who've been left waiting too long in the waiting area and exam rooms. But what about doctors ... What would you suggest to your fellow physicians to reduce wait times and address this issue?

I know doctors are squeezed for time, especially with hospitals, paperwork, overhead, and insurance all adding pressure. What would you do to fix the situation?