Martin S.
Google
UNM’s check-in process is unnecessarily inefficient and actively works against patients, and staff appear just as frustrated by it as patients are.
Patients are not clearly instructed how early to arrive for appointments. At my first visit, I checked in 20 minutes early, only to arrive 15 minutes late to my appointment — entirely due to UNM’s own process. The delay came from waiting in line to check in, repeatedly signing the same paperwork, and then having to walk several minutes to a different building after check-in.
To make matters worse, there is a second check-in at the actual doctor’s office, which consists solely of informing staff that you’ve arrived. This adds another redundant step with no apparent benefit.
On two separate visits, reception staff at different clinics openly discussed how frustrating it was that they are not notified when patients are delayed coming from the main hospital check-in. In other words, patients arrive late through no fault of their own, clinics aren’t informed, and both sides are left frustrated — a clear coordination failure.
Patients are also routinely required to re-sign multiple consent forms at every visit (HIPAA acknowledgment, communication consent, permission to be seen), even when these were signed recently within the same system. I was incorrectly told this repetition is “required by law.” It is not. This appears to be a system or workflow failure being passed off to patients as a legal necessity.
The cumulative effect is predictable: long lines, delayed appointments, unnecessary stress, and breakdowns in communication — especially harmful for patients dealing with medical or mental health issues. You can arrive early, follow instructions, and still be late through no fault of your own.
This is not a front-desk staff problem. It is a leadership and systems problem. Until UNM streamlines check-in, integrates records properly, and improves interoffice communication, patients and staff alike will continue to pay the price for institutional inefficiency.