"After 30 minutes of waiting patiently... [I] saw  that  there was nobody ANYwhere.  It was like a ghost town.  At this point, I realized I had to pick up my child in about an hour.   I scribbled out a quick note, apologizing (?) for my departure...I received a downright ****** voicemail from my "Dr." ...rudely informing me that they were dealing w/ a cancer patient and that I should be more understanding. 

 ...It was the fact that not ONE person came in to bother explaining the delay and I was left alone for over 40 minutes."
Unfortunately, the downside of devoting "care time" to one patient is leaving out another. Some health care centers are notorious for long waits. Patients should expect this, as some emergency situations require longer attention on some cases. However, there should always be someone informing the waiting area of how long it will take, or at least a reassurance that they will be attended for. As always, proper communication will save the day.