After 8 years at MQ I went to Keystrokes in September 2006..and (sm)
Posted By: Another Ohio MT on 2007-12-07
In Reply to: I start w/ Keystrokes Monday after - type-it7707
I don't regret it. For the most part my account doesn't run out of work. I wish I had a backup but I haven't been able to get one. But my main account is swamped a good part of the time so when they do run out of work it doesn't usually last long. Good Luck!
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I started in September 2006 and have not received one yet (nm)
I started with Keystrokes in September and so far I like it...(sm)
Before KS I worked at Medquist for 8 years and at a local hospital for 15 years before that. I think KS is pretty flexible...they seem to be so far and leave you alone. I don't know about TransHealth or Trans Tech but I do like KS so far.
Keystrokes announces 2006 benefits package sm
Keystrokes has finalized the benefits package for full time employees and has received great feedback from our MTs.
We wanted to share these so that you get them straight from the source rather than in rumors and heresay.
To be FT, you must produce a minimum of 12,000 lines (acute care), 1200 reports (radiology) or a combination of the two.
After 90 days, all FT employees are eligible for:
2 sick days, 2 floating paid holidays, rate x 1.5 for holidays worked, 3 days bereavement pay for immediate family, 1 day bereavement pay for extended family, 401k plan (with vesting schedule for match), health insurance (paid by employee) and life insurance (paid by company), direct deposit.
After one year, FT employees are eligible for 5 days PTO. After three years, FT employees are eligible for 10 days PTO and after ten years, FT employees are eligible for 15 days PTO.
After years of changes due to growth, we have deemed 2006 a change-free year and have put in place many surprise perks for our MTs for this coming year.
We value our transcriptionists - both employees and ICs and want to make Keystrokes the employer of choice.
Give us a look ... you will like what you see. No more awkward growing pains; instead you will be treated with the professional respect you deserve while enjoying a personal touch!
Thank you to all who have helped mold the company into what it is today - we could not do it without the support of our transcriptionists, customers and supporters. We even thank the critics - their criticism allows us to improve :)
Happy Holidays !
I was offered 8.25 cpl in the beginning of 2006. Turned it down. 13+ years in.
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I think it was September
and it has been wacky and stressful ever since...
I have been there since last September and like it very much..(sm)
They have worked with me on a couple things to make me happier. The pay is always on time. Rather high insurance at the moment but as the other poster said below, there will be a new, much more affordable insurance company starting in March, plus KS now has Aflac. I am on a very high volume account doing mostly ERs and have never really ran out of work. So far, so good.
I am currently working for them (since September).
Terry is great to work for. This is a small company that is very good to work with. The Emdat system is great! Very easy to work with. There is plenty of work to keep everyone busy! Let me know if you have other questions.
Been with Keystrokes for 4+ years and not planning on going anywhere
I type Radiology and the Company is great just scroll down and you will find lots of info on Keystrokes.
I have been with Keystrokes for 2 years and can say the same as KSMT...
I have gotten a referral bonus, gift cards, et cetera....they are a really great company to work for and value their employees.
I left more than 2 years ago and went to Keystrokes...
I am way happier
I have been at Keystrokes for 2 years and I love it...
I have never experienced or heard of anything such as the OP is claiming...all I know is that Keystrokes is a great place to work for and you were unhappy there let it go and move on...I truly hope you found a better fit for you...and to those that do not like working for Keystrokes, find another job...
Been at Keystrokes for 2-1/2 years and LOVE it!
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I have also been at Keystrokes 2-1/2 years and love it...
Great company.
I started with KS on September 6 but my insurance did not go (sm)
into effect until December 1. So there is a 3 month waiting period for the current plan we have. Not sure if that will change when the new insurance goes into effect. Good luck!
they added a big hospital in september - nm
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Well, I left MQ after 8 years last summer to go to Keystrokes (sm)
so I would have to say Keystrokes. I have plenty of work and love my account and Keystrokes gave me primarily what I asked for as far as what specialty I wanted to type. I work in Meditech but there are other platforms there, it just depends on your account. MedQuist was a great place to work for about the first 7 years. In January 2006 they introduced what they called the Rewards Plan and after that my work dried up in a hurry and I lost a LOT of money by staying there. But there are still people at MQ who have plenty of work and like it there, the way I felt about it in the old days. Both places have positive qualities but I am happier now at Keystrokes. It also depends on what you are looking for as far as how large of a company you want to work for...MQ is a big national, KS is much smaller and more personalized. Good Luck!
I agree 100%...I have been at Keystrokes for 2 years doing Ortho
and I love it...best company I have worked for...
Keystrokes is not as large as Transcend but they might be in the next few years. sm
Transcend has grown because they keep buying other companies, and Keystrokes does not do that. They have grown every year and still do because of getting new accounts and keeping the accounts they have.
Keystrokes is not in the $50M range; last I heard they were at $15M and will be in the $25M this year due to new accounts. They are very open about this, and also about the fact that they do not take on too much at once just for the sake of growing. They make sure that they are ready first.
Are they the perfect company? No, but they are better than any I have worked at since YOG. I have been at Keystrokes for 3 years. They continue to improve every year and have really worked through the issues they used to have including the insurance. The first year I worked for them, they were an OK company, the second year they were good, and this third year, they are great.
I am impressed with them because they still treat their employees as if they are a small company; we are not just a number to them. I am also impressed that they give more to their employees every year instead of taking things away, like a lot of other companies are doing.
I am happy at Keystrokes, as are over 400 of us. For those that are not or did not like working there in the past, I hope you find the company that works best for you.
Different strokes for different folks, but I have found the company that is best for me and plan on staying!
Keystrokes does. I have worked on ortho only for them for 2 years. sm
I have my own docs and my supervisor is great. She leaves me alone to do my work and as long as I do it well and on time, she leaves me alone. I prefer this, so it is a great job for me. I average 14,000 lines a pay period and make 0.09 per line. I do use their insurance, which costs me $204 per month, but it's only me. So far, so good with the new insurance!
I'm not sure if they are hiring but it would be worth trying.
I worked for Keystrokes for a couple of years...
I was very happy with the company. I didn't have a problem with them, just needed to take a leave for a while and ended up starting with another company a few months later. It's been about a year and a half since I worked for them, but at that time there was plenty of work. I had no problems with supervision. I really don't have anything negative, but again it's been a while, so I don't know what the workload is like these days. Hope that helps - good luck!
I left Spheris in September and glad I did
Went to Webmedx and LOTS of work even over the holidays, better base rate, too.
Specifically, Axolotl has been low on work since the first of September .... SM
when they lost a huge account. It affected me and several other people. However, I have moved on so I don't know about recent developments. I wonder how long they will continue to pay downtime instead of laying off.
Over 9 years ortho experience and not even a callback from Keystrokes..
I can assume that they were swamped with applications or maybe I was just not want they were looking for. Oh well....other ortho accounts out there. I have enough acute care that I should find something.
Keystrokes for the past 2 years!! I plan on retiring with them !! nm
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Agree with LTMT about Keystrokes..I've been there nearly 3 years (sm)
I had a bumpy patchy for a while with no work but the owner herself and some of the office staff worked with me to find a good secondary account that I couldn't be happier with.
The date is September last year. Why bring it up now that it is being dismissed? sm
Companies get sued by ex-employees for things that are not true all the time. Ask any lawyer, look at the # of dockets in a court every day. The percentage of suits that are true is less than 8%.
This is someone trying to stir up trouble.
Keystrokes does not have ICs.
I gave a couple of days notice, just til September 1st...
The day the merger actually occurred. It was about 3-4 days' notice.
For radiology, Keystrokes is the best. I worked at MQ for 8 years and left in January. sm
Wish I had done it two years ago. Lots of work, easy accounts, great team leads! I am making less per report but more each check because of better account with more work available!
I worked for Keystrokes a few years back. There were some problems but was told they were working on
I had heard that before, too many times to count, so I left.
I came back 2 years ago and it was like night and day.
All of the old problems are gone. They blamed them on growing pains and never denied them. Instead they fixed them. They have my vote!
Been there is 2006
They'll have to drag me out of there. I plan to stay forever.
I've never been happier. Make my lines every week, lots of bennies and lots of incentives. Take the job. You'll never regret it.
Nothing since 2006?
I'd be very wary. First, VR is very poor pay for what you do. Be very careful of any company asking for ONLY VR work and pay less than 5cents per line. Second, if nothing is posted since 2006 either they haven't hired anyone new in a long time or there is only neutral feedback for them, not great but not devastating either.
I, personally, only post negative when something is really awful and I fear for others who get stuck in that situation. You might do a BBB search on them to check for any complaints. Not everything is put into a BBB score, but you can check if anyone has ever made a complaint as an employee or customer. I did this with my last employer, they were not BBB, but the BBB does keep records on all companies and wannabe companies out there whether they are members or not. Just research a bit before you are bitten! :)
I hope they are a good company, keep us posted!!
I don't know, but here is the phone # 301-921-2006 nm
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my benefits for 2006 will be less as well
I feel very disappointed about the loss of some benefits, rate increases for others and I also wonder with the all the other changes that the company isn't what it used to be and how it can feel it offers something unique or is different from other MTSOs. It seems to be joining the ranks of well, nobody else gives you this/that, so don't expect it here either.
Of course, after only 4 months of having cable, they raised their rates without giving me more channels, better service, quality, etc, so I'm trying to see the balance on all sides (it's hard, though). Is it just the cost of living? I don't pretend to know the answers but it is getting harder and harder to stay in this profession.
See below post of 03/30/2006
I noticed it and it might have some info you were looking for. :) I have none myself, sorry.
All the MTs may be fired 05/10/2006
or soon thereafter--what about the call-in meeting they are said to be having this Wednesday for all the MTs? Does NOT sound good. (Glad I left when I did.) Looks like the offices in India will be getting more jobs as the American offices will be closing, I've heard, at the end of May.
Ad from Dec. 2006 said they have their own software. nm
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2006 listings
There are some back articles where people were not paid for work and even one person had a check bounce. I am wondering if anyone has an update as well...I have an interview with them tonight but even though that was 2 years ago it makes me wary!
So who is their 2006 Employer of the Year?
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An old ad said they did. I sent a resume in Jan. 2006 and never got a reply. nm
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First Choice uses WP5.1, at least in Sept of 2006
The people I spoke to on the phone and by e-mail were very pleasant, the job sounded great. I chose another MTSO but was left with a very good impression of this company. They did work in WP5.1, at least in September of 2006. Good luck to you.
Do you mean Transcription1 out of Florida? They last had an ad here Jan. 2006. Don't
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2006 posts said QA is VERY picky here. Pay was 6-9 cpl. Under
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In 2006, you had to pay a fee to their site to test & they say
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Is this RI in Minnesota? Some posts from 2006
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Don't know, but in 2006 they told me 7.5 cpl was starting
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I see Brinker got a SBA loan for $74,774 in 2006 .
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All Type - Current Info 2/2006
I'd like to know anything good or bad as well. They called and have scheduled an interview but I'd like to hear from y'all on this one 
Response to Heartland Employees (5/10/2006)
Dear MsAnonnie Mouse:
I’m sorry this response is so after the fact, but I just read your posting today.
I am an MT with years of experience and a 100% accuracy rate, employed by Heartland, and I lost my job to India. Although I have the luxury of working from home, I send my 2-1/2-year-old son to preschool to ensure my undivided attention to the work at hand. Therefore, I guess, according to you, I would be considered one of the shafted employees, worthy of your acceptance and attention.
Perhaps the quality of the reports you QA has something to do with the fact that they are from newbies who were not trained properly - not the fact that they are lazy or have no work ethic. That is not the fault of the MT, it's the fault of the training school and the company that hired them without enough prior experience. Everyone has to start somewhere, and I’m sure you had your fair share of errors and blanks when you first started out. The job of the QA should not be to judge or embarrass the MT, or “whine” about the blanks, but simply send out the corrections that the MTs can use for future reference. I would suggest you talk to your supervisor about the hiring practices of your company. Perhaps they can screen the MTs to ensure their qualifications meet your standards. By the way, if there were no errors to be corrected, you wouldn’t have a job.
Also, you have quite some nerve stating that these women whine about not being able to stay home and work because they have children. Did you ever think that perhaps they cannot afford childcare? Did you ever wonder if they are single mothers, willing to work instead of rely on public assistance, who can either pay the rent and buy some groceries or fork over money for preschool? Did you ever have to wonder how to work and be available for your special needs child at the same time? You did not lose your job via a conference call, not only worrying about your own situation, but listening to these other women panicking about how to provide for their children, which was, quite frankly, heartbreaking. If the idea of having children in the home while working bothers you, perhaps you should contact every school out there whose advertisements show a woman on the computer, in the comfort of her own home, working away while her children are in the same room. The at-home aspect of this profession was designed just for that - the luxury of working at home, and the training courses and schools promote this to attract mostly single mothers who cannot, or will not, send their children out of the house. Maybe you could again contact your supervisor and suggest that they do not hire women with children under the age of 5 who might get “under foot,” and forget about the ladies who have disabled and/or sick children - those kids are nothing but a distraction.
Finally, you should be ashamed of yourself for using this as an opportunity to insult any of these ladies (and some gentlemen). This was a corporate decision that had nothing to do with the quality or work ethic of the American MTs or whether they have children at home - it’s about a bottom-line cheaper price. If anything, you should count your blessings that you still have a job and be supportive of those who don‘t, since there is a very good chance that you could lose your job overseas. What happens when the companies trying to keep employment in the US are undersold by the companies who are not? Think about it.
In the meantime, stop “whining.” The blanks and mistakes are what keep your job secure, that is, until they train more people over in India to do it. Also, the high-and-mighty all-knowing attitude does not suit you, as it is ethic, not ethiic (and survive has only one “I” too).
On behalf of my fellow coworkers at Heartland, thank you for your support.
AAMT 2006 Employer of the Year
So the AAMT is naming their employer of the year. One year, after Mag Mutual had been bragging that title up for all it was worth, I called the AAMT and asked exactly how many submissions they got and how much competition the big employer of the year received. I was working for Mag as an MT and found it to be my worst experience so far. The woman on the other end of the phone laughed and said there is very, very little competition. I think there were something like 3 or 4 submissions.
Just wanting the MTs out there to not leap when you hear the results. Please inquire with the AAMT as to how many applicants were considered. Know that AAMT Employer of the Year does NOT mean it'll necessarily be a good place to be an MT.
They had an ad here in early June 2006. Did anyone start with them? nm
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Has anyone who worked for CorTmedical in 2006 gotten their 1099 yet?
I know that a lot of us were burned last year by this company. I am wondering if they are going to at least send the 1099 for what they should have paid us. I am wondering if they do not send it, how am I going to claim what they did not pay me as a loss? Thanks to all, hope everyone has found something better since that disaster.
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