Heartland Layoffs
Posted By: Tex on 2006-05-09
In Reply to: Heartland... now what do we do? - NiceGirl
Were you aware that they already laid off about 30 US-based MTs at the beginning of APril... with only 1 week notice?
I was one of them. They lost an account and simply dumped everyone for whom it was a primary account. They begged all of us to take on secondary accounts not long before that, but at the time of the layoff call they said there was no work on any of the secondary accounts. And, BTW, your conference call sounds exactly like ours.
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Heartland Layoffs
First of all, I would like to say that I sympathsize wtih those that were laid off at Heartland, however, I believe that that there were probably indications that this was going to happen, I for one, remember seeing a LOT of job ads for Heartland and they suddenly stopped on the 2 major transcription job boards. For me, that was an indication that something was going down the tube.
I also do not agree wtih offshoring, but when I read the posts on this board, I see one theme over and over; that being laziness in general. I see posts where people gripe and complain about having to work weekends or nights or whatever and wanting to get paid decent money, but they want to only be able to work 8-5 Monday through Friday. I have been in this field for over 20 years and I believe that I have always pulled my fair share. I have seen it in the company that I work for now, and the work load goes up dramatically on the weekends, because NOBODY wants to work and as we all know, medical transcription, for the most part, is a profession that is 24/7.
Sadly to say, our society has become one, where we expect to have something for nothing. Meaning that we want the nice thinngs, but we don't have to break our necks for it. I hear of friends who are giving their kids brand-new to almost brand-new cars in high school. Heck, when I was growing up, if I wanted contacts, or a car, or clothes, I had to detassel corn or work in a fast food place to get the money to be able to have those things. I don't see that happening now, and in essence, that is why so many of our jobs have been offshored. Its not only a cheaper labor cost, but most of these people in general have a better work ethic.
My company takes pride in the fact that it doesn't offshore and it will be a cold day in a very warm place before they do.
My only advice to those that were laid off is to hang in there, send out the resumes and hopefully, you will be able to find a new company that will treat you like an employee and not a number.
Heartland Layoffs
Some people seem to be missing the point here -- I also do QA as well as medical transcription and I generally am working MANY hours a day and usually 6-7 days a week, because I know budget-wise what it takes for me to surviive.
As a QA person, I see a quality of work that is totally unacceptable and it is from American medical transcriptionists. I read about people saying they can do X number of lines in an hour, or that they type X number of words a minute and as a QA person, that is usually the persons report that has 10 or more blanks in it, because UNFORTUNATELY they are more concerned about production than they are quality.
I sometimes wonder how many medical transcriptionists go back and re-listen to a report they have typed and then are able to figure out what the doctors are saying?
I have worked both inhouse and from home and I really have to agree that if someone TRULY wants to get started in this field, then they should work onsite first to truly get a grasp at what medical transcription entails.
There ARE people who are medcal transcriptionists who DO work long and hard hours and ARE getting shafted by the companies they work for, but quite frankly, I am tired of the ones who have toddlers and small children at home and whine about how they can do this work and take care of their kids too -- just because you work at home, dosen't mean that your children can be underfoot all the time and it is also learning about priorities as well. If you were working on the outside, you would NOT be allowed to take a huge amount of time off for kid activities or family activities, so the MTSOs do have legitimate gripes when it comes to employees not working when they say they will or keeping to a schedule, and this is where I am coming full circle when I talk about a work ethiic -- it has slowly and steadily been disappearing over the years.
To MsAnonnieMouse below re Heartland layoffs
While there are many employees in all areas who fit the poor work ethic you describe, it is by no means anything but a lame excuse for greedy corporations to do what they would have done anyway. It goes along with the jobs Americans won't do we hear so much about these days.
I do think the handwriting has been on the wall about Heartland.....er...I mean HEARTLESS for some time. I personally don't and never have worked for them but I've been hearing for a year or so that their ultimate goal was to do exactly what they just did. Still one can hardly blame those who chose to stay and watch the ship go down, it isn't like HEARTLESS doesn't have lots of company these days. I believe I actually read somewhere that companies are rewarded tax-wise for shipping jobs overseas.
Now is the time for all MTs to prepare for the future, although I have no clue as to what career or occupation would immunize employees from the exact same thing that just happened at HEARTLESS. A casual observer can see the increase in the number of job postings for VR editors so the next step will be unless we are willing to spend all day every day transcribing impossible ESLs, mushmouths, Speedy Gonzales and all their kin, MT is going to be gone.
There is also something to be said for the way MTs in most, if not all, companies are treated. Here we have QA people who search for MINUTE things or even WRONG things to correct so they can meet their quota or whatever they are evaluated on. Why, I even had one QA person correct Tessalon Perles that I had transcribed to Tessalon Pearls. Cold hard fact of life is the suits at the corporations care nothing about quality, they just make a show by saying they have QA people to ensure quality. HA! The hospitals care nothing about quality, only the bottom line. The physicians (most) care nothing about quality, only their insurance reimbursement. So there you have it, a grim future for all of us.
Lastly, anyone who falls into the jobs Americans won't do and offshoring is necessary because there aren't enough qualified Americans, is nothing short of a fool. What they mean is Americans can't and won't work for less than it takes to maintain a decent standard of living and the cost of living in the good ole U.S. of A is not cheap.
I have nothing to offer the employees of HEARTLESS other than that my heart aches for them and their plight and I pray each and every one will be able to find a decent place to work in the short term and that they will be looking to see how they will survive in the long term.
GOD BLESS ALL YOU EMPLOYEES OF HEARTLESS, INC.
layoffs
the Heartland MTs did not get laid off because they wouldn't or couldn't do weekends, or for poor quality. They got laid off because of the bottom line. I know about the kids excuses, etc., but in this case, it was not the case. They were laid off through no fault of their own. My latest and greatest audit on a report MT'd and QA'd from India - Dictated: Pate is balding. Transcribed: Pate is bowing. If it wasn't so funny, I'd cry.
Layoffs
I didn't even get the invite to the conference call. I was working one day and started getting an error message that my account number was inactive. Through a series of emails and phone calls, I found out I had been laid off! Thanks a lot! I just found another job working as an IC. I think I'll be much happier!
the layoffs...
were about a year ago, so that's not current news. I felt the conference call was superior to any communication we have had in the past. She was up-front about the vendor situation and it sounded more hopeful and positive than previous quarterly meetings which focused on the business end -- this felt more personal and pertinent to what the MTs want to know. Any time I have emailed Patty she has been prompt to respond. The loss of the Santa Clara people (executive level), while unfortunate, would be expected in a business model like this. I agree with the reasoning that it was due to redundancy.
SPI in another round of layoffs
Last week they announced they were dropping the smaller hospital accounts that used domestic MTs, today they emailed QA staff and had them call in on a conference call just to tell them they no longer had jobs. So this nice big foreign company who came in and assured everyone how the company would be bigger and better only took 6 months to start weaning out all domestic staff. I wish the facilities knew this.
Focus layoffs?
Why did people get laid off at Focus? I worked there a few years ago but it was a joke with the editing. I hope its because work is coming back to US companies and US MTs.
CBay layoffs
Where's everyone planning to go now that Cbay has laid off the rest of the editors?
Oh, Lordy... NO Layoffs! sm
Acusis DID have to lay off some MTs about a year ago when they lost a big account. There are NO layoffs currently - unless you know something I don't know.
Yes, Layoffs coming
Red Team teleconference yesterday advised us that company-wide layoffs were imminent, not only for the Red Team, but all teams, including corporate staff. Word is that 27 were terminated today.
layoffs and hires
Can someone explain to me why a company would lay people off and then hire new people? Were they just getting rid of the riff-raff?
I haven''t heard anything about layoffs..
and I work there...not that that surprises me or anything.  Was this a particular office or just certain accounts? I'm currently looking for a new job, but I'm obviously curious and would like to pass this along to some of the other MTs so they know what's coming. Thanks so much for any help! 
Anyone heard about layoffs from Cbay? sm
Someone posted elsewhere that they had been laid off by this company.
Wonder if other companies plan layoffs?
Please post so I will know where not to apply. TIA!
Oh geez, when I saw "ax", I thought we were having layoffs
My heart went into my throat. I normally associate ax falling or the term getting the ax with being terminated. I was relieved when I saw it was only about going to VR!
Whew...time to slow my heart rate down, lol!
The news always announces pending layoffs
and company closures. If the news would know about it in advance of closure, it would seem like the companies had announced it.
No, they kept me with all the layoffs, and my accuracy rate is upper 90s, so not worried about that
x
University of Iowa Med Center announced layoffs yesterday
I think the news report said they were getting rid of 130 people now, a total of 200 this year. Fortunately (their word, not mine), they're not going to have to make any cuts in people who have patient contact but in administrative areas (that'd be us). Truthfully, I'm not sure if they even still have in-house transcriptionists, but you know that if they do, they'll be the first to get their marching papers.
Heartland?
Has anyone heard of a company called Heartland Transcription out of Toledo? A friend of mine has been talking to them and wondered about it, so I told her that since I was online right now I would ask. Thanks! 
Heartland
You MUST be their recruiter.
heartland
TAKE EVERYONES ADVICE, DON'T GO THERE - BEEN THERE - WORST EVER.
Heartland
WOW! What paper was this printed in, the post doesn't mention it. Also age discriminations is llegal folks, and just fort he record HIS hired me and I am 58...make me wonder..................nola
Heartland
I myslef cannot help but wonder what is going on with Heartland. I currently work for them and scared I will end up without a job.
Heartland does.
xx
Heartland?
Does anyone have info or updates on what is going on at/with Heartland? I've heard about quite a few layoffs in the recent days. Thanks.
heartland
sometime back, there was a post in this forum regarding heartland's sale status. it refers to spi backing out of acquisition of heartland...
Heartland.....sm
Medical transcription business booming
Anshuman Daga
Bangalore, February 20
Medical transcription firm HealthScribe India, which uses India’s large pool of English-speaking graduates to enter medical data on US patients, expects its revenue to nearly double annually over coming years.
“I expect our turnover to grow at 80 percent compounded annual growth rate for the next few years,” HealthScribe’s Chief Executive Officer Tony Hales told Reuters in an interview.
The company, a joint venture between Max India and Healthscribe Inc of the United States, currently does $6 million in business a year.
The booming medical transcription business has become a $ 6 billion industry in the USA.
Transcription professionals key in medical data such as patient histories or treatment into computers after doctors in the USA phone the transcription centre and verbally record their observations. Once keyed into computers the data is transferred back to US hospitals via e-mail.
Global Centre
India has become a global hub for medical record transcription business with the establishment of high-speed telecom links and its large number of English-speaking graduates.
The fact that wages in this field in India are only 15 percent of US salaries is the biggest draw for firms such as HealthScribe to set up shop in India, Hales said.
“Our (HealthScribe’s) only limitation for growth has been time and experience,” Hales said. The company was not adding more than 75 to 100 employees a month to ensure that the quality of work is maintained, he explained.
Hales said it takes about four years for a local employee to match the quality of work done by his counterpart in the USA.
Other foreign companies in the same industry with operations in India include US-based HeartLand Information Systems and CBay Systems (India).
The growth of such services has been fuelled by rising demand to maintain basic hospital data and records and use these as legally recognised documents for US doctors to support medical decisions. Reuters
Heartland?
Who is spi? Thank you.
Heartland... now what do we do?
So... what do we do now guys?
Heartland
So sorry to hear about what happened. They will lose their clients. Are any of you from MS, AR or TN???
Heartland
I'll bet the we take care of our people people have even them beat dirtwise.
Heartland
Very sad, well-written. Please, please, forward this to former Senator John Edwards at OneAmericaCommittee.com. Please browse the site and familiarize yourselves with the work the Senator has been doing. I believe HE REALLY CARES. Please anyone who has the time, browse the One America site. You can sign up for updates from them and help by signing petitions and just spreading the word. It's time for Americans to take back America, don't you think? Thanks all. God bless you all who have been treated in this fashion by Heartland, but consider that some way, in some fashion, the ones who did this to you WILL get their just rewards.
Heartland
The we take care of our people was supposed to be in parentheses but didn't show up in my post.
Heartland
I am sorry for all of you. I had the miserable experience of working for Heartland a few years ago. I stayed only 6 months so I didn't have to reimburse them $2000 for their flying me to Toledo for training (what a joke that was) me. For those of you who want to write their clients, be careful. It technically could be a violation of HIPAA. Instead, write the newspapers where the client is located. You can bet that their staff members read the letters to the editors. A letter to the client could just get buried by the administration. I know of at least 2 instances where a client was outsourcing to India, but their staff was unaware of it. Do not, of course, mention the name of the client. Call it a local medical facility or a medical facility located in this state or area if there is only one medical facility in that particular town... something like that. It has been a few years since I worked for Heartland, but while with the company, I edited reports typed in India. If any of you want to E-mail me with the city and state (no other information) where a client is located, I will be happy to write a letter to an Editor too. Best of luck to all of you.
Heartland
HCR Manor Care is the mother company for Heartland, Inc., they are NOT BROKE by any stretch of the imagination.
Heartland MTs.....I want to ......sm
tell you how sorry I am for your situation. Take some satisfaction in the knowledge that eventually Heartland will realize they made a grave mistake by outsourcing all their work overseas.
If you are interested in working for a 100% US company, perhaps I can help you. Just drop me an email through the board here. Good luck to all of you!! 
Heartland
YOU are so right. I have said all along from all the posts I've seen from MQ to anyone else. They cry gimmee, gimmee, gimmee. They don't get what they want, so they bad mouth the company, but OMG, don't even think of working on weekends (except maybe every once in a while), or a holiday, or after 5 pm. If that's the schedule they have been looking for, they are in the wrong field. You can't watch soaps and eat bons bons while you transcribe. I basically work the same schedule I did IN a hospital, usually all day Saturday and I work from 5 a.m until I have met my own personal quota. This is a good field but I think it has been trashed by those who thought it was a cushy way to make easy money. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It takes as much dedication to do well at home, if not more. I agree some of the companies have taken advantage, but by and large, a lot of these people do a lot of stuff they wouldn't do or couldn't get away with while working on site.
Heartland MT
I am suppose to work today but who knows what will be in store for me. Standby or work.
More on Heartland
Why do the hospitals that contract with Heartland allow the work to be in India? I know there are hospitals out there that do not want the medical records overseas.
Not from Heartland but if it was me sm
and I could afford it, I would take the rest of the summer off and collect unemployment.
Heartland
Does anyone have any recent information? TIA
Heartland
Wondering who bought them...
Heartland
Hi,
Heard a rumor that Heartland is going to close down its HBT in India. Can anyone confirm it as a rumor or otherwise.
Heartland reply
I worked for that company for about 4 months and they were a JOKE!! I am talking in the first few months I had 8 different accounts and they were constantly changing the formatting/something about them daily and you had to run off about 150 pages everyday. I NEVER once got the same doctor EVER!! I typed on 4 different accounts all in the same day and they all had different formatting. It was a nightmare! I would not go back to them if they paid 20 cents a line!! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!
Heartland sold
HIS employees - watch your backs - they have sharp sticks to put into your back while smiling to your face!
TransTech/Heartland?
Why on earth would you think this?
TransTech/Heartland
As far as I know, they are not. Heartland is now up for sale, however. Could it be possible that TransTech is interested in buying it?
I love Heartland
nm..
Thoughts about Heartland....
Has anyone worked for this company? What are their strengths and or weakness? I have been offered a position with them. I need an honest answer please!
Heartland Woes
Alright, I think I've decided to leave.
My issues: Software is horrendous, client’s specifics are 60+ pages (which you need to know about 4+ inside and out) and not even to mention the so-called "supervisor" who reminds me of a mall rent-a-cop - obviously not a transcription background. I don't know if I should stick around until they are sold in case it would get better or do I just walk away from this?
Any other MTs out there that felt this way about Heartland and what/where did you go? Does it get any better or are all national companies like this?
HELP!!!
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