Some thoughts on the updated FAQ

I just read through the updated FAQ sheet for 08-28.  Maybe a little reading between the lines, but that seems to be what we have to do to get a real answer we can sink our teeth into.

Do employees get shift/weekend differential?  No, it is incorporated into your pay rate.  I may be wrong, but I have never heard of a hospital, factory, any type of workplace that had shifts that did not offer a shift differential for those choosing to work the 2nd or 3rd shift.  Maybe not the weekend, but definitely a shift differential.  Could be part of the reason not enough workers are willing to make that type of a sacrifice.  I know we have two major hospitals here in our city, both pay differential for their odd hour workers. 

Will my line rate change if I become employee status?  Case by case basis, BUT keep in mind that the benefits package that we offer has significant value.  Why not just come right to the point, YES, your line rate will change because we are going to value out your benefit package to the penny and show you how that, plus your line rate, will equal your current line rate you are receiving now.  When the electric company wants their money at the end of the month, I'll refer them to my insurance carrier to collect my bill, or when my kids want to go to the movies on the weekend, I'll remind them how we are so fortunate to have benefits (which we are), but unfortunately instead of it being an added benefit package I am truly paying for it in the longrun.

Can I work more hours than what I sign up for if I become an employee?  Yes, however any overtime hours will need prior approval.  So, you better hope that the shift you have signed up for or split for or however you work it has enough work available for you to make your necessary salary (and please, really tell me what person can really live off $900 every 2 weeks - especially when you are a single person supporting a mortgage and kids - I am getting almost twice that now) because, if not, you are going to be standing in line with 500 other people trying to get approval for overtime and, if it works like anywhere else, there is only so many $$$ approved for that overtime budget before they start saying no.  Perhaps they might consider that letting us remain SE's could actually be to their benefit.  That, and counting lines instead of dollars, could in part be the reason MDI rose to the top as it did. 

I'm thinking the answers to our questions aren't really answers at all, but - I know - what should I expect (Hey, I said I was an MDIer with a headache !!)

• Here's how I see IC issue with Transcend - jen
  • That's how I read it. - Bummed out
    • I think you're absolutely right, that they want India NM - jen
    • I like that post! - NorCalMT
      • Years ago I heard a quote I loved: - Bummed out
  • Did you read the *FAQ* that came out? - NorCalMT
    • Exactly what they told us at Acusis. - What that meant was big pay cuts. nm
      • Not exactly what Acusis told us - ExAcusisMT
        • Do you remember the bull about their new - software? How we'd most likely - sm
          • That's why I'm an Ex-Acusis - ExAcusisMT
            • Everything you describe in your first paragraph - sm
    • Some thoughts on the updated FAQ - Nancy Brodie
      • Time to join forces - US-onlyMT
      • shift differential - sm
        • But that sounds to me like - Bummed out
      • I'm telling you, this sounds like - jen
    • Does that mean you guys lose benefits? - AnnuderMT
      • AnnuderMT - fatcat
    • honestly, no I didn't read. Pretty sure I'm quitting NM - jen
      • sorry, there is a message in above reply NM - jen

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I'm posting on this board and will also post on the company board.  But those of you who have been ripped off by Jayne Mattingly from TSI (Illinois) may have received an email stating she would send us the contact info of her 'partner' who 'seized' the acct.  Well, don't bother calling the phone number of the 'partner' as it has been disconnected.  Weird huh.  Also, it's not a partner..its her attorney who is just going to fool around some more and never pay us.  You could email her and ask for the correct one, but good luck with that.  I saw a post about contacting the attorney general (yeah, apparently other people dont get paid) and I plan on looking into that more and will let you know what i find out.  Also, if you are interested the local newspaper is Herald and Review.  Might be an interesting story for them....would love to read the story "Local Businesswoman Pockets $1,000s from a Government Contract and Never Paid the People Doing the Work"  I sent a quick note...would probably help if others did.

Hi -

First time ever on this board and I've been an MT for 15 years.  Worked for Healthscribe before Spheris took over (3 years) and now work for another company...but looking elsewhere.  Can anyone give me their honest opinions about CyMed?  I just tested with them, extremely easy to me, but I HATE changing job.  However, job I have now....isn't paying the bills at all, waiting for work constantly, they are going to start off-shoring, etc.  I'm single, have 1 child, lost a great job last year working by the hour (outside of home), but lost the job (don't even ask). I loved it, but got screwed. Now I'm just depressed, disgusted, broke, etc., and very stressed and worried. I'm going to have to get out of transcription or something.  This just isn't working and I seriously would appreciate any good or bad.   I talked to a man there for over an hour yesterday.  He was extremely patient and took his time explaining everything I asked. 

Thanks in advance everyone!   

I am thinking about taking their online test,but in the past, many MTs complained about them.  Are their current Breitner MTs willing to share any information regarding them. 

Thanks in advance.

Archives only go back as September 2005, I believe.  Thanks

Unexpectedly this morning, I received a recruiting email from them.  I have sort of been going over some of the companies and comtemplating making a change.  I have 5+ years in my current company, and the only real thing I am looking to change is: (1) Better pay by the line; (2) Getting my weekends and holidays back to spend with my family.  I currently work EVERY Saturday.  Don't really mind it, but would like to be able to make plans and perhaps rotating weekends would even be okay. 

I was just wondering if anyone can give me any updated insight into this company. I did a search, but the threads are several months old, and was wondering perhaps if things were any different than those posts read.

I have a lot of experience in transcription, upwards of 16 years, with probably only half of that being in acute care.  Other important things to consider in my search is benefits.  The health insurance at my current company is very expensive. 

Thanks for any input guys! I appreciate it.

Okay, I am a newbie and I have taken a leap of faith to go with TRS, I have been on and off this board and see that there are some wonderful AND experienced MTs on here.  Any info you can give me on what you know about this company would be great!  I am a military spouse and we have recently gone from a two income house to a one, we just spent 5 years in Germany and we bring back a 2 yr old, a 1 year old and one on the way :)  Because of this I decided to go down the MT road for a second income to be able to stay at home.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!!  I am really just wanting to know I am going in the right direction.  I know there are plenty of 'better' companies out there, but I need to get my feet wet before they will touch me.

All comments are welcome!!!  Thank you for your time!!

V/r

Michelle

This week I was offered a job with KS on a new hem/onc account starting soon, which will use the Allscripts platform.  I actually did accept their offer, but after doing so, I am having second thoughts.  The company I am working for now has been very nice to me, but the hem/onc account I am on is a very difficult one with a lot of different dictators.  The new account for KS would not have half as many dictators.  The cpl rates are very close, but I am not sure I want to go through all that new stuff of learning a new platform, new dictators, etc. Has anyone else out there ever decided to stay with the company they are with even though the new account being offered would be much easier.

Would like to get some opinions regarding this.  Has anyone else decided to stay with their present national and not take the new job offer?  TIA

I posted a message on 11/17 regarding having second thoughts about going to work for KS.  If you did not see that message, would you please read it and tell me what your thoughts might be.  I need more feedback before making my decision.

Your opinion is appreciated.  Thanks.

I have accepted a position at TT.  Now I am having second thoughts about leaving MQ.  I was so impressed by all the wonderful TT talk a few weeks ago, plus at the time being miserable at MQ so I applied.  Now my MQ work is getting better and now reading this post, I am getting nervous.  Worried about working 8 hours a day on the weekend, plus what if the work is worse than at MQ??? I am just getting nervous about the change, I hate change.   Just needing to vent, thanks.

Don't listen to the bipolar people on this board.  I swear ... one day everyone is praising TT ... next day bashing them.  These people are on a constant hormonal pendulum or something.  I have been at TT for 2 months now.  Aside from the insurance going up (and I'm willing to wait this out), I have been thrilled with TT and love the account I am on. 

Is TT having a few communication issues the moment ... perhaps.  They are growing very, very fast (sometimes you have to take the big accounts when you can get 'em).  They are great people to work for.  This will all even out ... they just need a little time and patience. 

People are crazy on this board.  One bad day and they want to throw it all away.  That is just not how life works.  It is like they are looking for an excuse to walk out the door ... anything.  Like the MT who totally misread an e-mail about when to page after hours.  She didn't even read it thoroughly (or correctly) and she is on here blasting TT left and right saying she is quitting. 

People act like they will just leave a job, start another tomorrow, and life will be dandy.  Changing jobs is stressful, and there is always somewhat of a loss initially whether it is PTO, waiting for insurance, or just taking time to learn a new account, creating normals, learning the names of the referring docs in the area, learning city names, etc.  This all takes time (which means money for us). 

These people who have a few e-mails that go unanswered or don't get answered as quickly as they should need to realize the GROWTH TT is experiencing, which is a good thing.  Have a little patience or bring your concerns to your supervisor. 

TT is an excellent choice.  I hope you enjoy your new position.  I certainly have. 

Say I'm happy at my job.  I come across someone asking questions about my company in general, so I take a quick minute to answer.  That person emails me privately, asking a zillion questions.  I try to answer their questions to the best of my knowledge, rooting through my manuals for answers, looking up my production figures, etc.  This takes me a good long while to answer all their questions thoroughly, and throw in a few extra facts that I think of in the process, trying to present an accurate view of the company, pros and cons.  I know my company is offering a $500 bonus for me AND anyone I recruit - so we both get a bonus if they mention my name.

You're saying I should not mention that bonus?  I should take time out of my busy schedule to help a stranger, and then I'll get accused of greed if I mention we can both profit from our correspondence?  Wow, that's gratitude! I guess I'll just ignore any private emails from now on and refuse to help anyone.

I've been in this industry for 20+ years.  What I have seen is a lot of fudging around from other companies about how they interpreted AHDI's old guidelines on what constituted a line. This has led to tremendous disservice to the MTs who are working on production. It's also made it hard for ethical companies to compete with the big guys who have looked for loopholes in the previous line definition (read up on the class action lawsuits against one of the largest MT employers if you aren't aware of this). So I think Jay is on the right path in doing this to keep the company competitive with the others that aren't as ethical and to get ALL of the MT companies on the same page with regard to what a line is. There needs to be one standard. This needs to be absolutely clear in contracts among MTs, hospitals, and the MTSOs out there, or the MTs and the good companies will suffer.

M-TEC is a great school. Their graduates have been awesome. A partnership with them will be a good thing, I think. I can't think of any way in which it won't. Current employees don't lose their jobs. Now the best students don't have to start with some of the sweatshop mentality companies out there like some of us old timers did just to get a foot in the door. Remember those times?

No, I'm not in management. I'm in QA with Webmedx. There is no perfect company, but this has come as close as I've ever seen any MT company. This one has gotten better over the years as they've hired new management and replaced some old. I have been in admin with other companies, and I have seen a whole lot of dirty dealings. I'm not seeing that at Webmedx. I don't get to see everything admin does, of course, being in QA, but I do see some things. What I can say is they're functioning much differently and more ethically and honestly than any other MT company I've ever worked for. The culture is different. There's no feeling from management that they're out to take advantage of the MT.

There are things they can improve on, of course, but I truly think this is as good as it gets in the MT field, and you don't even want to know how many MT jobs (IC and employee) I've had to compare it with (too many!). Too many of us can relate to having the long list of employers. We had to do it because we had to keep rooves over our heads, and we only barely did that with the way they took advantage of us.

I think this company is doing the right things and heading in the right direction.

I'm retired now partly because of all the changes that are taking place in the industry.  I did MT for a very long time and I still care about the MTs who are working.  My feeling is that it isn't so much the off-shoring anymore.  My  understanding is that some of the better schools have an apprentice program for their graduates.  I think that they are using the new grads who will work for less money.  Same thing as nurses being replaced by new grads who will work for less.  I know one MT company  has actually bought one of the schools.  Experience is no longer an asset.  Most likely it's going to get worse.  One thing is certain, there is no longer a shortage of medical transcriptionists.

Gourdpainter (so glad to see you here; missed you)!

I absolutely agree with your post.  I have been a MT since 1981, beginning in an orthopedic clinic and in 1984 working as a Pathology MT since then.  I currently work for one of the largest HMO's in the US (starts with a K); and the MT's here are being phased out by voice recognition.  The union who is supposed to represent us has been sleeping with management who decided that 'we make too much money' - our contract is up in 2009.  To show how much they care, as far as severence pay; for example for an employee who has worked over 20 years they would get 30 days severance; less than that (i have been at this particular company since 1999), I would get 2 weeks severance.  Crappy. This industry is so crooked and would no more care about our experience, quality of work or dedication than they would a stranger on the street.  You are absolutely right that many of these hospitals/clinics are hiring new grads because they know they can pay them less.  At times I feel as if I work in a sweat shop and it's a sad state of affairs.  I still have a job (and I am thankful) but at any time the other shoe is going to drop and we will be out the door.  The union has 'promised' to find us other positions but I am not holding my breath.  That is why I have decided, at the age of 51, to become an x-ray tech.  It is a two year program but it will be two years that I have invested to have a better chance at staying employed as opposed to the way us MT's have been treated.  It's sad because I love what I do yet I know that I gotta get a move on and bolster my education some more.  I truly pray for all of us, not just us MT's but all of us in this country because we have to help one another if we are going to survive not only this deprecession all else that comes with.