Usually MANY battles, both large and small,
Posted By: must be fought before a war is ever won. on 2009-03-14
In Reply to: Battle was fought and lost years ago. nm - too late
Food for thought.
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Doesn't matter. Large or small, they know
They know what it takes to live on in this country. They know because they're making sure THEY'RE making that. And too bad for everybody under them - that's their problem. They didn't have the guts to stand their ground when hospitals started wanting cut-rate transcription. Instead of running to India and Pakistan for cheap labor, and trying to turn American MT's into poorly paid proofreaders, they COULD have lobbied to keep the work in the US by pointing out the liabilities of sending sensitive documents offshore to be processed. If that hole in the dam had been plugged early, while it was small, the hospitals would have had no choice but to pay what medical transcription was WORTH. But nooooooo ---- it was easier to just 'go with the flow', and cheat the MTs who actually produce what it is they're getting paid for, instead.
The one thing that NOBODY ever discusses, while all this uncertainty is bouncing around in our country, is:
WHY NOT CUT BACK ON MANAGEMENT?!
Most companies have far too much highly-paid management, and whenever they want to 'trim the fat', they end up trimming the lean, instead, by cutting out the workforce that produces their product. Of COURSE the auto industry doesn't want to pay it's workers more money. They'd rather give it to all the CEOs who've been so busy, not running a competitive and improving company, but who were getting paid under the table by the oil companies to continue producing cars that burn their petroleum products, even though they knew that someday, that ride would be over.
The union worker didn't drive those companies into the ground, CORPORATE GREED did it. And so now they've been 'bailed out'. How very nice for them. If fewer and fewer people in the country have the money to buy cars at ALL, we may have already reached a point where it doesn't matter WHAT they build - they still may not be able to sell them. So don't be surprized if they end up going under regardless. And who pays the bill? WE do.
'Merry Christmas'? On an MT's wages? Not here. I didn't buy a single one this year. And to spare me the guilt about that, I asked my family leave me out of the gift-exchange. Thank god the price of gas went down a bit recently. Even if temporarily. Then maybe I can use my car for transportation for just a little bit longer, and not have to turn it into an expensive planter, or veggie garden, or something.
There's something very wrong with a business that wants experienced, educated, WHITE-COLLAR workers (we are NOT day-laborers, remember?), and thinks they can get that for 6 cpl. Or even 10 cpl. Those are 1970s wages. It's almost 2009, and after 10-30+ years of hard work, what do most of us have to show for it? Why should this profession pay any less than a paralegal, or a court reporter? Or an architect or a video game designer? (And some of those can work at home too.) I don't believe for 1 minute that just because my computer is in my home, I should be getting paid less than someone who is inhouse. The work is the same.
Actually, it's harder. Instead of an account with 8 doctors with no accents, I now have roughly 250-300 different doctors, 50% of which have thick accents. It doesnt bother me. I can do the work. But please, someone PAY ME what that knowledge is worth, don't insult me and MTs everywhere with what you're currently paying.
TransTech and Medware, are these companies considered large, medium-sized or small companies? (sm)
TIA
If I were the company, I'd pick my battles more carefully.
And better still, I'd try harder avoid the conflict by treating my employees like human beings. Happy, well-compensated employees are less likely to post negative comments than unhappy ones who feel wronged or cheated.
I don't think you can have it both ways. You can't continually kick your workers around, and then expect them to keep on licking your hand. Sooner or later, they're gonna bite.
I can't tell you, sorry, but it is a LARGE one.
,
large comp
I agree.
They have taken on several new large accounts over
the past several months.
been with 2 large nationals; will never do that again.
Much better with the smaller companies.
I have 22 employees, which is not large, but had to do the same. sm
Our state unemployment division did an audit on me and determined that the ICs are actually employees. I had to pay unemployment on everyone who works for me or who did work for me back 5 years to present and make them all employees. I had to pay fines and penalties too.
The IRS has their list of 20 checklist items but the states can have a few of their own and they have the right to enforce them.
One from our state (Missouri) states that if you perform the same type of duties as employees at the company, even if you fit the 20 items from the IRS, you are an employee.
I appealed the decision and lost. It cost me $5000 for a lawyer but still have to pay the $218,000 to them (the total with the fees, penalties, interest and payments that should have been made). It is going to force me to close our doors.
If it is a large account
your email may be one of nearly 20+ she gets per day. When you are a lead you are getting many calls and emails daily. Address the issue with the head and go over his/her head if things don't improve.
these were supposedly large sm
companies that have been around awhile. I am hearing a lot of MTs going through the same thing. Its getting ridiculous!
It is hard to get a large
group of doctors at a hospital to ALL do VR and their own editing. Smaller clinics are more likely to completely do away with MTs, as they are more inclined to do their own editing; plus doctors in clinics do not go into as much detail as hospital dictators. Clinics usually stick to a fairly standard normal template, whereas doctors in hospitals dictate all kinds of ways...That is what I have seen..
I have found that large places
like hospitals, banks, insurance companies offer the best benefit packages to part-timers. In fact I once worked 10 hours a week at a bank just for the benefits package. PT MT at home with benefits, however, I don't think you will find. It's hard enough finding FT with benefits and the premium isn't $800 a month.
Yes, 2 large hospitals. Both accounts out. nm
nm
When I worked for a large national, they
had a gal from New York using a steno machine. She consistently turned out over 20,000 lines every 2 weeks/pay period. So if you know the steno machine, you can make megabucks in transcription. She always won awards at this biggest national.
The accounts are so large you get them some days
and other days none. I too have had days when that seems like all I get. Sometimes I will go 3 months before I get the same doctor. She should have asked them to route her a variety that day or try another account. There really is a break in period with any new account but Transtech really is the best company out there and they are willing to work with their MTs.
Um, not exactly - some of the VERY LARGE companies do the same thing!
Trust me. lol
I do a large number of ESLs and usually
don't have issues, but when I worked at SS their ESL dictators on at least 1 account were horrendous. They were bad dictators on top of the sound quality being the worst I've encountered in my 20 years of MTing. Management was a joke and you couldn't believe a word the CEO told you. I worked in QA and the quality of the transcription was very bad. Someone asked me if the work was done in India and I said it may very well be because it was so bad that it pretty much had to be done over. I had some suggestions on how to better run things and was offered a management position to implement them, but I declined.
The reason there is a lot of work is because they can't keep MTs. I agree not all companies, not matter how good they are, are a good fit for all MTs, but if a company has constant turnover there has to be a reason for it. I work because I need the money and I don't see any reason to waste my time going with a company that has the reputation that SS does. There have been a handful of MTs who despite all the negatives about SS decided to accept positions. A couple of MTs have come back about a month layer apologizing for not believing us and said everything we said was true.
I would not refer my worst enemy to this company.
Would anyone work for a large national co, with a
I use the company provided computer. They had a change in computers and I was sent a new one. Since that time, the foot pedal provided has not worked. I can hear reports, but I cannot backup or move ahead using the pedal. To hear something again, I have to bang my foot on the pedal. To move ahead forward or go backward for any length, I must go to playback page and manually move the cursor to where I need to be.
I have put up with this for five years. Yes, that is right, FIVE YEARS!!!! I have called our so-called Help Desk numerous times and I have been sent two more pedals, neither of which work, or, rather, work the same as the original pedal. I have asked for help from countless people. The Help Desk states I am the only one having the problem. The supervisor says I am the only one having the problem. I know one other person on my team who is also having having the problem, but we are too ashamed to really raise heck. I am disgusted.
By the way, it is the most commonly used foot pedal. Even their ad states it works with any computer. I just had to vent.
Large nationals don't like radiology because of TAT
xx
I was offered a very large rate of pay, so you
z
I know they just got a large hospital account near me.
xx
They have recently gotten a very large account. Probably
xx
Large deductible and everything out of pocket.
xx
A REALLY large system with several hospitals. nm
Is this a large hospital with MANY Hispanic
dictators, probably over 75%? I heard they only had 1 account on DQS, a new one they picked up in August. I am working on that account and would love to switch.
It's a large company, Passing, SM
offering a variety of opportunities and mixed experiences. Different platforms, different managers, and different accounts all over the country. Transcend kept me happy with lots of good work for a long time before my account went offshore without notice. I was then switched to another very good and interesting account, where the way the lines were counted was adjusted down again without notice (by the same account manager). If that hadn't happened, I'd be there still, and I have no doubt that the many people who say it's a great company are honestly reflecting their own experiences.
Knowing what I do, if I were you I'd go ahead with the training but, as with any company, be firm up front that as a pro you expect to be assigned to good accounts with lots of work. Then call on them immediately (first 2 days) to correct the situation if they are not, and mean it. I've never been in MT personnel, but I imagine they hire a lot of people who don't pan out, engendering an attitude that adversely affects the way many others are treated before they have a chance to prove themselves. If they allow it. Best wishes.
All the large companies do the same thing.
I don't work for WMX. I'm amazed this is the first anyone has heard. I suppose Webber Inc. keeps things quiet.
Really, don't get upset. Just business as usual.
And what large hospital did they lose? (nm)
.
As someone who has worked for many large companies, sm
I've seen this many times before. Companies downsize or streamline or whatever they want to call it OFTEN, especially management level positions. I wouldn't blow this out of proportion.
Anyone currently working for DSG know if they have a large turnover of MTs there and how is it
to work there at the present time. Just looking!
Yes it is, and ANY percentage is too large for my comfort
ANY percentage is too high. There's no excuse for it except profits for greedy American MTSOs.
There are literally HUNDREDS of US MTs more than willing to work these odd hours that Transcend and others claim they are 'forced' to offshore because they cannot get sufficient help here.
I strongly disagree. In fact, I disgree just short to calling it out as being a bald-faced LIE.
The purpose is nothing more to increase profits for the powers that be, while all of the time hammering down the pay of the American MT.
I hope I am not alone in my stand on this. I would rather somewhere else for less money who DOES NOT offshore and who respects their MTs. Respect is something MDI-MD obviously chose to cast aside when they began negotiating their moneymaking deal while we starved, lost sleep, wondered how we would pay our bills, and yet STILL tried to be loyal to these yahoos.
Nope, not happy and checking out before my work goes to India.
I've worked too hard and am too advanced in my career to be a sitting duck.
Unless she can provide large volumes of
eventually the big co's with their guerilla business tactics will stomp on her little business, too.
13.5 to 20 cents is a large difference to pay. Naturally MQ would get 20.
Something told me that they got just as much as they used to and this shows they do. I hope all the smaller MTSOs would stop lowering their rates based on what they **think** are going down. If MQ can get 20, so can they.
Does anyone know of any large billing agencies that are for sale?
If you are aware of a large ($1million + annual revenue) medical billing/transcription agency/company that is for sale. Please reply here or email me.
Is there a large cost associated with the Sten-Tel system? Thanks. nm
x
So all MTs that work for a large service are bad MTs compared to those sm
that work for a smaller company? That could not be further from the truth. Some of the larger companies can attract better MTs with benefits, higher pay, etc than a smaller company ever can.
I think it depends on the MTs, not the service, as to the quality of the work.
I work for one of the companies the OP mentioned and the QA standards are MUCH more strict than smaller companies I have worked for in the past.
Had someone tell me they do a teaching hospital with them, if you like large accts. Might want to
s
I make more than that working for large National, which SM
provides all equipment. I do not have to pay for long distance. I have benefits, paid time off, health insurance and a wonderful supervisor.
I am really glad you posted. I haven't felt this satisfied with my company for a long time. Now I know why I am still working for them.
And by the way, if you expect your MTs to paid 8 cpl and pay for their own LD, they must be starving and/or homeless.
Wow, the poor man. No, bud uses an enlarger program & very large
s
All large co's are off-shoring and no one appreciates people with
xx
Did you get the note from Debby? New large account (sm)
coming on in stages.
Lost job to outsourcing through a large hospital
Just found out my job is over at the end of August. Have worked for MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, ND, for 2 years and they decided to outsource everything. Any great ideas for me?
On accounts they are losing, one isn't a large hospital in LA? (sm
I figured if they ever lost this one we would be notified in advance. (or at least hoped) This one they got when they bought YOG out, large, large facility. E-mail if you wish.
Transtech losing large account
Anyone know where it's going?
Which large account? Initials or location? nm
x
Transtech losing large account
I'm scared to say. But big.
Transtech losing large account
No, it's a chain of clinics.
Transtech losing large account
I think if you haven't been notified already, then it's not your account. You're safe.
OMG, get a grip. Just talked to ofc. It is NOT a large acct first of all
and secondly it's not even a hospital. For those of you who must know, initials are TO and it's in Texas. It is apparently going to an offshore service to save a buck or two. Do you really want to deal with a practice that would do that? Further, they have already replaced it with not one but two new accts that I can choose from, so there is no need to get bent out of shape like this. Please.
They may be hiring for a large ESL account still. Great
company. They provide all equipment/software. Pay for downtime. QA pretty strict, just maintain minimum score of 98.5, 1200 lpd/12,000 per pay period. DD, on-time. Insurance starts the first day of the month after you start, very reasonable premiums.
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!
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