When I worked in-house, we were part of the SEIU, but that included even nurses. SM
Posted By: MeToo on 2008-06-01
In Reply to: Unionizing - JustMe
After I had quit, I heard they decided to go with the UAW.
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- Unionizing - JustMe
- AAMT.... - where did that loyalty go?????sm
- When I worked in-house, we were part of the SEIU, but that included even nurses. SM - MeToo
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I worked on production in-house
and the base pay was 9 cpl. No differential, no OT pay. They did offer a very nice incentive plan where you could make as much as 10.5 cpl but I soon became aware that only the favorites got that. We did have to have a set schedule and most of us except a chosen few had to stick to it. We could work as much OT as we wanted. At this MTSO I work for, the base pay is only 8 cpl but we do get differential for odd hours and OT pay when available. They do have an incentive as well and I feel like they are fair with it. You do your work, you get it. There is no well....you took off a day, but there was a holiday.... I saw you walking the halls blah blah blah. I am a social flop but my new boss at this MTSO doesn't know that like my hospital boss did. She does not know that I drive a 15-year-old car, who my friends are, my I live in a cramped, cluttered house and that my clothes don't match. She just knows what I bring to the table as far as transcription goes. In my book, it makes a better work atmosphere. But again, that is just my experience.
Our supervisor when I worked in-house did it for fun
It was MT week and it was one of the games we had with a prize for who scored the fastest. It was some program she borrowed from HR that they gave to clerical staff as a basic typing test from hard copy, so that made it even more challenging, lol! The program automatically freezes up at the end of the time and calculates your score and errors. I netted out at 135/0 but second place was right behind me at 128/1, I believe. It was fun.
That happened to me at the first place I worked in house. -sm
I had to call them after a month of waiting for my last paycheck. They said they were waiting for me to come down and get it. Can you believe that? They finally put it in the mail.
I never, ever heard of such a thing, even when I worked in-house.
nm
When I worked in-house I was paid by the hour....
only had to maintain 135 lph...but I never heard of anyone who was reprimanded for not maintaining that. The nice thing was the hourly pay (between $13 and $17 an hour) whether there was work or not, PTO, etc. Had work 98% of the time and if not we could go down to medical records and help out or go home early.
Regarding cookbook - years ago when I worked in house (sm)
Our volunteer auxillary put one together for us from recipes we had contributed. They did it for 3 years and at first I didn't think much of it few of the recipes were ones I wanted to try. But over the years a couple of those co-workers are no longer with us and looking back over these books and the recipes they submitted sometimes gives me a moment to pause and put things into perspective.
I will print mine out and over time perhaps I will get to know some of my co-workers who contributed to this one as well.
Don't get me wrong, I would have been excited to get a bonus or a special little surprise, but this in its own way probably promotes more of a feeling of family among us.
Feeling mushy, gushy today I guess.
Have Happy Holidays.
I worked briefly (emphasis on brief) for a company once who gave in-house sm
employees more benefits than the people at home, stating that working at home was a benefit in and of itself, and, unfortunately, those needing to work at home because of family or other reasons apparently bought into it. And yes, somewhere along the way, a lot of people have seen medical transcription at home as a bunch of mommies sitting in their jammies, bouncing babies on their knees. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but I think that is sometimes why they feel free to pay low wages, give little or no benefits, etc. They view it as mommy making pin money or whatever. For most of us, obviously, that is not the case. The women I know who work at home and have children are every bit as professional as someone you'd find in an office.
I pointed out to this company that by working at home instead of in their office, I saved them the money for office space and the need to provide equipment, office furniture, resource materials, etc., and I didn't understand how that added up to me getting LESS benefits than those in-house. Needless to say, I did not stay long.
I do not have children. I work at home simply because I can make more money beign paid by the line than being paid by the hour, which is what is offered for in-house positions where I live. When my mom began having health problems a few years ago, it was a blessing as I was able to flex my time and be there for her when she needed me, so I fully understand how much moms appreciate having the flexibility to be there for their families. It is sad in general how much the pay scale and benefits have gone down for the profession over the years. I made more 15 years ago than I make today, but then again there was not the competition from overseas, voice recognition, etc. back then. I guess everything changes and all we can do is try to adapt.
As I am writing this, I realize I probably got way off topic. Guess I should get ready for my shift and burn off some of this energy. Hope everyone has a happy productive day. Remember, we're all on the same side.
Contact SEIU in your area
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has a large healthcare component. Contact a local in your area (you can find it by checking the SEIU website). Many of us on this board work for large (or not so large) nationals. Explain to the PR person/organizer that you work at home and don't know any of your coworkers or where specifically they are but that you are interested in forming a union. Then listen very carefully to what this person tells you. I think it will answer your questions.
Do you work in-house here? I applied last August & was told in-house only and they weren't
s
nurses in offices
You can get a job as a nurse in a doctor's office. That is M-F, 9-5. You can also get a job as a home health nurse or a nurse at a large business or a school. There are lots of options besides hospitals with their graveyard shifts.
I think nursing is good job security. The job ads in our local paper are really drying up *except* ads for nurses.
DUH, I worked for Healthscribe before it became part of Spheris.nm
I worked there part-time for awhile. sm
IC status, pay definitely on the low side, but I did clinic work and it was fairly easy with easy dictators. They pay weekly and always on time. Great people to work with.
I've worked for MDI-MD very part time for many yrs
No, I've never gotten a Christmas bonus. But they still are hands down the best company I have ever worked for and their gift to me is being a company that pays well every day. I'd rather have that than a company that pays me 8 cpl and sends me a $50 Christmas gift. The only reason I work for them very part time is that I have my own accounts in addition to working for MDI. Someday when I'm older and more tired, I will give up my own accounts and work for MDI alone.
I only worked there briefly, and I was part-time, but the pay was so-so, sm
and you had to work there 90 days before you could have direct deposit. However, the paper checks were always on time. The lead on my account was great, as was everyone I dealt with. The platform used was ExText, although I do not know if they use that for all accounts. The help desk is apparently in India or somewhere, and communication must not be so great as I have been gone for several months and I still get calls to help out on one of the accounts. Good luck!
Anyone else lucky enough to have all nurses dictate for doctors?
I just started a new account and can hardly believe my good fortune--all nonESL nurses dictating for the doctors for a specialty clinic. What a joy after the last account I had!
I worked for them briefly on a part-time basis. sm
The people are absolutely GREAT, and the account I had was not difficult. I thought their platform was a bit cumbersome and I could not import my abbreviations into their expander, so my line count took a hit. They paid better than some, though, at 9-1/2 cpl.
Good luck.
Tired of hearing that nurses work holidays because...sm
Nurse's in my area start pay at $63,000 per year. How many pennies a line do you making typing on Christmas Day?
One year I was forced to work on Thanksgiving and I sat there with no work. My family was in another town making memories and enriching their lives while I made 8 cents a line with no lines to type.
You are not a nurse and neither am I.
I work for MDI-MD and have worked part-time for Cobb in the past. sm
It has been about 3 years or so since I worked for Cobb Transcription in Georgia (very nice woman, by the way), so my info may be old, but I'll try to help.
Good dictation quality?
Yes for both MDI-MD and Cobb
Steady work?
MDI: For the most part, yes. There have been a few times, but you usually have enough secondary and tertiary accounts to make it through the dry times.
Cobb: I was doing clinic work -- do not recall any times without work.
What are the work types?
MDI-MD has a few radiology and clinic accounts (I think), but probably the majority of the accounts are acute care.
Cobb may have hospital accounts, but all I did with them was clinic work.
Good platform?
MDI uses Bayscribe -- very easy to use.
Cobb used Word.
Pay rate?
MDI pays better than any other company I have encountered.
Cobb's pay rate is kinda low, as I recall, and it was based on being paid by the character.
Paid for 65 cpl with spaces?
Yes for MDI ... as I mentioned above, Cobb paid by the character.
Do you have a flexible schedule?
Yes to both. MDI gives you a 24-hour turnaround time to do your work, and I think the same was true with Cobb.
Weekend work mandatory?
MDI: You are asked to work 2 weekends a month, I think. I pretty much work every weekend, so not sure about the official rules.
Cobb: No.
Employee or IC?
MDI: Statutory employee (they take out FICA, nothing else, so you do not have to pay self-employment tax)
Cobb: Was IC only
Benefits?
No for both
Low or high volume ESLs?
Probably vaies with the account -- probably average with MDI.
I don't recall any ESLs at Cobb.
Dedicated accounts with the same doctors?
MDI: You have a primary account and usually a secondary account -- pretty much the same docs.
Cobb: Yes.
Dialup accepted?
Yes to both, as far as I know. I have had cable so long, I do not recall.
Good luck with your job search. Hope this helps. If you have an offer from MDI, I'd take it -- it is a great place to work!
I worked part-time for Webmedx and I work FT for TransTech. sm
My vote would be for TransTech, although Webmedx is not bad. Since I was only part-time, I did not receive any benefits, but from what I recall, they did seem to have a nice benefit package. My main complaint was that I just never could get my lines per hour up to where they have been at other companies. Normally, I average around 300 lines per hour, but even with totally focusing and typing as fast as I could, I never could get past 250-260 lines per hour at Webmedx. Their incentive pay is based on lines per hour that you type, not total lines per pay period, so it did make a difference in my pay. I also did not like the fact that I had to use their computer. I like using my own computer, and also like the flexibility of being able to load the program on my laptop so if I have to be away from home, I can still work if I need to.
I have seen negative posts about TT, but I have no complaints with them. My line counts are fair. The people in management are absolutely some of the most caring people I have ever met. The work generally is plentiful, and I have a backup account. The incentive tiers are easy to attain, and the benefits are pretty good, I think, and not outlandishly priced.
Obviously, not every company is a good fit for everyone. I hope you find just exactly what is best for you -- good luck!
Does Transtech require one weekend day to be worked for part-timers? Thanks!
nm
The MTs joined the same union as the nurses' in a hospital in Washington State sm
I can't name the hospital for confidentiality reasons; however, they truly is their payscale and benefits.
Also, there are unions in California Hospitals also. Those MTs also joined the same union as the nurses. Go figure.
Also, these MTs are at home employees. No kidding!!
Honestly, do your homework and you will see that this is the truth. Some hospitals are willing to pay and have union workers.
I worked part-time for them VERY briefly. GEMMS system is cumbersome sm
and difficult and slow to work with, I thought. I love cardiology, but this was not a good experience. Perhaps others have had more positive expeiences with the company.
If you like cardiology, you might try Cardioscribes. I think they are a great company and the system is easy to use.
Good luck!
I worked there part-time briefly. People are very nice to deal with, sm
and pay was okay. You had to wait 90 days to get direct deposit, and until then checks were mailed, which is a bit of pain, but they were always on time. I didn't care that much for my account, but the leader was always quite helpful. They must be a bit disorganized, though, as I still get messages from the help desk to help out, and I have been gone at least 3 months! And the help desk is apparently in India, if that makes any difference to you.
BS! Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, & even cops rotate wkends! That's a poor
nm
I probably should have included the hospital...
...in the addressees. My point was that this penny-wise-pound-foolish approach to cost cutting is creating a monster, whether it's the client hospital or the MTSO making the decision to go VR. (I've never gotten through my skull how it's more cost-effective to send work offshore, that needs to be completely reconstructed by QA here.) I guess that once you have developed the software and installed the system VR works for free and cheaper editing labor would cost much less than having it transcribed by an MT in the first place. But at what additional cost? These reports end up in court as part of law suits. You would think a hospital would prefer to get it right rather than cheap, wouldn't you? But aren't these the same hospitals that cut nursing staff, then work the remaining nurses into the ground because overtime is cheaper than paying benefits for more employees? Maybe we just have to face that, like the buggy whip makers a century ago, our skills are no longer required.
Spaces included
I have been with Fast Chart over 2 years. They DO pay for spaces and the paperwork confirms it. They also compensate for headers. The Radiology and Acute Care pays the most, 9 cents I think. Most importantly they have work.
I think the template info should be included
My reasoning is that I believe part of the reason line counts are dropping is, due to automation with computers, expanders, etc., MTs are able to produce greater lines in less time than they were able to produce on typewriters. JMO (but I really don't think it's JMO, I think it's a fact).
Shorthand is included in their software, and yes you can sm
use the internet -- you have to be connected in order to do the work.
Hope this helps.
I once had a group practice client, which included ...sm
6 physicians. The most irritating one was the doc from India who had been in the U.S. for at least 15 years (I know this because I went to school with his children), and refused to even work on losing at least a small part of his accent. He was so ridiculous, and each time I typed his work, I said to myself I swear this guy purposely works at keeping his thick accent just to irritate me! Interestingly, 2 of his partners in the practice were ESL (had only been in the U.S. for 1-2 years), and their accent was much less severe. These were younger docs, who in my opinion, made an effort to get with the program if they want to practice medicine here! I do believe that people can actually make themselves hold onto their accents. I have a friend who is from the south (She has lived near me in the SE part of the country for 20 years) and she continues to have a strong southern accent. She has not lived in the south since she was a small child. I tease her about it.
I don't have a life insurance deduction .. $10,000 is included sm
in my health insurance premium, and since I am single, that is enough for me.
It would be nice if when looking for a new job that the line rate be included
I know I personally have applied to jobs only to find out in the interview that the line rate is ridiculous.
Yes they do; 65-character line, spaces included NM
ANY federal money - included Medicare and almost
I could be wrong, but I read it to mean ANY federal money which includes Medicare/Medicaid, and there are probably not too many hospitals, clinics, or private doctor's offices that do not have at least 1 Medicare/Medicaid patient. Seems to me they would not be too worried about all the listed countries for off-shoring if it was only VA, since there was already a big stink about off-shoring VA records. But then, as I said, I could be reading it wrong. I guess only time will tell.
They told me their cpl included spaces at hire but when I got the first check
My paycheck was 10% less than I billed, and when I told them I didn't get paid what I invoiced, they said they never pay for spaces and never have and never SAID they did ..... Liars. I had to stick with them after that because it was my only job at the time (but I definitely started looking for another company after that). THEN another time, their payroll girl went on vacation & they said we wouldn't get paid until she got BACK, about 10 days AFTER scheduled pay date!!  Paychecks were occasionally late, also. I would NEVER recommend them to anyone. Ever.
PS - pay based on 65-char line, SPACES INCLUDED. SM
Also paid for weekend work, 2nd and 3rd shift differential. Bonus plan based on production.
Word-based, expander included, easy to use...NM
NM
'Nother poster also wondering if spaces are included in that line pay?? nm
s
It means characters that are printed in black and white - no spaces included. nm
x
OH - I thought part transcription, part escription, but don't know for sure
nm
They no longer hire part-time and may be eliminating part-time employees within the next 6 months.
They are going to have those that are PT go FT if possible. Some accounts require 1 weekend day, but not all. Most transcriptionists have 1 account with 1 back-up account. I know that they are hiring for hospital accounts in medical records and radiology right now.
No PTO for part-time. Not sure if you can work part-time or not since recent rule change. sm
You do pay a deposit for their equipment.
There is a part-time and a flexible part-time, just left there and they offered
me both. Flexible, however, is more or less when they need you (I.e. weekends), part-time is fixed hours.
Then get an in-house job so there are no
your current position.
In house?
Just curious if that had at-home transcriptionists. Sorry, I dont know about their testing, but I had thought about applying there before also, so will watch this thread.
In-house
Never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I would love to get back into a hospital.
In-house only. sm
They listed the opening on MTjobs.com. Check there for info.
In-House
Yesss...and that is one of the reasons hospitals began outsourcing..
That's in-house only. Tried that already... nm
x
If you are in house, and they are (sm)
having trouble with the home people now, chances are excellent they will continue to have the problems when you go home until they get someone out to fix it. If all the home MT's are having trouble, then the clinic needs to get someone in to fix it. Maybe you might have more to say about that while you're there. Once you go home, you're stuck like everyone else.
im a in-house MT, BUT
I might sound sneaky and dishonest, but I really think that whether you're an IC or employee, they have no say. Unless it's in the contract. But then again, I really don't think they can find out. I also work for a private office consisting of 4 docs who also dictate for the hospital. That friend whom I mentioned who used to work for a vendor AND our hospitals--she now has her own business and I work under her also as an IC in the clinic setting. Our boss doesn't know this because the 4 docs I type for also dictate for 1 of our hospitals. I fear the conflict interest issue. I make $22 by the actual hour plus incentive for the hospital, but as a single parent, I need more than that. I really don't know if I could get in trouble because during my IC shift, I'm not typing for the hospital.
Good luck, I know where you're coming from as far as really wanting just 1 job but needing to live, pay bills, and eat.
in-house
I left MQ after 20+ years to go in-house. I assumed I'd take a pay cut, but because of all the changes at MQ and constant lowering of pay, I decided I'd trade the money for some security. I was totally surprised that because of my experience, I started at more than $20.00 an hour, plus shift/weekend/holiday differentials and great benefits. I did have to change my schedule slightly (working afternoons/evenings) but again the differential comes into play so made it worthwhile. Only work 1 weekend a month, no holidays (unless I want to) and the pay is hourly, no production, no worries about NJA. The future of making a living with the MTSOs seems to be more and more uncertain so in your shoes, I'd definitely look into going back in-house. Also my employer now sends their MTs home to work after training and I think a lot of other hospitals are looking at doing the same thing. I know it will be an adjustment for you not working at home, but I've never regretted it for a moment.
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