Anyone read Letter to Editor in ADVANCE see message
Posted By: Kathy Strykk on 2007-03-12
In Reply to:
February 26, 2007 issue? Two letters regarding MT and AAMT.
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Letter to Editor-Advance
I will write a letter...
Advance magazine? Anyone notice the letter to the editor?
It's on page 5 entitled Does Walmart or Home Depot pay better?......Gee, I wonder what company this person is talking about? Okay, which one of you sent this in? hahaha!
Well, while everything the writer of this letter says is true about the company, I think we all know most of us make a bit more than 8 to 10 bux an hour. For myself, it's about twice that. If I really were only making that for what I'm doing, I WOULD head over the the Walmart or Target. I would NOT do this for 10 bux an hour NO WAY in HE double toothpicks!
Idea in letter to Editor in Advance magazine (sm)
Just last night I read a letter in the Advance for Health Information Professionals from a former MR who is now a cancer registrar and loves it. I had looked into that myself a few years ago, although I chose to stay with MT. At the time there were on-line courses through community colleges.
What about coding? I have a friend who works now for a local hospital at home doing ambulatory coding.
Just some thoughts.
BTW, the letter to Advance can probably be found on-line at advanceweb.com/him. It's the Nov 5 issue.
There was an excellent letter to the editor in Advance Magazine last month sm
that spelled how why, but here are some of my reasons:
1. In all their years in existence, the AAMT has yet to make life easier for the AMERICAN MT. In fact, the state of MT in this country is worse than I have seen it in a very long time.
2. The AAMT chose to align themselves with MTIA whose board of directors is largely composed of Indians. They also support offshoring and have adopted the motto "work smarter" which to them means pay hundreds of dollars for a CMT that most companies will not even acknowledge and then hundreds more dollars to join AAMT yearly to get their crappy publications.
3. They are now certifying offshore MTs. Yes, nothing like opening the cover of the AMERICAN Association for Medical Transcription and seeing the names of the Indians who have received their CMT.
4. I get less pay than I did 20 years ago and offshoring is the main reason. So pardon me if I am a little testy that I just paid so much money to an organization who stabbed me in the back.
5. I certainly think they SHOULD change their name to something else. How about the I SOLD THE AMERICAN MT DOWN THE RIVER ASSOCIATION FOR MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION. Bitter? You bet. Gosh, they made so many promises and all they did was take our money for a piece of paper rarely recognized by anyone at the same time extending a hand to the reason I am making less money than I did 20 years ago!
6. It's a bloated association full of lots of people who "do things." Everything except stick up for the American MT.
7. Oh yes, and the BOS is ridiculous.
don't cancel ADVANCE subscriptions - just send an email or letter
detailing how disgusted you are with the fact that they are promoting offshore training and offshoring transcription. This is the third article on this sort of topic that the magazine has done in a year.
I find this particularly offensive because so many hospitals/medical record departments get the magazine and if they see this, then companies like Spheris, CBay, Healthscribe, and others will be getting called to come do their transcription!
So please, don't cancel your subscription, just voice your opinion and comments. Thank you.
Sombeody actually wrote a really good letter to Advance a few issues back. sm
It was in the Jan. 12, 2009, issue, letter to the Editor titled, "What Good is Change for MTs?" by Wendy Keller. She does attack AHDI in a very intelligently written letter.
May have missed that letter to editor (small msg)
Hm, I'll Google it and see if I can find it. Or, maybe I just missed it. I was due to renew membership and CMT in January, so may well have not received that one
A while back I suggested we all write a letter to the editor about this . sm
I did, and they declined to print it. Evidently it's not a big issue in the minds of some. Individually we can't do anything about it. Perhaps collectively. We need a petition to go to ALL senators and representatives from our respective states, and none of this "anonymous" stuff, either.
Another good idea is to write a letter to the editor...sm
of your local/state newspapers telling people what is happening with their medical records and the downside of them being sent to India. Most people have no clue.
Yes, I read that. Also, the letter is very interesting
If you do a Google search for Costa Brava Revetti, the first hit is a copy of the letter CB sent that the Forbes article refers to. I find it morbidly fascinating that Q is being chastised for its business practices once again.
THANK YOU SO MUCH .. Please read my message here
I really do appreciate your explanation and I can see exactly what you mean.
Out of absolute curiosity, I called my trainer and asked her about this "new SE pay plan".
She was quite candid, I thought, in her answer. She discussed the fact that MQ had felt they needed more SEs because it is cost-effective for the company (no benefits to pay). As they picked up more SEs, their employee base was starting to sag so they worked on a better benefits package for employees for better hiring and retention. She said while MQ realizes they need to have a higher percentage of employees (an employee can be "controlled" as far as hours and schedules, etc., according to the IRS), the SEs were leaving their spots to become employees b/c of the benefits being offered. So, they are trying to replenish and maintain a specific base of SEs. She said that MQ is still in the process of improving pay and benefits for employees and those changes will be rolling out as soon as they can be installed.
It does make sense to me.
Thank you so much for your reply. It is probably the most credible post regarding MQ I have ever read on this board.
A few ums??? did you read my message? LOL
I can handle a few ums, i have been a Transcriptionist for over 12 years, but 100 ums or uhs in 12 and a half lines of typing. Not to mention 8 minutes of dictation, just sitting there waiting and then what you get is um, uh . . ..um I was just venting!
Actually read your own message - sm
I hate MT, but I love the perks is what you say.
I know you are paid on production at 5 cpl and you said it was an editing/transcription combination. And yes, if you do not like your job you certainly are not goign to push yourself and that ellusive 250 to 300 lph will never be met and you will be getting closer to 150 to 200 lph.
If if the software program that is the problem, which you never mention in your initial post, then you need to look elsewhere and fnd that perfect fit. What company is it you work for? Maybe someone else can help with the glitch. I've had issues that were actually on my end which interferred with a specific platform and once I got it fixed, things were great, but in the meantime it sure was frustrating. In other words, it is not always the company's fault.
did yu read ur own message???sm
you don't GROW thc OIL in your backyard, and you don't GROW cocaine and heroine. How do you grow OIL?? I think you have been ingesting a little bit of something...maybe Xanax or Wellbutrin for your anxiety/depression?? legallized highs! keep'em drugged up and stupid! and fleece 'em for their cash! They will never know, much less care.
Thanks. I will read up on it! : ) No message.
:)
Did you READ the previous message
I was being sarcastic about being called a "typist". After all, isn't patient care enhanced by ACCURATE and COMPLETE medical records? I would like to think I contribute, albeit modestly, to a patient's care. Don't you ever ask to see your records and check them for accuracy? Couldn't an omission or error result in a problem down the line? It HAS happened!
I had to re-read your message. You are really a scammer, probably
.in min many subject areas......
No, re-read the message. I said less than $0.01 per WORD.
She needs to compare the amount she is paid ($5.75/1000 words is less than $0.01 per word) by computing a line (in this case the example given was 65-characters with spaces) times a line rate (example of $0.08/line). Comparing the two results will help her to decide if she is being paid enough.
MESSAGE TO ALL POSTERS - PLEASE READ
It is important that all posters (and those who just lurk around and read) understand that this board does not represent just one single view, opinion, perspective, posting style, topic, etc.
The board is for posting opinions for productive and information sharing, discussion, debate, etc.
EVERY OPINION IS ALLOWED. NO OPINION IS WRONG .. It is just an opinion! Our opinions reflect our beliefs. There may be opinions that are more popular or acceptable by society, by industries, by individuals or groups than others but all are allowed on this board.
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Every poster and reader here must exercise some personal restraint and tolerance toward others' opinions. You may have to step back and stop reading a bit, take a breath, determine not to reply to a post or otherwise. There is no reason why healthy debate cannot occur but it has to be civil and allow others' experiences and beliefs to be presented.
Stop attacking one another and stop trying to bully individual posters or opinions. This means trying to police others' posts for grammar, spelling. It also means to stop trying to personally address others' posting styles or personalities by calling them out.
If you have a problem with a post, report it. If a post bothers you, stop reading or reply and debate it but do it with respect.
This board is not moderated for niceness nor for a single opinion. It is here for everyone to present their ideas and beliefs and all are welcome - on every forum of MTStars.
If you have problems with a specific poster, send me the link and let's discuss it. I will not remove posts because they are simply not nice, etc. If you wonder why your post is removed, ask me.
Happy posting, everyone!
Moderator: Cher
MESSAGE TO ALL POSTERS - PLEASE READ
It is important that all posters (and those who just lurk around and read) understand that this board does not represent just one single view, opinion, perspective, posting style, topic, etc.
The board is for posting opinions for productive and information sharing, discussion, debate, etc.
EVERY OPINION IS ALLOWED. NO OPINION IS WRONG .. It is just an opinion! Our opinions reflect our beliefs. There may be opinions that are more popular or acceptable by society, by industries, by individuals or groups than others but all are allowed on this board.
No poster here knows any behind-the-scenes information about anyone else. Everyone's email address is hidden. A person can post here without identifying who they are. Just because there are 2 or more posts even with the same handle does not PROVE that the posts are by the same poster, etc.
Every poster and reader here must exercise some personal restraint and tolerance toward others' opinions. You may have to step back and stop reading a bit, take a breath, determine not to reply to a post or otherwise. There is no reason why healthy debate cannot occur but it has to be civil and allow others' experiences and beliefs to be presented.
Stop attacking one another and stop trying to bully individual posters or opinions. This means trying to police others' posts for grammar, spelling. It also means to stop trying to personally address others' posting styles or personalities by calling them out.
If you have a problem with a post, report it. If a post bothers you, stop reading or reply and debate it but do it with respect.
This board is not moderated for niceness nor for a single opinion. It is here for everyone to present their ideas and beliefs and all are welcome - on every forum of MTStars.
If you have problems with a specific poster, send me the link and let's discuss it. I will not remove posts because they are simply not nice, etc. If you wonder why your post is removed, ask me.
Happy posting, everyone!
Moderator: Cher
I've also found it varies from editor to editor -
In one case I researched it fully, and found that both of them were wrong, and I had been right all along.
[Sigh........]
Wendy, do you know what bitterness is? pls read message
it's "drinking the poison yourself, hoping the other person will die from it". You need to let go of your issues with MQ. Apparently, it is in the past, so honey, just let it go. 
Oops, please read above post, there IS a message.
[[
read my message again. no one deserves to be murdered. but you contribute to your
victimhood by your actions and you are more likely to be a victim because of your actions than others. i live in a safe neighborhood. i still lock my doors. i don't want to be a victim. i don't drink and drive. i don't hang out in neighborhoods where there is a lot of crime. don't you get it. you can't go to a foreign country at the age of 18, drink too much and hook up with people you don't know. you increase your odds of victimization.
When I opened your message to read it, I saw something that made me chuckle. SM
At the top of the page, there was an ad defining Alzheimer's disease (with an apostrophe) from alzheimersconcern.com. We're probably the only one's following this new guideline. I wonder how many people read these apostropheless terms we are now mandated to transcribe and actually do think we're nuts. Even if it is correct, and I do understand the reasoning behind leaving the apostrophe off, it still doesn't help our image any, at least in my opinion. Just a thought.
Please read message in above Poor Pooch's post.
:+
Oops..didn't read the whole message..let's see..still margaritas and lobster and how about...A
nm
If it's a business letter you use a colon. if it's a personal letter you use a comma. nm
:
Advance
I too saw it and was as angry as you are! I'm canceling my subscription, how 'bout you?
Thank you in advance it should be !! nm
TYIF -- something like Thank goodness it's Friday, but not that either. OOOPS !
thanks in advance..................nm
x
Advance is another one.
x
Since ADVANCE is free, there would
be little immediate impact if we cancel our subscriptions. Contact the advertisers and express your displeasure. They're the ones who provide the income stream for ADVANCE. They need to know that the people they're trying to reach are displeased and that their companies are associated with an extremely unpopular position.
how to advance in the MT field ...
I am wondering what it takes to advance to another position in the MT field. I've been an MT for about 13 years, acute care for 12 of those years. I'm tired of typing and have done QA as well, but the pay is horrible. What does it take to move up the ladder to another position, such as MT supervisor or account manager? I'm just curious. I know there are probably many more qualified people than I out there for any such position, but curiosity has got me as to the general qualifications and average salaries of each. Anyone know? Thanks....
Article in Advance
Did anyone read the article in Advance: Is Mandatory Credentialing Next?
The article says: "we have more and more companies paying premium for credentialed MTs." Is that true? The author is president-elect of AHDI. You all know what that is? Never heard of em. Or is it that new organization that used to be called something else, what was it... I think it had the words Medical Transcription in it. Maybe we should write a letter to tell about the reality of working out here.
how is Advance irrelevant?
nm
Advance article
Thanks for sharing this article in Advance - don't get magazine anymore since I dropped my AHDI membership. Proud to be part of ATA - we MTs deserve an assocation that will advocate for us.
did anyone see the article in Advance magazine
about how wonderful it is to train Indians to do our job. OH YAAAYYY, LET'S HERE IT FOR SPHERIS AND HEALTHSCRIBE Let's give a big whoopie and cheer them on while they continue to post for transcriptionists on this board and yet outsource and TRAIN Indians to do our job. I guess I'm angry about the article on other levels, such as the fact that it seems that Advance magazine is constantly promoting offshore transcription. This is not the first time they have printed articles like this.
Our hospital used Spheris and Cbay and we spent hours up hours redoing the reports, yet these companies got paid in full. Where is the logic in that? Thank God, administration wised up and brought the work back in. Now we can go back to doing what we've always done ... OUR OWN TRANSCRIPTION ACCURATELY!
I sent Advance magazine an email
I think if enough people did, then maybe they will stop glamourizing the overseas work. This is the third article in a year's time that they have done. A few months back Advance actually interviewed an Indian owner, picture and all, about his company!!!
If we cancel our subscriptions, Advance won't be able to
sell as much advertising. THAT is where they make their money, not by promoting offshoring. If they can't distribute XX numbers of copies per month, the advertisers will go elsewhere. Boycott ADVANCE and spread the word. Shut the traitors down.
Great article about this in Advance (sm)
early this summer -- explained the 3-prong test (instead of the old 20+ questions).
If the service insists you use their software, if the service tells you when you can invoice them (instead of the 2 of you deciding together), if the service, not the client, decides turnaround time and quality, and if the service says you can't subcontract the work and insists on a noncompete clause, then you are an employee.
You can file a form with the IRS if you want your status clarified. Also contact Dept of Labor office in your state.
If you don't have an attorney and accountant on retainer, then you aren't professional enough to be an IC.
Also check the Nolo Press site as they have some excellent reference books regarding IC/employment issues.
lol=laughing out loud, tia= thanks in advance
b
Current ADVANCE issue is MT pay
Cover story: Are MTs Paid Fairly. This story needs rebuttals. (I don't know if I spelled that right -- too mad to look it up.) There is another article about MTing as well as some good letters to the editor. No, I didn't write them. Not promoting self.
Look, this magazine wants feedback. Controversy creates publicity which creates readership. Please think about sending your own letters to the editor. Write what you write here. Let more people involved in our field know your thoughts whether they be MTs or not.
No, I don't work for ADVANCE. I'm just an MT just like most of you. I just want our voices to be heard by more people who call the shots that affect us. This is one venue. Even if you don't like the publication, fight back and make your voices heard!!! What a lot of you write here would be fantastic letters to the Editor which would reach a wider spectrum of our associates than this forum for MTs. We've got to keep the topic of the MT situation HOT in the media. You can submit articles to them as well. Get busy, PLEASE!!
Advance is irrelevant. Who cares what they say?
x
Lasted Advance MT article
I was wondering if any of you have read the latest article in Advance about MTs? It's called The MT Critic. Color me stupid but I did not know MTs had to go to medical school to do their jobs? How many of you know the average size of the left atrium of the heart? How many of you would contradict the doctor's vital signs because the patient had a fractured ankle and you just knew that because of his pain, those vitals could not possibly be correct? It is no wonder we are not attracting qualified people to our profession. What are your thoughts?
Advance to the 21st Century and get a new job
I couldn't believe it either. Advance has gone the way of offshore, just like AAMT
I sent a comment to Advance and heard back from them
supposedly, they are going to put my letter in the next edition in Letter to the Editor .... we'll see. But I did not cancel my subscription.
Link to Advance IC v. employee article (sm)
which discusses the 3-fold test that the IRS is using instead of the former 20-factor list.
I know of very few MTSOs which really treat ICs like ICs.
My best friend successfully challenged the company she worked for -- she got unemployment and a nice tax credit; the company owner got hit with huge penalties.
You mean that MSN link to Melbourne IT? (it comes up each time). Thanks in advance. nm
nm
Regarding the Advance article, here's how I would have handled the examples
I'm curious how other MTs would have handled them?
1. Hemoglobin 9, hematocrit 39. (I would have flagged this with a blank for the hemoglobin and sent to QA).
2. The nose and mouth were suctioned on the perineum (during a C-section dictation). (I would have changed "perineum" to "abdomen" and sent it on).
3. SKIN: Without lesions, rashes or scars (Patient has HIV and kaposi sacroma). (I'm not the doctor. I did not examine the patient. Therefore, I would have transcribed as dictated and sent it as usual).
4. Left atrium is normal, measuring 4.6 cm. (I don't get paid enough to second guess the doctor on whether the LA is "normal" or not. You get what you pay for.)
5. VITAL SIGNS: Heart rate 70, respirations 18, BP 120/70 (in an 18-year-old with a comminuted ankle fracture). (Again, the patient may have gotten pain medication by the time the doctor saw him, so perhaps he/she didn't have pain at the time of examination and so the vitals were normalized. I wasn't there, I don't know. Type verbatim and send it on!)
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