Help! Long shot, but if you're near Redding, CA, please read
Posted By: Mishell on 2006-12-02
In Reply to:
I'm desperately in need of a Dictaphone pedal. Mine randomly quit working this morning, I need to work today and tomorrow, and I can't find one in any stores here. My employer's Fedexing me a new one that will get here Monday. If you have one that I could borrow until Monday, I'll come pick it up, and I'll bake you one of my famous apple pies.
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Taking a long shot here...sm
Are there any companies out there (private/national) that pay by the hour? I'm tired and burnt out! Thanks!
long shot; osteo meningeal synovial cyst maybe?
'
A bit long, but please read, at least, the end if you are up for an experiement
I have used Expanders from the start, and I would say they help overall. However, as time has gone by I have discovered better ways of putting them together, so I have ended up changing many I had already created along with the endless making of new ones. (Some of this due to discovering which key combos are easier for me in regard to finger dexterity and some due to overlapping use of the Expander pattern I started with.)
I think you might actually be better off since you have learned more about transcribing before creating any.
I did read a funny and interesting thing on here a few months ago though. Someone said they stopped using their expanders and were getting a higher line count by straight typing. I was really tempted to try it for a day to see what would happen but never did. It would be kind of fun if we all tried it for a day (or even half a shift) to see the range of results.
Anyone game for that?
I can't read for long in the car or do crafts because I get
motion sickness, but I've worked from coast to coast without having any issues. My issue is my DH and the radio. My DH thinks he is going to die if he doesn't have his music and I'm turning the volume down and 2 minutes later he's turning it up again.
I work for both ... my comparison (LONG READ):
HOURS/CLASSIFICATION:
MQ: You have a choice of FT with full benefits -- 39-40 hours producing average of 150 lines/hour minimum; FT with limited benefits -- 39-40 hours with less than 150 lines/hour average but more than 100 lines/hour; PT with limited benefits for 8-16-24 hour schedules all averaging 100 lines/hour.
Spheris: FT is 37 to 40 hours a week, with 10,200 lines required by payperiod's end. PT is 20 to 36 hours a week, production is 5100 lines/payperiod minimum.
OVERTIME:
Both companies structure overtime the same way; averaged in the same manner; requires approval, must be in addition to 40 hours WORKED (PTO, DT do not count).
SCHEDULES:
Both require a schedule with the offer of "flexibility".
TIME:
MQ: Time sheets are used; MTs fill them in manually and submit.
SPHERIS: Galaxy is used -- you clock in and the system punches your time for you. Day's end, you see how much you've worked and allocate your time accordingly (productive time, PTO, meeting with mgrs, etc.).
BENEFITS:
MQ: You see the benefits in the Harmonization booklet. The employee's cost of insurance benefits is assigned by the state you live in (as well as which/if coverages are available to you).
SPHERIS: Med/Den/Vision are offered. Employees all pay the same amount for amount of coverages (EX: All employees wanting EMPLOYEE ONLY coverage pay the same; all wanting EMPLOYEE+ONE CHILD pay the same). It is available to all employees. Cost is not region-specific.
EQUIPMENT:
MQ: Use your own or they will provide. The current rental charges will no longer be effective in January; as well, the internet reimbursements will not either. I don't know if there will be a deposit for those just coming into the company after Jan 1.
SPHERIS: Must use their computers. No rental fee but there is a refundable deposit. You can pay it at once or have it taken out in 6 paychecks. Refunds to you when equipment is returned in good working order.
PTO:
MQ: You see the new PTO offered in the plan and can read online the PTO calculation formula.
SPHERIS: Same type of calculation formula; averaged quarterly and you receive a notice of what your new downtime/PTO rate is and what period it covers. Limit is $20 an hour tops for PTO. Lowest is $7.50. Amount of PTO depends on status and length of service and ranges for FT from 11 days to 21 days a year and PT 2.5 to 7.5 days a year.
HOLIDAYS:
MQ: You can read in the Harmonization booklet.
SPHERIS: Thanksgiving and Christmas are designated holidays. If you are scheduled to work on it, you can take PTO instead. If you work it you will earn double lines those days.
QUALITY:
Both require 98%.
PAY CYCLES:
MQ: Pay WEEK is Su-Sat; pay PERIOD is bimonthly 1-15th and 16th-end of month with paydates on 10th and 25th. Direct deposit available.
SPHERIS: Pay weeks are same as pay periods and are Su-Sat with every other Fridya as paydates. Direct deposit available.
BASE RATE:
MQ: With the new plan, you have your current base rate and it is the same on all work (unless you do part radiology or ASR).
SPHERIS: Your base rate depends on the level of the account you type on. If you type on a really easy account, you will get less pay; more difficult accounts, more pay. Each account level has a new-hire hourly associated with it. Levels go from level 3 to 10 with line rates 0.065 to 0.102. With Spheris, if your production earnings do not add up to at least minimum wage for the hours you worked, they will pay you minimum wage. However, you will not stay with them long if you cannot produce enough to keep you off the minimum wage payments.
INCENTIVE:
MQ: We know that incentive is achieved on a daily basis -- after you produce 1200 lines. Tiered so that you earn incentive ONLY on the lines produced AFTER 1200. It barely puts change in your pocket for mid-range producers. Only rewards high producers.
SPHERIS: Incentive is base on each week's production (Sun-Sat). So you can have a really bad week and only get your base and then next week have a great week and get incentive. Once earned, incentive applies to ALL lines typed and ranges depending on FT or PT status. FT: 5200 lines start at 0.002 and increases up to 7000+ lines getting 0.015 cpl incentive. PT: 2700 lines = 0.001 and increases up to 7000+ lines = 0.015 cpl. Whatever incentive you earn that week is applied to ALL LINES PRODUCED THAT WEEK. Spheris also has special teams that pay higher base rates.
SHIFT DIFF:
MQ: 11pm-7am = 0.01 and 3pm-11pm = 0.005
SPHERIS: 4pm-8am CST daily = 0.005.
NO WORK AVAILABLE:
MQ: This is not specifically addressed per se; however it is not listed under downtime definitions at all. I doubt MQ ever pays for no work situations.
SPHERIS: Has a policy: "MTs will not receive compensation for "No WOrk Available" situations. If an MT runs out of work, the MT should immediately notify their Supervisor or follow th eout of work situation guidelines for their team."
Hope that helps.
But the help file is so long and boring to read.
I know about linking and hiding the suggestion window. Other than that, I don't know many semicolon or Ctrl functions. I put hospitalization in as hosn. I wish somebody would teach a Shorthand Expander class or come up with an in-depth book going over specific SH features. The other expander books I bought were lame.
I didn't read your way-too-long post, but...
did you type all that out, or copy and paste from somewhere, cause if you typed it all out...you need to get a life and quick!
Long, informative read - Merck vet manual (sm)
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/71600.htm
Best post I've read in a long time.
I tend to go back and forth with my feelings about this profession. In the mornings I am glad I do not have to get up, get ready and go to an office. Many times in the evening, after I have during the day and still have work to do, I feel like stuffing it all. Many times I am disheartened when I get my paycheck, but I am glad to be getting one, while my sister worries about getting laid off from her manufacturing job. MT has advantages and disadvantages.
I work and do not have time to read such long posts, do you?..nm
nm
How long would you say it takes to get a decent grip on them. I do have samples already I have read
over and they arent hard but I havent heard the voices yet.
Oh, my. That's the funniest thing I've read in a long time.
AHDI: Solving the world's problems, one foreign MT at a time.
ROLFMAO
that should read "you're" not your! lol
/
Please read the responses you're getting.
First, be clear about what you're asking for. If you're not sure of the correct term, look it up to be sure you're getting the correct information.
Macros are associated with the template. Save the appropriate template(s), (templates are .dot files), to a separate location (disk, etc.).
Auto Correct is in a separate file, .acl. Locate it and save it to a separate location. Your auto correct will contain formating if you have the entry formated. It also containes Auto Text entries (those you use the F3 key for).
Specific information on how these operations are done is located in Word Help, a great resource to use.
As long as you're doing it just for spending
money & have a husband who is the bread-winner, then you'll do fine. If you're a single mom counting on this to support you and your children, then I'd recommend another field. Now that the greedy corporations have taken us over & are sending most of the work to India, they've pretty much destroyed our industry.
Ask if you can come off. Since June is way long enough especially when you're familiar with the
s
It all sounds pretty okay, as long as you're not - sm
being paid by the line, but by the hour. (I assume you're currently paid per hour as an inhouse employee, right?) If you can still make your previous inhouse salary, rather than the paltry cents-per-line most at-homes make, you should be sitting pretty.
Double check and be sure the inhouse people have to maintain the same line count as you! There is no reason why at-homes should be 'penalized' with higher line counts than in-house people, especially if you're doing the same work, using the same equipment, etc.
If you're paid per-line, and it's not as much as you'd be making per-hour inhouse, what could happen is that you'll find yourself working longer hours for less money, which isn't fair. It's hard to maintain quality work when you're depressed about what you're making, or about never being able to leave the house!
Depending on your hospital's software, they may be able to clock you in and out. I worked at a place where they could see the time you started a report, and the time you sent it, but that wasn't always accurate if you were halfway through a report and then got up to use the restroom, and then had to wait in line for a stall, etc.
Even if you can't get worker's comp for getting hurt at home (though if you got something like carpal tunnel, you might be able to dispute that!), you would probably still be able to get Disability.
For the most part, it sounds like a deal that would work. You're better off being at at-home employee of an inhouse MT department than you are working for a large national. You probably already have better benefits, too.
And, at some point in the future, if you decide working at home isn't for you, you probably would have the option of going back inhouse without much change in anything, but if you left and worked elsewhere, it would not only be harder to come back if you wanted to, but they'd probably add insult to it all by offering you a lower 'starting' wage.
Good luck, and let us know how it all works out!
You're in the minority pay-wise, but hey, as long
as you're making your money, screw everyone else.
No, you're not missing anything. I understood it to read the same thing.... nm
x
As long as you're correcting people, think about "English."
x
Actually, it started long before the post you're talking about.
'Shroom had nothing nice to say in a number of different threads, mostly because she didn't want to believe what people were telling her about the kind of income they are able to generate by working for themselves. Either way, the word is inappropriate and should not be used. Fighting among each other is non-productive and only makes this site less useful to those who need information, encouragement and a place to turn for advice. The "advice" and name calling that was undertaken by 'Shroom is inappropriate and should be deleted.
Just catching up ... Pls read if you're concerned about off-shore outsourcing...
I'm gratified that the people on this board are brainstorming with each other. I've been "lurking" and reading what's been happening. I have a few comments and thoughts.
Some of the participants here say to send to NBC News, FOX news, etc. Others say to send to Oprah and yet others say their congressman or senator.
I say we should each individually write a letter and copy same to each and every outlet we can think of! All of the above, senators, newscasters, Oprah, whatever and whomever. Until all of these sources are utterly swamped with letters regarding our plight (as well as the plight of radiologists, accountants, billers and coders, etc. all of whom are losing work to off shore outsourcing) we will be ignored. Thousands upon thousands of letters need to be sent out either by snail mail or e-mail. We cannot rely on anyone else to do it for us. Each one of us has to take the responsibility to make it known that we don't like it and we will vote in the next election for only those politicians that take a stand against off-shore outsourcing. Can we all take ten minutes to write a letter and another ten minutes each and every day to send out said letter? We can send duplicates to the same place. Lord knows that they don't pay attention until thousands of letters come in with the same message. Ten minutes a day - each of us - just think how many letters to our congress and to the press could be sent out if we all took the time to do so!
I, for one, will post here a list of places that I have sent a letter to in the hopes that it will inspire you to do the same. 
OK! I'm glad you're back down here. Now don't go back up there and read those evil posts ag
Okay? But I have to leave you now, sadly. Thousands of noble dictating doctors are anxiously awaiting my help with their "dictations"....They're all loading up on chips, drinking lots of soda so they can burp, and then have to go to the bathroom...You know the routine! Off I go to earn some pennies!! But, truly, I am thankful that I have a job! 
Screen shot
Can someone tell me how to make a screen shot of whatever is on my computer screen?  Sometimes it helps to have a screen shot when contacting the IT department for help.
Thanks everybody. Will give one of these a shot.
I'm willing to give it a shot
or kids or sex life. I've sworn off men. I'm 35 years old today and have found that most guys my age are married, jerks or divorced with good reason.
I don't have much choice. I love working from home...I just can't afford to run out of work.
I Shot the Sheriff
We had recorded the show and that one contestant we have to play over and over and over and each time we laugh. My son thinks that was so funny how he just kept singing the same thing.
I will give it a shot.
I think I will try that. My husband use to be very clean though. I don't know what happened, but I have started feeling like I am a slave around the house. It seems like I work and clean and cook and pick up after my two little kids and my HUSBAND. I don't think it's fair that he has time to set on the couch and watch movies while I am cleaning up after him. Thanks for the advice.
Tired of never have time to relax!
o.k. I'll take a shot at it...
First of all, you may be very good at what you do. That does not mean that you would be good at TEACHING what you do. Developing a curriculum and working with different learning types is a big job. That's why educators keep going to school to learn how to do it.
Second, what is your plan? Having newbies pay you an additional $500 for more training, after they have already paid $1300, $1500, $2000? You would be competing against the schools who INSIST they turn out job ready MT's. M-Tec, etc. would be all over you. In addition, the newbies themselves believe they come out of school ready to work. Now, we all know different, which is why we don't hire newbies, but the majority of them don't "get it." And they sure ain't going to be happy about forking out more money.
Third, crunch the numbers. If they pay you $500 tuition, in order to bring in $30,000 you would have to 60 people sign up. But don't forget they just sign up for their 3 months exp. or 6 months exp and then they are GONE! And they need to be replaced. You would need to be having 10 people per month sign on with you.
Finally, why would you encourage people you care about to invest time and money in a dying field? It would be like training them to be typewriter repairmen. Or maybe professional ironers, in a permanent-press world. The field is changing. If you have been on this board any length of time, you have seen the wages go down. Remember when we used to get 9 and 10 cpl routinely? Now it's 6-7, maybe 8. How about the MULTIPLE postings from people who have lost jobs to VR and EMR? How about the MT's complaining about the dictators that are left, ESL all the way, baby. And we won't even go offshore.
So if you're obsessed with the idea of helping people, I might suggest literacy tutor training or ESL teaching or even doing a short stint in Africa, working at an orphanage
Shot in the dark
here, and I know if you knew the answer to this you would have already done it. I sense your frustration, I understand what you are saying. Can you go in to the program files and totally delete the file that stores the tmp files? Maybe if it didn't have anywhere to put them it couldn't store them? Sorry, I'm no programer, but that was the first thing that came to mind.
okay, I did (screen shot) and I sent it.....
to the person who had responded to my original question and asked her to address this. Thank you for providing the link. It will be interesting to see how they respond to this one. I am so naive; I expect everyone to play fair and be nice, and obviously they don't. Where she makes the comment about "imposters here" and she would rather have someone else qualified in India handle her record, I told her I think their focus should be on making sure everyone here IS qualified and not making sure the Indian workers are qualified. Like I said, it will be interesting to see how they respond. I will keep you posted on it if people are interested in hearing their answer.
You can give it a shot.
I would suggest looking at company websites and maybe e-mailing their HR or recruiters. Like the previous poster said, QA people don't seem to make too much, but if all you want are benefits out of the job, it is worth a shot.
Good luck.
My DD had the shot AND got the CP, however, very very mild case.
x
Mr. Big Shot better watch his back...sm
...he might go the way of Steve Mandell, the former CEO who was force marched out last winter. Everyone who ever worked there in management seems to have been fired, so this guy isn't immune. That company has never made any money and their bankroll, HCR ManorCare, has stepped in and taken over and has demanded that they sell. Heartland's quality is a joke. I know, because I used to work there.
Or try Folex or Spot Shot.
x
Don't know if this is the same problem, but worth a shot SM
my foot pedal was working fine and then...nothing! Looked fine...I was very confused. Called my boss and he said to check the card that the foot pedal was plugged into (mine is not a USB). I turned off computer (and powered off the power strip just to be safe), took off the side panel, and sure enough the sound card that the pedal was plugged into was partially disconnectly. I firmly (yet gently) reinserted it completely, put side panel back on, turned on power strip then computer, and then waalaa (sp? lol) it worked like a charm.
Don't know if this is your problem or not, but I figured I'd share my experience just in case. Good luck!
Chickadee
If you think someone getting shot, even by accident, is funny, you need some serious help
x
I had a cortisone shot that worked for me.
I had underwent OT for weeks and then saw an orthopaedic surgeon who scheduled me for a cortisone injection into the joints and since then NO PROBLEMS!!!! I do stretches and have a split keyboard now that I didn't have before then, but it has been over a year with no aches! :) My repetitive case may not have been as bad as yours though.
What about a glamour shot portrait of you? sm
x
Take a screen shot of this: $150 in 2006
http://mtindia.info/news/latest/aamt-and-prometric-announce-the-launch-of-the-rmt-credential.html
Give it a shot, but don't knock yourself out.
Just adopt a steady, calm exterior as you perform both jobs. I would not try to get it all done. I would do what I could but not frantically. That's all you can physically do. They can't expect all of it to get done with all of those interruptions. It's not conducive to doing good work for either "hat" you are wearing.
And since they are so fond of doubling up duties, tell them you'd like a free Pap smear, since they are doctors and went to med school. Sheesh. This is the most put-upon career, and it never stops to astonish me what new lows people will go to, to cheat us. They must be good limbo dancers.
Good luck to you.
I say you need to give it a shot full-time.
That's the only way you will get quicker and more accurate. You need experience. The more you do it, the easier it will come. Good luck.
Thanks, I will give it a shot!---if it works the rugs are gone! - nm
xx
We were $2.42 on Monday - shot up to $2.99 today and expected....sm
to go well over $3/gallon because of the pipeline distribution problem. The governor has declared a state of emergency and is urging folks to not drive anymore than necessary while they're getting emergency shipments of fuel in.
do't worry, go for the steroid shot and relief!
I have tendonitis along with RHA. When my elbow flares up (as it's doing now), I pop the ibuprofen, use a gel wrap for "tennis elbow" you can pick up in the drug stores and try to limit my heavy movement with that one.
That said, I have to have it along with my hip injected 3-4 times a year. Not sure if my rheumy is just the best or not but I've never had any pain with the steroid injections. I call him slick and the relief is almost instant, no more tears from the pain. HTH
Worth a shot, but didn't work for me. sm
My inhouse job was outsourced when I left to work at home after 3 years doing the same account and getting rave reviews and raises for my transcription. I applied to the company handling the same account when I saw it advertised. I was told by the company my account was outsourced to that I did not have enough experience. Huh? 18 years total. 3 years on that same account.
I guess it depends if you're still working for the hospital or not. I know that at least around here, the hospitals basically black ball you if you have the nerve to leave their employ.
Hopefully the hospital you mention isn't quite as petty as mine was. They actually started sending the tapes out the day after I gave my 2 week notice and I had absolutely nothing to do but filing for the last 2 weeks. Apparently the hospital policy dictates that there is a grave danger of breach of confidentiality once the employee gives notice.
Give me a break.
Good luck. Hope it works out for you!
That would be his mug shot when he was arrested quite awhile back..nm
;o)
You can do a screen shot and save to a document...sm
then dispute the line count paid to you. Why would you settle for less than what you have actually transcribed? I check mine on a daily basis and write it down, then do a total payroll line count - that's the one I do a screen shot of so that I can make sure to get paid for what I've done. Good luck!
I didn't use the chickenpox shot for mine by choice.
For one thing, it's too expensive. For another thing, they think it might only be good for 10 years because they haven't followed it long enough. You can still get chickenpox despite the vaccine, and chickenpox are worse if you get them as an adult. The medical community still doesn't know for sure the longterm effects of a lot of these vaccines they're pushing on the public. There are potential side effects with every immunization, too. Besides that, my husband is now being actively pursued to particpiate in government studies over vaccines that he received at work, which have now been proven to cause health problems that everyone is hush, hush, trying to cover up.
I'd like to have a tall glass of eggnog spiked with a shot of rum.
dd
OMGosh, The "I Shot the Sheriff" guy was hysterical! (no message)
You still looked??
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