Home versus Hospital - sm
Posted By: anon on 2008-01-30
In Reply to: Take at home transcription job or unit secretary job at hospital? - Uncertain MT
Speaking as one who was a unit secretary for many, many years, and now an MT working from home, I personally would NEVER, ever go back...but, the benefits of working in-house are much better than most MT companies offer. AND, your point of steady paycheck is a valid one. This is something you would have to sit down and write all the pros and cons, with your feelings included, to make a decision based on what is best for you. Good luck.
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hospital versus MTOS
I agree with the above poster. I would stay with the hospital.
Since being laid-off from a local clinic (they chose to outsource to India), I have worked at about 4 MTOS in 4 years. It always starts off the same..........you have plenty of work in the beginning and then.........they over-hire or they lose the account.......
I have recently accepted a position at a local hospital and I plan to stay there! I have to work 3 months in office for training and then I get to work at home. At least if we run out of work or if it gets low, I can go in office and help medical records or answer the phones....I don't care as long as the money keeps rolling in.......
I just don't understand the MTOS......they want the work fast, faster, fastest with accuracy...........but I hate to say you (or at least I do) lose some accuracy when you are worried about running out of work. They don't care because they are paid by the hour..........while I sit in front of my computer for 10-12 hours just to make a living! I want to have a life outside of my home too!
Good-luck with your decision.
Hospital versus Service
The experience you will get at the hospital cannot be beat. Nothing compares to having experienced coworkers to help when you are stuck on something.
Generally office notes versus hospital
For my accounts anyway, my multispecialty is office notes, letters, in office procedures and acute care is hospital notes.
Home versus in-house
Let me answer before I read everyone else's responses. I worked at home and for awhile it was great, but I had kids underfoot, that didn't work out. So back to inhouse. It's nice having a regular paycheck and not having to worry about taxes, they're taken out. Also health insurance is a big concern. But I'm sick of the nitpicking and being treated like a child. I hate being spied on and I hate office politics. People are in close proximity when I'm transcribing and there is a lot of loud talking in the small room. Plus when the other people are crabby, it casts a dark shadow on the whole day.
I may soon have no choice but to work at home again, as my place of employment is rumored to be upgrading and at all other facilities owned by this company, that has meant shipping our work overseas. I don't dread returning home though. Just got a brand-new Dell computer, found and loaded my Instant Type and imported my PRD files. I will switch to my husband's insurance which is a kind I'm not crazy about but it's better than nothing. I have a tax guy now and I'll stay on top of taxes with my estimated quarterles. And there's a company I've been working for on and off for years that treats me like gold and will take me on anytime!
I'm the type of person who doesn't like being constantly monitored by an authority figure, particularly an ignorant one! It may soon be time to get out of the in-house and back to my home! We'll see. For now, I'm in-house. But maybe soon, I won't be.
...up to you to see if you can make more per line at home versus going
s
hospital at-home -vs- national at home
I have an interview today with a hospital...work in-house for 3 months, then go home, paid on production. I don't know as of yet what they pay production, so my question is to anyone who works for a hospital at home AND has also worked for a national at home...
Which would be the best to choose? The hospital offers great benefits, but the national I work for now also has benefits, not as good as the hospital, though. Any input would be most appreciated!
Positives and Negatives of working at home versus inhouse.
When I first went home to work, I did think it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I got so tired of being stuck to my desk all day long and being asked to work overtime with no overtime pay. No incentives anymore either. The money is the biggest issue here and benefits at a good price. .... So I decided to go back in house. and believe that I found a great place to work.
Of course, there will be the usual bad side of working an inhouse job... dressing up.... which I honestly miss.. but maybe not every day, paying for gas to drive to work... but it's actually only 10 minutes away, the cafeteria--enough said :D... plus I bring my lunch and have always done so..., office politics--which I have found exist at home or inhouse...., dept meetings--which I have found exist with at home jobs also... of course they are "account" not department meetings and communication! which is a really important thing and was the straw that broke this camel's back--got sick of sending emails to a myriad of people from the top to the bottom and getting no response back... or responses days later...
Can anyone add any other positives/negatives?
The pay will be worth it all no matter what, but I was curious to see what other things there are to consider. 
Please no flames.
Thanks in advance.
Not OP, but how does one go about getting an at-home hospital job..sm
I have 30 years MT acute care experience and think I would like working at home for a hospital (currently work for a mid size MTSO). I don't recall seeing those type jobs advertised. Can anyone give me advice on where to find those kind of jobs? Thanks for any help!
Hospital at-home job vs. service
Here is the scoop: I work for a service now, but was offered an at-home position with a local hospital at $14.70 per hour with benes. WHAT SHOULD I DO???????
hospital work at home
May I ask if it was easy for you to get the at-home job working for the hospital? I have a hospital very near my home and have been contemplating going there to see if they have at-home transcription jobs available, but haven't done so just yet. I would love to be paid hourly. I'm so tired of having to type my fingers to the bone to make good money. Hourly should would be nice, even if only temporarily. Thanks for any advice.
I work for a hospital but am home. nm
nm
When I worked at home for a hospital
I had all of the benefits, but the hospital I worked at did not go by production. They just basically paid per hour. They did not expect a certain amount of work be done in a certain amount of time. I had access to the software the hospital used. This probably won't help you, but it has only been 2 years since I left the hospital. I make way more with my own accounts. If the benefits you are seeking have to do with retirement, then you may be better off setting up your own retirement account because if you are older, you will need to be vested before you even begin to think about a pension.
MT working at home for hospital
I just recently was sent home from a local hospital where I work. I make $15.80/hour, no incentive, and we are required to type a minimum of 1200 lines per 8-hour shift.
I work at home for a hospital
differential, average around $18 to $22 an hour. I am not paid hourly, but totally CPL. I don't use any benefits because I am on my husband's.
Missouri hospital at-home MT..........
I have worked for a hospital for 15 years. They moved us home about 10 years ago. I make 11 cpl on a 60-character line. We have to maintain a 5000 line per two week pay period quota for health insurance which is free for employees, but I carry family plan and it is 110.00 a month (hard to beat that). We can type whenever we want, no set hours. We also rotate weekly on call schedules where we go on call from Midnight Sunday morning to the next Saturday at Midnight. Just for being on call, we get an extra 220.00 that week regardless if we receive any calls, but if we do get called, we still receive our 11 cpl pay as usual. This is a 270 bed hospital with all fields and specialties and pretty well all of the dictators are great. I am very happy with my position at this hospital.
I am, but I work for a hospital (at home). (nm)
Former MQ here. I finally got a home-based hospital job.
Less flexibility, as in having to work set shifts, but the pay is great and I have all the great benefits. I know there are so few hospitals that have their own department, but if you're in a populated area and can find a job, it will TOTALLY renew your opinion of this job. It has for me.
18 cpl straight from a hospital working at home. nm
x
24-yo female Missouri, PT at home, FT hospital
sm
i would never give up my home-based hospital job....go for it
s
need advice /home-based hospital job
 I was offered a home-based MT job as a direct employee of the hospital with an extremely good per-line-rate. But yes, apparently it was too good to be true! Apparently on further consideration, the administrator now says it is too costly (technically) for home set-up; mentioned something about the Lanier DVI desktop and how costly etc. etc. and some other MT has the license (?what's that about?); also mentioned "Cquence" transcription software program. They presently already have 5 other off-site MTs. Anybody out there with opinions and/or constructive advice...please.  Thanks in advance.
I worked for a hospital at home for 4 years. sm
We had to work set hours. My advice is allow youself 1/2 hour for lunch, and at least two 15-minute break periods. Work 2 hours, take a break, work 2 hours, take a lunch break, etc. Otherwise, you may find yourself having back, shoulder and hand problems. Working 9 hours may seem like a drag, but not being able to work at all is even worse. Remember, if you were working on site, you would not only have to work 8-1/2 hours, but would have travel time on top of it. Just my experience.
I worked at home for the local hospital here.
It was fine. They paid hourly and provided equipment. We had plenty of work and had to stick to a set schedule. They do use a service or two for overflow, but it is strictly overflow. The hospital still has employees working at home. They don't ALL outsource. (And ironically, some hospitals are taking back their transcription and hiring in-house and at-home MTs!)
I work for a hospital from home on my computer and they do this too. sm
I was told that it is becoming more and more common to see this happen as the internet can open the hospital to too many vulnerabilities. It's my computer but I am on their clock, so I am OK with it. I prefer my books to internet research though so it is not so bad for me.
Good luck with this.
Hospital job is "work-at-home" paid hourly
Thank you for well wishes.
Key words: Utah and Hospital. Different from working at home and different SM
from working in a state that has low tolerance for drinking.
I disagree. The best place to work is a hospital that has their MTs at home.
x
Why not work fulltime at home for a hospital with bennies?
Or look into the state children's medical program. Check into foodstamps and utility assistance while you're at it. The states also usually have a program to enforce child support, which can't be arbitrarily reduced if someone just decides to be self-employed and hide their income one day.
As for the savings and retirement, relax, you'll get there. As for life insurance, you can get a term or universal policy cheap. I can relate about the job situation. I'm teetering on bankruptcy myself now because I lost my steady job in October and have had two other jobs with no work or lousy platforms since then. I keep waiting for the utility companies to shut everything off because I can't pay.
We'll survive. I can't wait for tax refund time myself. You'll survive, too. You can do this. The best part is that you can do this without his help, and your kids will love and respect you for being the responsible parent.
I turned down a hospital job to stay at home and regret it. sm
The hospital jobs are much more stable, and you have the same docs over and over. Even if they are ESL, at least you can get good at them. Take the hospital job - the PTO and benefits are worth it.
I surely lost out on that, worked from home for a hospital
for 2+ years and required to come in house for meetings and never, never paid for my gas nor my time down and just asked to make it up. After that we got outsourced to a company and guess what again? Meetings at their place and again no pay!! I bet others who see this probably have had the same thing happen to them. Your place exceptional.
Take at home transcription job or unit secretary job at hospital?
I've been an MT for 12 years and have worked at home doing MT for 10 years. Recently got replaced by EMR so had to find work elsewhere. I took a job at a local hospital as a unit secretary working 3-11 now I have been offered a job with a national transcription company. I'm not sure if I should go back to transcribing since the line count/money making potential has me worried. I've been assured that I will never run out of work but I'm worried that I will actually be working longer than the 8 hour shift in order to make the amount of money I need. I would love to be back home with my kids typing again as I miss not seeing them as much as I used to and they want me to be home. I am just not sure if I should stay in a job at the hospital which has a guaranteed amount of money per pay period since I'm being paid by the hour and not by the line where my paycheck can vary. Any thoughts/suggestions/opinions, recommendations out there? Any and all would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!!
i am an inhouse hospital transcriptionist who works at home
I am an in house hospital transcription who works at home. I get 19.00 an hour plus incentive pay which is 7 cents a line after 1,000 lines. and 7.5 cents after 1,500 lines.
I think I misstated it - the at home people live within an hour of the hospital - sm
this is what the hospital is absolutely positively trying to avoid - having people all over the country doing the job. If the equipment breaks, if there are meetings, etc. - these cannot be done with transcriptionists all of the country.
great post - we have people that work at home in our hospital - sm
but getting them to work is like asking them to do a big favor. They constantly have the excuse "oh my kids are here, I have to play with them." "I can't work because my kids have a cold." "I can't work because my kids want to go outside and play."
I could go on and on and on. Those of us that work inhouse and have kids don't seem to have "the problems"
$15,000.... Hospital employee, telecommuting from home, working less than full-time.
c
I'm a hospital employee, working local at home, so I get a raise every year.
x
I work four 8 hr shifts, home based for hospital.. hourly plus incentive.
sfg
I have 13 years experience and just started a hospital job working from home making $16 an hour
and with a really good incentive plan. I live in the Kansas City area. $10 seems like a low starting point even with only two years experience which is the usual benchmark for hospital MT jobs.
It's been my experience that the low end of the pay scale for hospital employed MTs was around $12 an hour. Also, it's been my experience that the pay offered is usually based on years of experience and how well you perform on the transcription test.
I would say if their pay is that low, they should at least be making it up with incentive and it doesn't sound like they are.
JMO
When the kids started school I wanted a job in my home town. A hospital clerk position (sm)
came open. You started compiling charts, making copies, etc. Then I was promoted after a few months and began learning transcription and did that part of the day. Then a few months later they taught me coding and abstracting and I did that part of the day. It was a great learning experience to learn things from the bottom up. Needless to say, I am an old dog here who has been doing this more than 25 years now.
When the kids started school I wanted a job in my home town. A hospital clerk position (sm)
came open. You started compiling charts, making copies, etc. Then I was promoted after a few months and began learning transcription and did that part of the day. Then a few months later they taught me coding and abstracting and I did that part of the day. It was a great learning experience to learn things from the bottom up. Needless to say, I am an old dog here who has been doing this more than 25 years now.
65 character line versus gross lines versus pay by word
I am checking into other options for transcription. Can anyone tell me how to compare all of these types of lines & also payment per word? I know companies use different scales, so I wondered how they compare. I have been paid on a 65 character line with spaces, but I may be making a change in the future - don't want to get burned.
Thank you in advance!
Depends on what kind of hospital? Large urban hospital or small community hospital? SM
Also, is it a large teaching hospital? If so you have to consider there will be A LOT of different residents dictating, usually a lot of ESLs at teaching hospitals, and the residents rotate out and new ones rotate in every summer. So you can't expect to get the same dictators and build up your macros because the dictators change all the time.
I would say 9 cpl would be a pretty good offer for a small to medium community hospital where you will be doing the same dictators on a daily basis. But for bigger, urban or teaching hospitals I would want at least 12 to 15 cpl.
Help! Have face-to-face interview for at-home hospital job tomorrow and ....SM
I want to ask the most comprehensive questions I can so as to make the best decision possible. I work for a small national right now, pretty happy but would like better benefits, especially more affordable and better insurance. I already know this hospitals pays .09 cpl and .11 if you do more than 1200 lines per day. It's been so long since I've been interviewed in person. I need you guys to help me make a list of questions to ask so that I can just get it all down on paper and make sure I'm not missing anything. I know they use ChartScript and Lanier and that they provide the computer. What else exactly should I ask?
working IN A HOSPITAL is different than working at home.
Someone can steal you identity from the internet if they want to. Why would you go to the time and trouble to jeopardize a job that requires some level of skill to steal someone's identity or medical records? You could get a job as a retail clerk and get info easier than going through the testing required to become an MT.
Question versus gross lines versus 65-character lines....
I have always charged or been paid by 65 or 60 character lines or per letter or space typed, but have never been paid or charged per gross line.
What is the advantage of this? If I were to charge 11 cents per 65-character line including spaces, what does this figure out to for an average line rate and how do you do this calculation?
I'm wondering if it is financially beneficial for me to bill by gross line or to keep it the way I have it. I do know some accounts will only pay per 65-character line, as this was the deal my first own account I recently acquired. They were adamant on a 65-character line, but didn't specify with or without spaces and I personally would never not charge for spaces.
Thanks for explaining this. I appreciate it and hope everyone has a speedy day.
My kids have suffered greatly from me working at home with them home. SM
I have been working at home as an MT since my two kids were born. They are now 4 and 5. In the first few years, I had no help whatsoever. Their father was a bum who didnt work or take care of them while I worked. Your children get neglected while you work basically. And babies and young children desperately need your attention while they are home with you.
My kids have so many behavioral problems right now because of their neglect. I would try to set them up with things to occupy themselves, like coloring or a movie, etc.
I finally put them in day care and things have improved, but there are still a lot of issues because of the damage that was done. They still try to seek attention by doing bad things and they dont listen to me because they are so used to me letting them get away with a lot of stuff because I was too busy typing to discipline them in their early years.
If I could do it all over again, I would definitely have put them into day care from the very beginning.
My advice would be to seek PT care for your baby. Maybe you can do some work around her schedule a little when she is home, like when she takes a nap, and then bang out a bunch of work while she is in day care.
I enjoy being alone at home, but I've got one home sick from school already.
One on one with a kid is nice, too.
This summer has been absolutely crazy. I haven't had a moment to myself for three months because all of my kids were home traipsing their friends through the house and yard. My husband switched his work schedule, too, so he's around more than usual. However, I like not having to do two loads of dishes and four loads of laundry a day. There are no toys or clutter dragged out everywhere. I can clean the house first thing in the morning, and it stays clean until everyone gets home at night.
I even got to relax with a cup of coffee and watch TV for half an hour this morning, something I liked for a change instead of cartoons or kids' movies. I signed up for an online class that I've been wanting to take. I can exercise without being interrupted. Yesterday, I went to the mall and spent all my saved up gift cards. I got some clothes, books, bath stuff, and a new coffee mug. My work gets done a lot faster, too. Call me nuts, but I've never had the luxury of being alone in the house for 14 years. It's kinda nice. I love my family with all my heart, but I love having a few hours to myself each week, too.
Except now the cat and dogs have been acting weird since the kids went back to school. They must think that I need someone or something to clean up after and correct behavior on. They're getting into everything and racing around the house behind me.
my take is that she worked inhouse, not at home, and now wants to find out how to work at home. nm
x
Forget "per line." Your take-home pay should be taking home SM
roughly what it was before. If it is not, is it because your current pay rate for editing (which in many companies keeps changing as the VR system is developed) is too low or is it because your talents and skills are more for speed typing than speed editing?
If the first, discuss it with higherups, and go get a new job if you don't get the response you need. My last MTSO was secretly refiguring how production was counted to pay us less. I can accept hard reality, it was the secrecy that burned. Sometimes, though, it's just that the learning curves of individual editors and that of the system aren't in sync, and you end up temporarily making less.
If the second, though, recognize it as soon as possible and change to straight transcription work, in your company or a new one, for as long as you can find it.
As for why we aren't paid more for a higher skill, that's just the way the labor supply ball bounces. Best wishes.
Hospital. I wish I'd never left my hospital job.
They'll only take me back if I start off working nights and weekends again at the bottom of the totem pole.
If you work for a hospital - how come no one from the hospital
called you?? Were they in the dark, as well?? How sad, that no one in your hospital communicates with the at home staff.
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