I can only say that it's my hospital contacts
Posted By: that have put me where I am now. OP sm on 2007-06-12
In Reply to: 3 years for hospital sm - Harika
If I didn't have that, there is no way any clinic or hospital would give me the time of day. As it is, THEY are calling ME asking if I can do transcription for them. I know a lot of MTs get into the field because they want to work at home, but I know if not for my in-house experience and contacts I would not have the opportunities I have now. And it has been 15 years since I had that hospital job and I'm still benefitting from it.
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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.
Contacts
SofMed toric lenses, I've worn them for years.
Not about contacts.
For hours in front of the computer daily, I am very comfortable with lenses (glasses) prescribed for computer use only. Don't have to worry about looking through the top or bottom of the lenses, not to mention no eye irritation.
Don't know about the contacts but the bifocals sm
without the lines can sometimes be a problem. When I went to bifocals after my cataract surgery, I didn't have any problems. I have the ones with no lines. My husband, on the other hand, has had the no line bifocals for about 10 years and hated them. He said they made him dizzy, too, and couldn't get used to walking with them on. He said he felt drunk when he wore them. So, last week when he got a new pair, we went to Sterling Optical in the mall to get them and he told them what the problem was with his other glasses. They said the bifocal part was set too high and they set it a bit lower (below the pupil) on this pair and now he has no problems with them. Also, if you have Blue Cross insurance, they have the Blue Perks where you can get a decent discount. His glasses were 579.00 and with the discount we paid 350.00. His were more because we purchased the scratch resistance, polycarbonate lenes and also the replacement insurance on account of his job. Also, we bought the transitions to save buying a pair of prescription sunglasses. Sterling Optical also has pretty good deals on bifocals if you watch out for their monthly sales.
Bifocal contacts
I wear the Bausch and Lomb Soflens and do not have a problem using them with a laptop either -- there are many brands out there and there are also monovision lenses, where one lens is used for disance and one for close up.
When I was fitted recently, my eye doctor tried me with a couple of different brands and felt the Bausch and Lomb was the best lens for me, so really, it all depends on your particular prescription etc.
Hope this helps
Bifocal contacts
I have almost given up on bifocal contact lenses, and only wear them in the evenings if I'm going to a restaurant so I can properly focus on the people sitting across from me. I find them extremely difficult to put in because they are so thin and fold over themselves, and I don't like the distance vision I lose. I find it just easier now to wear my regular contact lenses and use a pair of reading glasses over the top of them. However, to be frank, on most days I just wear my glasses (progressive lenses) when I'm transcribing.
Animal contacts
If you are in need of a veterinary ophthalmologist, it is best to check with your local vet to see if there is one in the area. Animals do not wear contacts for the obvious reasons. Instead, they get lens transplants from donor animals that were healthy when euthanized (sad I know). There are also Doggles sun glasses that dogs wear.
Disposable contacts for me (see message)
I had that problem too, and last year I switched to disposables. I started with the ones you wear for two weeks then throw away. The only problem I had is that by day 10 or so they started to become uncomfortable. This year I went with the ones you throw away every day - I LOVE THEM! Talk about comfort! Checked the prices online and found the best price at JustLenses.com. You place the order, and they mail them to you after verifying your prescription. There was also a $60 rebate if you bought a year's worth at once. I would recommend this if you can swing it.
I wear bifocal contacts and I love them
The only thing is that you have to decide which degree of a trade-off you are comfortable with because for my contacts to help me see up-close better, I have to give up some distance vision.
I went to a professional sporting event recently and couldn't see the players' numbers from my seat in the stands, where I used to be able to with my regular pre-bifocals contacts.
Need advice on contact lenses for astigmatism. I have tried different soft contacts but
I can't seem to find a soft contact lens that works for my astigmatism that I can wear all day without going blurry on me all the time. I have worn gas permeables in the past, but they are not comfortable anymore either. Any contact lens wearers out there with astigmatism that have found something that works? Even Accuvue Advantage for Astigmatism did not work. Help!
I've worn contacts for 30 years. I've had both
hard and soft. My vision is much better with the soft ones than they were with the hard ones. When I first started trying contacts soft ones were still new and they couldn't get me to 20/20, so I went to hard. Hard were okay until my eyes started changing shape and then I could no longer wear hard ones. The soft should give you better vision as they conform more to the shape of your eye.
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.
hospital MT
Call the hospital. You can offer a better deal to them. Most MTSOs charge the hospitals a lot more than what they pay out for the actual work done. I work for a hospital. I asked for a raise after 10 years, they baulked, started looking at outsourcing. They changed their mind really quick when they found out how much they would charge them. (four times what they paid me).
Hey, if you don't want that hospital job can I
have it? Just kidding (only because it's probably not where I live in central Florida). Started working at home for the kids over 10 years ago, but they are all grown now and I realize I don't know anyone because I hardly ever leave the house!!
hospital job
My situation too. Son out of the house now. Still know all the people at the hospital as I worked there for 10+ years and still do side typing for one of the units there that were not taken over when they outsourced! So seriously considering it....Sorry, its in PA!
I think they did that to us at the hospital
but no O/T. But you could get on there and do BONUS MINUTES at 6/cents a line all you wanted.
I always felt like that should have been illegal. If I'm working, then I'm working. If I'm an hourly employee - then anytime I'm working!!!!! I should be an employee and thus paid HOURLY WAGES. But they got away with it. Sort of a hybrid deal.
They screw us any way they can.
 (good little screws all in a row)
 (Medical Records Supervisor yucking it up drinking coffee, practicing snapping her whip)
 (Me at the end of the day saying WHY AM I HERE?????)
Hospital pay
I make about $15 per hour at my hospital job in Washington state and have recently quit that to work out of my home. However, I have not yet found any home job that even comes close to that when being paid based on lines.
hospital pay
i make 21/h. living in the hawaiians islands, thats actually pretty good
hospital pay
my main job is at the hospital and i would never leave it especially with all the benefits and good pay. ic has its benefits when it comes to tax time, but as far as job security and being a single mom, i choose to stay at a guaranteed $20/h. too many people are unhappy with the problems of security in this line of work and i dont want that to happen to me.
Hospital pay
Out here in Oregon, all hospitals pay from 14 to 19 plus benefits. Am considering going with Kaiser after the first of the year and having my I/C's run my business. Have one doctor retiring after the first and deciding whether to do all my own accounts and make $40K doing 30 hours per week without benefitis enjoying life and not saving much or going with Kaiser at 18.50 per hour with benefits and having the I/C's doing 80% of my work and I will type parttime on the weekends. Have only 10 more years to work. Have been offered work at Kaiser, Providence and Good Samaritan Hospitals so the work is out there.
Hospital pay
At least with the hospitals out here in the west, they always have posted salary ranges and you can usually always exept with decent experience to start in the middle somewhere and reach the top in 5 years. Worked in HR in a large hospital for a bit. They always post the salary ranges here with positions and with that you go in with a bit of knowledge. I never did see one start at the top though. Good luck.
Hospital job
Let us know how things go. I would fear that they see MT as just "typing" and would give you so many secretary duties that the MT part would be pushed to the back burner.
TAKE THE HOSPITAL JOB - sm
national services lose accounts all the time whether it is nonrenewal of contract or fired, or whatever, your pay is never the same from week to week with a service, you may have extra transcriptionists on your account all of a sudden, work load varies, etc.
With the hospital work, you know your doctors, you have guaranteed hours and work and even down time (some services don't offer that), overtime, benefits, etc. Some hospitals even offer reimbursement on college courses - CAN AN MTSO SERVICE OFFER THAT?? Some hospitals have family leave time for 12 weeks of maternity!! Can an MTSO service offer that?
Take the hospital job!
Take the hospital job...
Those are only real "for sure" MT jobs out there anymore. I worked for years for a service but since I took my at-home hospital job, I feel like somebody for the first time in the eyes of my employer. We are all local, so we have staff meetings and come into the department for different things, yearly reviews, parties, etc. We're all in touch via e-mail and know each other face-to-face too. I get paid by the house, have a set schedule, and can earn incentive pay too. I have paid holidays, benefits, and am a hospital employee except work at home. I love it, would never EVER go back to clawing for lines at a service who barely knows my name.
Hospital Job
One thing you have to be careful of -- are there witches in that hospital who will send you the "worst" work or not send it at all and keep it for themselves? Be sure - I know one hospital who "punishes" the work at homes because they're afraid their dept. will be outsourced completely. Be careful who you deal with. Don't like MTSO's so I started my own, but family sickness and my own illness forced me to retire (temporarily, I hope). When offered work at home from a hospital, I had to say no and glad I did, another person said yes and just sits there waiting, and waiting, while the in-house people make the bucks and if they do send, it's all stuff they don't want to do. Be careful and good luck!!
HOSPITAL JOB ALL THE WAY!!! the Way (sm)
That's good pay and bennies to boot!!! I would die for that.
I worked for a hospital as an IC for many years at home. That's the only way the hospital bigwigs would allow it, not employee status. Never ran out of work except in the first few weeks in a new year. Never had "just the junk" as some suggested. I did the same work as everyone else. I tried to get my employee status back (which I was once) but no luck. I was at home. Some rule about that, but I was happy.
I'd go back to my hospital in a flash. My buddies want me back. The boss wants me back. For some reason, they still won't give me employee status. That sucks. ('scuse my French).
Don't even THINK about what to do, DO IT. You'll never be sorry.
Hospital
I work full-time from home for a local hospital and am paid per hour. I also work an IC on a part-time basis. I would say if you need the benefits and steady paycheck and can handle working possibly rotating weekends and holidays, yes. The only good thing with working with some nationals is having the flexibility with your schedule but you will NOT make a steady income. You will constantly run of out work, loose money and find yourself clocking in and out all day long just to make 8 hours. With a hospital, you know that the work will be there everyday and if you have downtime, you will still get paid. Also, having that security in knowing that you can speak to management face to face or over the phone. Go for the hospital, because I know a lot of MTs wished they could have that opportunity. Go luck to you!!!
hospital
security, benefits,local, communication, "real people" versus "phone people"
take less money and have these advantages, the days of making a lot by working on production are over
Good Luck!
Thank you both, will look into it and ask at the hospital too.
//
hospital IC
I contract with a local hospital. I worked there for a little less than 2 years and as I had a sickly child and wanted to be closer to home, we agreed to my working at home as an IC. My hours are pretty flexible although if I do not work I do not get paid. And they do have someone as a back up for me when I am unable to work. Still, I would not want to go back to work 8-5 at the hospital. This has allowed me to be there for my children's activities and be home when they are sick.
new hospital......
The MTSO I work for does basically the same thing. Except they don't pay us by the hour, by production. Just about any place you work will do this.
As long as you work your assigned hours, it should not be a problem. Turn off the phone or let it go to voice mail (if it's family call back on break). Just work as if you were in an office, and there will be no problems. Don't try to do your laundry and cook dinner while you're working - it will kill your line count.
If you are getting an hourly wage plus incentive and hospital benefits, you are at the top of the heap - if you quit, let me know where you are and I will relocate and take the job!
My hospital wants them done like this...
If doses are given and there are more than 5 medicines listed, they want it in number format (even if 1, 2, etc., is not said). If there are less than 5, paragraph form. If there are no dosages at all, no matter how many meds are listed, paragraph form.
I'm sure you will get a lot of different answers on this though. :)
HOSPITAL PAY
Not true. Many hospitals pay more. I make 50,000 yr at my hospital. I am full-time. I get same benefits as those who walk through the doors every day. I am not penalized if I don't meet the required line count each day. We have a week to reach our line counts and then we are not penalized. They know how hard we work. We never have to worry about losing our insurance because of "meeting quotas", and they provide all equip and pay the internet bill as well.
hospital pay
I'm thinking of taking a position at a local hospital. I would be picking up dictations and taking the reports back the next day. What would be an acceptable line rate? It would be a mix of both ESL and non-ESL. Any input would be appreciated.
Hospital MT
I know exactly what you mean. They opened the Surgery Center here about a year ago, and our workload has also decreased. And, because some of the girls in the office talk too much and are not doing 160 lph, we get no overtime as it is being sent to a service company instead! We have two hospitals nearby that sold the department out and went strictly with the service company and one is sending their work to India! Unfortunately, a lot of us need the benefits, which we will no longer get if this happens to us.
Hospital Job
Would 9 cpl be considered good pay for an in-house employee hospital position? No hourly pay, just pay on production. Benefits available such as PTO, paid training, health/dental insurance. Have option of working from home. Is it worth considering?
Hospital Job
It is a smallish/medium hospital with few ESLs.
hospital QA
I work for a hospital. We do verbatim, but use BOS as well to a degree. We have to use our judgement. If you know it is wrong and it changes the patient care then it should be flagged for QA. Better safe than sorry. Their job to take care of it as far as I'm concerned.
I second getting on with hospital/doc
You will earn more money in a hospital or doctor's office for the first few years, and will probably have better benefits such as insurance, too.
I am used to the ESL...I came from a hospital that
was 80% ESL. You can't get away from ESL and I think 50% is about average.
I was just in the hospital...sm
First in the ER, then I was admitted, and many of the nurses and technicians I interacted with had cell phones *on* them. I didn't see a bunch of signs saying 'no cell phones' which kind of surprised me. I was thinking maybe it's not such a big deal anymore... ? (They had me on an EKG the whole time because I was tachy.)
hospital pay in NJ
I work as a full-time remote employee in Central NJ. My pay after six years is 14.75/hour. I started at 12.50 with small incremental raises since then. Raises were hospital-wide and not based on individual merit. I've tried to get an invidual increase but no luck. We have a minimum line count per hour of 160, with incentive at 180 lines and again at 200 lines. Unfortunately, most of our easy work has been steadily going to the outside services, so incentive is more difficult to make but not impossible. PTO is 10 days to start and accrues from there. Decent benefits.
When I applied at a sister hospital not too long ago for the same job, their starting pay was LOWER than our hospital's starting pay was SIX years ago, so if anything, in our area the average pay is going down for in-house MT's, at least in our hospital system.
I'm actually considering the opposite route and seeing if I can make more money on my own, since it's pretty clear to me that our pay isn't going to go up anytime soon where I am now. 
Hospital
Even if they pay you 15 cents a line, they are making out cheaply. You have to drive there and you have to drive back. I do this every day. It costs me about 8-10 dollars a day in gas (low estimate) and takes over one hour of my time. You figure out based on the lines available if you are worth so little. Be smart and set up a server for them so that they print. If they print AND store, then 12 is a pretty good deal for both of you. Just my opinion. Good luck. Also, consider how much you have to print - that could take a lot of time. At one point I paid someone else to print, copy, make envelopes and distribute and it took four hours a day for them to do that. Don't jump on it until you are sure.
what about the hospital?
It is ridiculous for health insurance companies to decide when somebody needs medical care - that should be the doctor's decision. . but also, the hospital decided not to do the transplant until they got their money . . . sad. .
30 yrs, 20 with same hospital until...
outsourced to MQ :( Luckily, I got on with another hospital!
My hospital used it
when I hired about 7 years ago. The class was taught by this old, wized professor who was way cool. The class was mixed with MT, EMT, etc.- new employees hired by the hospital. I think it was an 8-week course about 1 or 2 x a week, with a final test at the end for a certificate of completion. I remember the roller coaster for costo (ribs) word association. I
Your hospital might, but others do
You're talking only about your experience with your hospital. That doesn't hold true for the industry as a whole. The main problem with the CCA has been that employers are not accepting it. That's because they think they need coders, not not-quite-coders whose credential qualifies them to, basically, receive the on-the-job training their school did not give them.
AHIMA recommends a minimum of 2 years experience because graduates of their accredited programs have a 70% failure rate on the CCS exam. Both the 70% failure rate of AHIMA grads and the problem of employers not accepting the CCA is known to AHIMA. It's on their website, too.
Hospitals *do* hire CPC credentials, even if yours does not. We have more than 20 of them.
If you are a CCA, in truth, you should know the credential is written CCA, not CC-A, and the CCS is not written CC-S.
Our hospital
Only has an audit trail once the document has been e-signed. Before that, anyone can go in and do whatever without leaving a reason or seeing a history. Thankfullly, we type in a dictaphone system and it crosses an interface into meditech. The dictaphone system will show the report at all stages and show which Transcriptionist made which changes.
My hospital does this and -
My hospital already has been doing EMR for 10 years and they have not reduced their staff of transcriptionists. We still physically type each and every report. It just means there is no actual paper report - the report is all computerized and the doctors pull it up and look at everything on computer and they can do this from home or from their office, as well as at the hospital.
They do not do anything automated except for looking at the chart. EMR and EHR does not necessarily mean voice recognition.
Hospital MT
I started working as a fulltime hospital employee about 10 months ago. My manager let me know the requirements that I would need before I could go home to work remotely. However, I thought I would be paid more. The pay was actually cut 2 months for those of us in a training status after I moved to this town, signed a lease, etc. My computer is not quite 4 years old. Home-based transcriptionists are expected to have high speed internet, IM, virus protection, and they would like for us to have a second phone line because one line is for the C-phone (this was provided). I'm having trouble with sound quality, disconnects, slowness of the programs to respond. Of course, anyone with a computer should have virus protection and I understand that. But anytime I complain or just ask if anyone else is having problems otherwise, I'm told it's my phone provider, IN provider, or my computer. I am to the point where I've actually said I'd be happy to "upgrade" if I could be reimbursed for that. Is this a bad attitude? I get the feeling I've been labeled as ungrateful just because I can't afford to have the latest and greatest like "everyone else," and should be "happy to have a job." Am I wrong to feel that as an employee, not IC, I should be reimbursed somewhat? Thanks!
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