The quality I see coming out of Pakistan and Egypt still bites the big one.

• My idea on what the U.S. should do about offshoring work of ALL kinds... (s/m) - My 2 cents worth!
  • bay area MT - stephanie
    • I just got a call from a doc today that... - I'm in CA too.
      • bay area MT . . . sm - stephanie
  • Offshoring is just a symptom of the world "flattening"...it's not going to go away - 2BaDinosaur or Not 2B
    • You're probably right. Plus we're losing our percentage of good people by .... (sm) - My 2 Cents
    • Prophetic words I am afraid. - CMT-me
      • The problem is, even those who learn are being left behind! (sm) - My 2 Cents
    • It they can't type a grammatically correct sentence, it doesn't matter how many degrees they h - nm
      • Now MT companies in India have control over the work produced. Quality is much - better. Have to agree with above post.
        • The quality I see coming out of Pakistan and Egypt still bites the big one. - nm
  • These companies often pay big bucks to support congressmen. Not likely congress will want to make - companies unhappy with big tax. nm
    • Exactly, we need to vote them out of office. (nm) - That's what we can do
    • Boy, you nailed it. This is - none
  • You're forgetting ALL the stuff you CAN buy because.... - SM
    • But you see, that's the problem. The lower wages go in the US, (sm) - My 2 Cents
    • Regarding widgets - mt1313
    • You're forgetting all the stuff you can't buy when you're UNEMPLOYED! - sm
      • I don't know what part of the country... - SM
        • It appears that each time you changed jobs, you went (sm) - Hmmm
        • Oh good grief. (nm) - McDonald's anyone?
  • Ditto here - wrkn4pnuts
  • I agree! (nm) - :::nodding head:::

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu

I maintain 99% accuracy above on my reports.  However, the original question was regarding personal preference, and I have stated mine, and I respect your opinion as well.  :-)    I do think if I was working in an office or hospital setting, the setup you mentioned might be more profitable in the long run.  There are too many interruptions and such when you have other people running in and out, phones ringing, etc. 

I doubt that anyone but me really cares about the lines per hour it takes for me to do a report.  They just want an accurate report in a timely manner.  I take pride in my work, and would never just slop something out for the sake of the almighty buck.   And, as an added incentive, I work for 2 companies, and one of them has my name on each report.  I don't have a problem with it, but I did think it was a bit unusual at first.

Oh well ... I must confess that what I'd TRULY like is to be paid lots of money to just sit and play Battle Phlinx on Pogo all day long, but as of yet, no such luck.  

When I worked in-house, our production level was less because we had to answer the phone and the door.  Even working at home for a hospital, we were only required to do approximately 110 lines per hour.  Of course, it was easy to do more.

It sounds like they're jerking you around in regard to your pregnancy.  That could be illegal.  Understandably, it is difficult to work and care for a child at the same time.  Do you have anything in writing about the daily production levels?  As for the routing, you might even have a larger pool of dictators if you work for a national.  For the most part, routing and carbon copies are all listed in your account specs to refer back to, however.

Do you use a word expander?  I wonder if that would help you out.  Maybe that's why they keep raising the production level is because some of the MTs are using Expanders and really knocking out the lines.

I think you'd be happier working at home with your baby.  I wish I had done it sooner because I wasted so much time working outside the home, being resentful, feeling guilty over leaving my kids at daycare, and going to college to find a bigger, better paycheck.  I started out slow in MT because I only had to make around $700 gross per month to equal what I would have made after daycare at my old job.

Well, you don't worry about any of this right now.  Taking care of yourself and that baby are your first priorities.  You didn't mention a significant other, but don't let anybody tell you that you have to work fulltime.  I always thought I had to work fulltime to be a productive member of society because it was drilled into my head by my family.  Being a good mother is a fulltime job in itself.  No stressing.  Everything always works out in the end.

Was turkey hunting in central Texas and was bitten numberous times over the course of the weekend.  Still unsure if it was done in the field or in the motel room at night.

The bites look exactly like the ones described in the original note on this thread.  Center blisters with big red welts under them (half to silver dollar size).  They break and scab and become very dark and then start to decrease in size after about 10 days.  My doctor gave me a cortisione steroid to take orally for 6 days and an anti-biotic to stop any possible infection.  My friends and I are all outdoorsman but have not seen this type of bite before.  Everything points towards spider but typically spider bites are defensive and they will bite once and leave.  I was bitten 11 times in 3 days.  As far as a recluse is concerned, the odds are slim as they are definetly a "one and run" type of spider and with as many times as I was bitten, I would've been very sick.  If you have many of these bites and are not very ill, chances are it was not a brown recluse.

Sorry you don't seem to be able to deal with the reality of MT world as it is in 2005.  You are the one with false illusions that somehow there is a code of ethics in any company or these MTs would unite to fight ??? uhh what's the fight and where is it at.  Might as well try to get a herd of cats together to fight an undefined battle for you once you figure out who your enemy is.

For an entire month maybe once or twice a week, I have been bitten by some unknown sneaky bug that leaves a center water blister and a huge red swollen area around the blister, maybe  the size of a half dollar coin.  I have been putting neosporin on it but would love to know what is biting me.  I woke up this morning with 3 extra bites.  I knew about the one on my wrist which has already started to blister.  I am thinking of going to the doctor but don't want to look like a wacko going in for nothing.  However, I absolutely hate insects and they seem to love me with the bites.

The itching  seems to happen when I am in the backyard (lots of trees and bushes).  So, might be getting bit there first then the bites get worse as time goes by.  They leave scabby cicular scars.  The skin looks healed but very dark.

Anyone else with this experience or should I just head to the doctor.  Can't really afford it but tired of the bites and the scars they are leaving.  Thanks.

REMEMBER WHEN THIS STORY BROKE? Finally, somebody is dealing with the issue. Check this out!

http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/41035-1.html

VA IT security gaps extend to contractors
06/14/06 -- 04:15 PM
By Mary Mosquera,

Rep. Buyer: Department CIO needs IT security enforcement authority
 
[b]The Veterans Affairs Department said today that it has been investigating allegations that an offshore medical transcription subcontractor last year threatened to expose 30,000 veterans’ electronic health records on the Internet in a payment dispute with a VA contractor. [/b]
The VA assistant inspector general referred to the investigation during questioning in a congressional hearing on VA’s data security environment in the wake of the theft of sensitive data of 26.5 million veterans, active duty military and reserves officers.

The medical transcription incident highlights how gaps in information security also extend to contractors, said Michael Staley, VA’s assistant inspector general for auditing. Some VA medical transcription contractors have used offshore subcontractors in India and Pakistan without VA’s approval and without adequate controls to ensure veterans’ health information was secure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, according to an audit released today.

“Contracts do not specify criteria for how to protect information,” Staley told the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

Staley enumerated audits of information management security under the Federal Information Security Management Act, the Consolidated Financial Statement and Combined Assessment Program that revealed significant vulnerabilities. These include VA not controlling and monitoring employee access, not restricting users to only the data they need and not terminating accounts of departing employees in a timely manner.

In last year’s FISMA review, the IG provided 16 recommendations, including addressing security vulnerabilities of unauthorized access and misuse of sensitive information and data throughout VA demonstrated during its field testing. All 16 recommendations remain open, he said.

Audits also found instances where out-based employees send veterans’ medical information to the VA regional office through unencrypted e-mail; monitoring remote network access and usage does not routinely occur; and off-duty users’ access to VA computer systems and sensitive information is not restricted.

“VA has implemented some recommendations for specific locations identified but has not made corrections VA-wide,” he said.

From fiscal years 2000 to 2005, the IG identified IT and security deficiencies in 141, or 78 percent, of 181 Veterans Health Administration facilities reviewed, and 37, or 67 percent, of the 55 Veterans Benefits Administration facilities reviewed.

“We recommended that VA pursue a more centralized approach, apply appropriate resources and establish a clear chain of command and accountability structure to implement and enforce IT internal controls,” Staley said.

The underlying situation is the VA’s department CIO does not have authority to enforce compliance with data security and information management and recommendations from GAO, said Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.).

Buyer traced problems in security enforcement to a memo dated April 2004 from the general counsel that said the department CIO did not have enforcement authority.

The CIO, undersecretaries who lead VA’s benefits, health and burial administrations, and the VA secretary share responsibility for enforcement, said Gregory Wilshusen, director of information security issues for the Government Accountability Office.

“Information security is a governmentwide problem, and we have talked with OMB about that,” said Linda Koontz, director of GAO’s information management issues.

Buyer expressed frustration that there are no consequences for “recalcitrant” agencies that do not correct problems that GAO has repeatedly highlighted. He cited the Privacy Act, which has been strengthened with consequences.

“If you have a bureaucracy so strong in the department that the secretary or political bodies are unable to act, don’t you think the president or vice president or OMB needs to know that because there are monetary consequences behind that inaction? I’m bothered that GAO doesn’t have the higher authority to which they can turn,” Buyer said after the hearing.

After several more hearings this month, Buyer and his committee will make recommendations or craft legislation. He suggested that Congress consider looking at strengthening FISMA.

“We can even come up with that in our language, but we’re not going to have jurisdiction over that. We’ll have to work with Mr. Davis [House Government Reform Committee chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.)] and his committee. I’d be more than happy to do that,” he said.

© 1996-2006 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I don't think I'd cash them either.  They don't make sense from what I'm reading.  Has anybody contacted the law firm handling the class action suit for the MTs to see what's up there and if these are connected?

I'd sure hate to have your be "settling" by you cashing them and you not even know it.

If they were smart they invested what things came to them under

the table for selling us out down the river, because the bottom will

fall out from under them soon enough.

Right now the United States is in such a weakened state, the world is

ready to pounce on us.   They are talking in the Trillions we are in debt now as

a nation. 

bucks for tons of ice to melt in warehouses in northern states because of incompetence of govt officials.  Maybe if people relied less on the govt we could have lower taxes. 

I do not object to helping those in areas who have a disaster that cannot be predicted such as an earthquake, but it seems that Florida wants everyone to rebuild their houses several times a year and feed them even longer.  Those areas are known to be hurricane prone, so get out when disaster is coming.  

I don't envy you at all. I know my husband would have no qualms about closing the road leading to their house.  Unfortunately, you still have to live near them, so probably don't want to cause any more problems than necessary.

Good luck.

However, you have to understand that most MTs are not paid hourly and are paid per line.  Some of us with 20 years are still only offered between 8-10 cpl if we're lucky.

Just be ready to job hunt and read here about the different companies.  Spheris big time off shores and underpays. 

You may want to either go to school (hopefully your hospital pays for that) or look for another on-site job that pays hourly.  With Spheris you'll have to work from home (which sounds dandy) until you actually do it. 

It works well for me right now, but I plan to get back on site as soon as my kids get a little older.  It is very hard to separate work from home when you work from home.

There will probably be no benefits for you either especially at part-time. 

You could wait until the bridge is there to cross it, try out Spheris, and then go from there.