good times

Good Grief! [2008-12-04]
I think you read wayyy too much into my post. I am not saying they do anything to pi$$ me off, I do not mind being called for extra hours on the weekends or working when the demand is there. Some of us (I think the OP) like to just understand where things are coming from. And yes, I really HAVE worked in house for a hospital (several large, nationally known entities) for quite some time. No, not all hospitals work the same, I was speaking from MY experience. So please, before shooting off like that, consider asking a few questions or trying to understand where the other poster is coming from. Not everyone is out to get someone or point a finger. Some are just here to offer an opinion and some alternative advice to help others...even if it is just to help understand why things may be the way they are. Yes, it does help some get through the day to try to understand.

Took me 5 times. I actually had to click on the [2008-12-04]
log in button instead of hitting enter before it would let me in

Good point. Thanks for bring that up. I [2008-12-02]
get so annoyed by this 100 times a day. I am going to put something behid mine, too. Anything I can do to make this job a little easier is worth it. Thanks again!

good idea [2008-12-01]
I just e-mailed my CCM too and requested to take PTO - I don't see why this would be a problem - so I'm getting ready to go shopping!

Good at least some people did [2008-11-30]
This should not just use this to whine and complain. We have to send comments to MT questions and MQ Central and that is what I did. I am glad you did the same and I hope others do too. Just copy and paste under certain topics, ASR pay cut, Mr. 644, The Challenge, etc. and SEND THEM IN

Hope you have a good day, too. sm. [2008-11-29]
Glad we all have this board to vent - need to vent to relieve the stress/pressure/exasperation! If you run out of work, though, call and get a ticket# so at least we can be thrown a few peanuts. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Tofurkey really good [2008-11-29]
To update - We had the vegan Tofurkey Feast which was $20 at Whole Foods and it was really good - potato (or potatoe for Dan Quayle) dumplings, gravy and Tfky roast and stuffing all included. Even the meat eaters were happy.

good to know...thanks for posting....nm [2008-11-28]
x

Good grief, are you a new MT? [2008-11-27]
x

If you're a good MT, you won't have any problems. [2008-11-27]
x

good for you -- keep asking and reminding, you deserve it!! [2008-11-26]
x

I'm glad you are having good luck, but my experience is [2008-11-26]
totally opposite. A typical experience for me is, as an example, and I documented this: 5 minute report - 60 corrections which includes words, punctuation and formatting that I had to do. This took me almost 20 minutes, and that does not count the nearly 5 minutes it took to enter the cc's with their dictated addresses. There are dream ASR accounts out there. I have experienced a few reports from such accounts out of my area when my area ran out of work. It makes me cry to know there are indeed great ASR accounts out there (which I do not have), but we all get paid the same whether it is a dream account of absolute crap.

Good [2008-11-26]
Grief. No wonder there is no work.

Good [2008-11-25]
I was hoping you weren't getting unfamiliar accounts. But, it does make me sort of wonder about one thing - we're supposed to be able to transcribe/edit everything that's assigned to us and we're constantly being bounced around all over the place. Yet, only the familiar accounts are being given to the MTs for QA. What's the difference? Oh my, could it be because they know we do more quality work on something that's familiar to us?

THANKS.....good go know....n/m [2008-11-25]
x

OOOPS!!! Good TO know. nm [2008-11-25]
x

How many times I have said this company could save a lot of [2008-11-25]
money by doing away with these people who are making the decisions that directly impact our incomes and lives. All these people making the most important rules and decisions, and I dare say I am correct that not one was ever a transcriptionist. Walk a mile in my shoes, why don't cha MQ.

Good point, everyone posting [2008-11-24]
wonderful results aren't helping themselves because that's not taking into account crappy dictators, the pool, & that there's no way you can go at that speed 8 hrs a day 5 days a week, so posting a 1-hour result is more hurtful than helpful in the big picture.

Good catch! [2008-11-23]
x

Good luck to you! (sm) [2008-11-22]
I hope you have success in your schooling. My husband was 42 when he decided to go to nursing school. He has been working as an RN in the ER (1 FT job and then he works 3 PRN jobs in ERs around the area making $40/hr). There is no shortage of nursing jobs. He has agencies calling him all the time needing nurses to work. So, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor. I agree with you about transcription...I used to love this job, but now it has become such a chore even to get myself to want to work. I am selling AVON PT to recoup what I have lost with this job, plus my FT job with the hospital that I work for (all from home), that's the only reason why I am sticking with it.

Good for you!! [2008-11-22]
You have a husband or another source of income, right? Do you understand that MTs are not turning their lives upside down, it's MQ that is doing this? Can you understand how hard and time-consuming it is to search for a job, then the learning curve, etc. Many want to leave in the worst kind of way, but it's just not that easy. Wish people would stop telling people to just leave. Not relevant to this situation.

Good thoughts [2008-11-21]
on this subject. What really worries me here is the fact that many of us are actually considering leaving the profession. The Q complains they have not enough help. If they barely had enough, they will lose employees over this. Did you know MQ has actually lowered their hiring standards since I started with them? When I got hired you had to have like 3 years full time experience. I think they ask for 1 year now. When you lower your standards, quality lowers. When you aren't the best of the best, you can't charge like it. It is a catch-22.

Good grief. You shouldn't even be a QA. [2008-11-21]
x

Good question [2008-11-21]
And I don't have a good answer. I guess it just irks me. And I figured someone would jump on it since it's not verbatim. But I'm convinced. Won't do that any more!

good for you!! [2008-11-21]
I hope to be so lucky. I don't have my hopes up for it to be in this career anymore though.

I don't recall saying I felt like anyone was "out to [2008-12-04]
get me. I was, once again, simply curious as to why they would call and ask for extra hours when no extra work is available. I'm guessing they do know my tier level. It wouldn't make much business sense to schedule people for overtime who are not able to do the work needed. I do not have a victim mentality. I am smart enough to know, however, that the IR calling when no extra work is available is ludicrous and unnecessary. Your attitude in your answers makes you appear that you think you are somehow superior to other MTs who have questions. We all havequestions fromtime to time.Even if we just want to vent, this is the place to do it.Have a good day!

I'm not quite sure to whom you are responding or why [2008-12-04]
your reply is so condescending. I, too, am an MT who does what is required and a lot of what is asked. I just was trying to figure out why when work is still somewhat low, the IR would call and ask for extra time when I haven't even been able to get my regularly scheduled hours this week. I realize that changes come with any job. I enjoy being able to work at home with very little expense to myself. I realize this job is somewhat feast or famine and understand that it is up to me during the feast times to prepare for the famine. I have worked in a hospital setting before and know the work is cyclic. That still does not explain why the IR is calling asking for extra help when no extra work is available.

i stopped changing physical examination to physical exam [2008-12-03]
the dictators i get almost always say physical exam and ASR always changes it to physical examination. I changed it enough times that ASR had a chance to learn it, it failed, so i'm done with that craziness now.

OMG, it's not just me! - sm [2008-12-03]
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how good it is to see a QA person agreeing with the quality of the docs and sound in SA5. Imagine it on ASR and you get where I was coming from in the above thread. You've just made my night.

We're not all here simply because we can't find [2008-12-03]
other jobs. Some of us stay because of choice. I may not like all the changes, but I choose to stay with MQ. My rate of pay is as good as I could get other places even with the cut in ASR. They pay on time. My supervisors have been very good to work for. So, it's not all bad.

Wow, are you leaving MQ? I should follow! [2008-12-03]
You will do great! You have great experience and I am sure you can learn new platforms easily. Good Luck!

new ASR person [2008-12-03]
Well the first month is great because you get paid the same amount that you are making as an hourly wage. But after that, it is all downhill. However, if you are one of those people who can do 644 lines an hour along with regular transcription do another 400 lines an hour, good luck, because you will be knocked down to 4 cents a line. it can become a little bit too much when like me had 90% ASR and 10% typing. I would rather type and get my lines.

New TTer too [2008-12-03]
I started with TT last week and am still doing PT with MQ. I had forgotten what it was like to really type a report!! I love TT so much already! They are incredibly nice, they have great dictators and I don't have to type ASR unless I want to! I think we made a good move!

I started with TT last June when we got [2008-12-03]
our original pay cut. After 16 years with MQ I was really ticked off. I still worked FT both jobs until last June when I went part time with MQ. Had to just to keep the same salary. I will not do speech with TT as I am not willing to work for that line rate, but they have been really good to work for. I still stay part time with MQ and it is nice having a back up when TT is slow, or vice versa.

It's not too difficult to offshore accounts when your "store front" is in the United States [2008-12-03]
in this industry. Think about it if you were a doctor, for instance, in a group practice of say six physicians. You are offered great line rates for transcriptions and your office manager pursues a US based company (at least according to the address, although the company has an 800 or 888 toll free number, which could be anywhere in the world). Sad to say this physician practice has absolutely no idea that their dictation is being sent overseas. I think it is even more disgusting that the patient has no clue. I know that a ban on sending medical transcription overseas will be a tough obstacle, but I believe that every U.S. citizen deserves to know and have the right to choose where their personal medical history is going. I'm quite confident that foreign patients would not like their personal information being typed by a U.S. transcriptionist. Let us all get real in these times of mistrust and turmoil.

I used my name in July 2007 [2008-12-02]
I was not quite as nice as moonchild. I simply stated the impact the changes in July 2007 had on my life. I was polite, but my anger oozed. I'm still here. No repercussions. I never thought to not put my name. Everything I said was the truth as were the predictions I made... that my future with MQ... well, the days were numbered. And they were. Flex PT now. Good move for me.

Advanced Directives [2008-12-02]
The friend I talked to about this is in her 70s, and told her daughter no paddles, but the daughter says she'd do it, anyway. Her main point was that she wouldn't want extensive heroics at this stage in her life, and wouldn't be interested in chemo if she were diagnosed with cancer. Now would be a good time to ensure that info is in the wallet! Some families simply can't discuss death, which is unfortunate.

I use a box, too (a HEAVY box)..... [2008-12-02]
so my foot pedal doesn't slip around. That used to bother me a lot before I figured that out. I'm short, so I have my foot pedal up on 2 encyclopedias (I knew they'd be good for something when I bought them for my daughter 15 years ago, lol). I use a phone book under my left foot. Plus, I have special typing shoes. Does anyone have those? Mine are old loafers. I don't know how I'd ever replace them.

Good point. Thanks for bring that up. I [2008-12-02]
get so annoyed by this 100 times a day. I am going to put something behid mine, too. Anything I can do to make this job a little easier is worth it. Thanks again!

OMG! OMG! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS. [2008-12-02]
http://health-information.advanceweb.com/editorial/content/editorial.aspx?cc=189369 I went to Google, typed in Medquist and then at top of page, I hit News and this is the report that came up first. IT SAYS TO GO TO MTSTARS.COM in the article. From the East Comes Light Posted on Dec. 1, 2008 By Rebecca A. McSwain, PhD, CMT View/Post Comment E-Mail Article Printer-Friendly Permalink Ex oriente lux (From the East Comes Light) (Latin proverb) Over the last 10 years there have been, to guesstimate, a billion words expended on offshore MT. Unfortunately, these words have often generated more heat than light. That is to say, offshore MT is an emotional issue, and enlightenment in the form of facts is sometimes hard to come by. For example, an outfit called ValueNotes, which researches and analyzes international business trends, suggested in 2006 that current revenue from Indian MT was $195 million yearly and would reach $647 million by 2010. ValueNotes, however, is based in India, and may be inclined to have an exaggerated view of Indian MT trends. Given that many large U.S. clients - hospitals and clinics - require guarantees that their work will not be offshored, it's difficult to say where this vast expansion in Indian MT will come from. It is undeniable, however, that large U.S. medical transcription service organizations (MTSOs) now have a presence in India (Spheris and MedQuist are examples). For a good sampling of how U.S. MTs feel, go to the MTStars Web site (http://www.mtstars.com), Main Forum, and search the term offshore. Hold on to your hat, and get out your saltshaker for the grains of salt you need when reading some of the posts. Many people blame offshoring companies for the precipitous drop in MT wages in the past decade or so. But is there really good evidence for this? There have been myriad downward pressures on transcription pay. First is the nationwide panic about soaring health care costs. The value of MT is often not understood by administrative/financial decision makers in health care institutions, and MT becomes an easy target for those seeking to save money. Second, the increasing and continuing costs of technological change have, in my opinion, siphoned off billions of the dollars allocated to medical records - sometimes with good results, sometimes not. Some of that money, I believe, has come out of our (MT) hides. Third, I believe the promises (delusions) of automated transcription have created a reluctance on the part of financial decision-makers to spend the money necessary to train and retain skilled MTs, because, after all, in 5 years we will all be replaced by a computer. (Not. But that's another topic.) Finally, MTs should consider that their loss of income may be part of a larger trend of lower or stagnant pay in health care occupations. Nursing pay, for example, did not increase for many years in spite of an acute shortage of nurses, and nursing can't be outsourced. (See http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/354/15/1648 for one discussion of nurses' wages.) I worked in India for 6 months and still count some Indian MTs as friends and colleagues. I didn't believe at that time, and don't believe now, that offshoring is the source of all the ills of MT. If the value of medical transcription is understood correctly by hospital and clinic administrators, if quality and service are paramount, then our shared goals can be achieved by a worldwide collaboration of well-trained and appropriately compensated MTs. That would be the dawn of a new day! Rebecca A. McSwain is currently working as a production MT for a national service. She has worked as an MT supervisor, business owner, instructor and QA manager. She's a member of AHDI and the American Medical Writers Association. She has a PhD in anthropology and continues to work on anthro-related writing projects in her spare time. She can be reached at rmcswain_985@fuse.net.

Creeping foot pedal [2008-12-02]
I found a good way to keep mine from creeping away from me. The shelf liner, the kind that is flexible and grips, works great for keeping it in place. It will allow it to slide a little, but not so much that you have to chase it around the whole time you are working. Just cut it a bit bigger than the foot pedal and it works perfect.

better yet [2008-12-02]
why not ask him to have the top ASR producer do the ASR refresher courses -- wonder what kind of excuse he would come up with as to why that couldn't be arranged -- if you're going to mouth off about something at least have the gumption to back it up. MQ has always been good about being vague about things that they know are either wrong or they have no such merit to it, but they play mind games with the MTs, which if they were really smart they would realize that usually these mind games only product negativity instead of having a positive effect.

congrats! [2008-12-02]
good for you!!! go get em!!

thanks! [2008-12-02]
Its not a better pay as far as rate per line, but its one hospital, and its regular enough that they said a few times a month they offer OT, they ask for volunteers for holidays, they have lower cost health insurance so I may actually be able to afford insurance for the first time in 5 years...but I admit I'm still senidng out resumes for other places, because I am feeling like the pay rate is too close to what it is here, and I need to start saving money since I dont have a 401K since I couldn't even add to that ever! I need something more, so this is just a stepping stone to something more I'm sure...but while I'm not extremely excited about this new position, I'm more excited about taking that first step to helping me support my family better and have a less stressed ME so my son has a less stressed MOM to deal with. :) thanks!! now I feel like I can take a big breath....

not 2 min. after I sent it... [2008-12-02]
I got a call from my CCM. He has always been nice and funny. sometimes he takes a while to get back with regard to holiday PTO, but he also admits that he was trying to be fair based on prior supervisors approving stuff already, etc, so he has been pretty nice so far...and I was pleasantly surprised when he asked why I was leaving and I told him straight up why, and he said (much to my surprise) that he UNDERSTANDS and its not unlike concerns other transcriptionists in our group have had, and so he really doesn't have an argument against it, but hates to see me go. He told me he rarely gets any corrections about my work and that made me feel good to hear, and said that he hates to see me go, asked what it would take to stay and unfortunately he understands my concerns and issues because they are the same as others. He is very understanding, probably helps that he has small kids as well. he knows I'm a single mom. He did tell me that he would love if I could try to do part time, but he said that he will be in touch with me for sure before I leave. I was worried about a negative call, but was surprised. Sadly, I cried to him when telling him why because it wasn't a very easy thing, I've been with the original company for 10 years that MQ bought a few years earlier.

Haven't seen any improvement either. [2008-12-02]
Once in awhile, a long while, you will get a report that is nearly perfect. Don't know why, but the next dictator you get is just as good and it screws up the entire report.

ohhh, I have a thought... [2008-12-02]
maybe because youve been with that account 7 years you've been able to see a change. I'm on a whole new primary and the ASR is pretty bad, plus I'm bouncing and the ASR seems to bad on that, plus more ESL docs on the accounts I'm bouncing to...maybe that's enough to cause a difference in point of views. My old primary seemed pretty darn good with ASR, I know I got a lot more lines, but they were hardly any of the ESL docs on my old primary that I was taken off when they made these changes mid October...so maybe you are right in regards to yours because you've been there long enough to be able to see changes. :) I hope that makes sense, that's not meant to be offensive if it is, just saying that you may actually have more ability to see the changes since you were there long enough on that account, versus I have all new accounts including primary? :)

I'm so glad you heard from your supervisor [2008-12-02]
I'm so glad he had nothing but nice things to say to you and also validated your fears and concerns. It sure does feel good to hear kind things - its just too sad that the only time we seem to hear them at MQ is when we quit. Best of luck to you. You know you can always return and start immediately, so try not to be afraid, though I can totally relate. Been there, done that. I've been gone about 6 months now and still feel like MQ is my real employer. Its so hard to break the connection, I know. I was with them always, too, thru one company buyout after another. You will be fine and have a Happy New Year!

My account is getting worse - sm [2008-12-02]
It just keeps getting worse and worse. I seldom get anything other than my primary, and when I do I jump for joy because it's usally many times better. I have only one or two ESL docs, so that's not the issue. It is a teaching account with a level I trauma ER, so half the time it sounds as if they are dictating from a war zone, but that STILL doesn't explain how clozapine, clearly said, could be interpteted as *closet penis*. If it ever got Ativan right I might need CPR, it comes up with various different terms for that one. It's gotten to the point that lately it seems that I have to correct every other word, so much for those 644 lph...the best I can do, working my @ss off is around 225. I want a new account, or some good drugs!

thank you so much... [2008-12-02]
and yeah, it was nice to be validated by my own CCM. I do feel a little nervous/anxious about starting new somewhere else, but like you said, I can always come back if I had to (emphasis on HAD to) and I am ready for a HOPEFULLY positive change. I've sadly been brought to tears many times in the last month and a half, and so I'm hoping this will be the step in the right direction for my small family. Thanks again for the kind words and I wish a happy new year to you as well!