Transcend acquires California company's transcription biz

you are an IC if the company you work for does not pay your taxes.... [2007-12-30]
When you are an IC, you tell the company who contracts with you how much work you can provide. It is no different than any other contractor who tells you they will do something for so much money. If they do not perform what is promised, you will probably not rehire them. Same thing goes for IC's. You can be let go for not keeping your end of the bargain. There are great tax benefits for being an IC, but I strongly recommend you seek the assistance of a professional CPA for this come tax time.

Transcend Services records Q1 profit [2006-04-20]
The Atlanta-based medical transcription technology company (NASDAQ: TRCR) had net income of $150,000 on $8 million in revenue, compared with net income of $12,000 on $5.3 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2005. Earnings were 2 cents a share, compared with break-even earnings in the first quarter of 2005. The nearly $3 million increase in revenue is attributable to the acquisition of Medical Dictation Inc. in January 2005. We are pleased to return to profitability after a difficult year in 2005, said Larry Gerdes, president and CEO. I am encouraged by both the improvement in our gross profit as a percentage of revenue and the results of our expense control initiatives. To grow our revenue 51 percent with only a 4 percent increase in other operating expenses shows that we can leverage our relatively fixed overhead costs as we grow.

Medical Transcription Recognized as an Apprenticeable Occupation [2006-03-14]
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2006--Graduates of selected medical transcription training programs will now have access to registered apprenticeship programs, as the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has now declared medical transcription to be an apprenticeable profession - the first step in establishing a national apprenticeship program. The Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services approved the application for apprenticeability determination submitted by the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA) along with the American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT). Having a recognized apprenticeable occupation will provide a pipeline of medical transcription professionals entering into a workforce facing a serious labor and skills shortage. stated Keith Flannery, Vice President, MTIA. Workforce development under the standards established by this apprenticeship program will aid in facilitating the transition between student and an employable, productive, and qualified medical transcriptionist. Given the challenge the industry faces in recruiting qualified candidates to meet the ever-increasing demand for real-time, quality healthcare data, a registered apprenticeship program couldn't be developed and launched at a more critical time, stated Peter Preziosi, PhD, CAE, AAMT Executive Director. Workforce development is essential to ensuring that documentation experts are in place to assist the industry in transitioning to an electronic health record and to preserving the quality and integrity of the health record in that future. The Registered Apprenticeship Program, sponsored by the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA), will offer structured on-the-job learning and related technical instruction for qualified medical transcriptionists entering the profession. The two associations, along with the Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services, are finalizing program details. Medical Transcription is a crucial process in the provision of quality healthcare in our country. This is a hallmark program for the industry, said Sean Carroll, President, MTIA.

Neurologist saves $12,000 per year on medical transcription [2006-02-22]
Recognition vs. Transcription W. Palm Beach, FL neurologist saves $12,000 per year on medical transcription using state-of-the-art voice recognition software [ClickPress, Tue Feb 21 2006] Dr. H. Steven Block, M.D. uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking Medical Edition, voice recognition software for medical professionals, to eliminate a very real business problem--medical transcription costs-- which six years ago, began topping the $1,000-a-month mark. Today, a doctor can easily spend three times that amount. Very open about his high regard for the Dragon Medical VR product, Dr. Block had much to say about its place in his solo practice: “I purchased Dragon Medical from Eric Fishman’s company, Nuance, which is actually located in the same building as my practice, on the floor above me. Neurology is all about ‘nuance’, no pun intended. But ‘nuance’ is really the best word to describe the health effects of a neurological problem. It has been a major focus of my practice.” “Very subtle neurological changes can have devastating health consequences. You have to be able to communicate those subtleties in order for a medical record to have any meaning.” “I see some really sick patients. Using an on-the-spot note generation product like Dragon, instead of a transcription service, let’s me get back to the referring physician with a fast note, usually within 10 minutes of seeing the patient. That kind of speed in delivering a medical exam note with ‘nuance’ can mean a great deal to everyone involved. You see, I can’t type. I never learned how to type. My kids who grew up instant-messaging can type faster than I can speak. They don’t need Dragon. But for me, Dragon is a wonderful tool.” Dr. Block, 49, is no stranger to high technology tools: “There are only so many hours in the day,” he laughed, driving down the road, talking via wireless cell phone headset, “and I’m very detail-oriented. I couldn’t be without Dragon, quite frankly.” One word I did not hear from Dr. Block is the word “downtime”. It doesn’t seem to exist in his vocabulary. Having traveled the long and winding upgrade path for both Dragon and laptop hardware, Dr. Block has watched and participated in the evolution of the product for six years. “Like a surfer looking for the perfect wave,” he joked. The improvement he’s seen in the most recent version of Dragon Medical—combined with a high-RAM laptop with at least 512MB—has boosted performance to an almost unbelievable 99.5% real time voice recognition accuracy level, according to his observations. His advice to new users: “If you haven’t tried Dragon Medical in the last four years,” he said, “try it again, the way it is now, with the new speech engine. It uses mathematical models to analyze word groups. There is a learning curve, but the training is not that bad, consisting of you reading a 15 minute script into a microphone, then a little touch-up here and there.” “Try a few charts each day, and sit down where it’s quiet, where you can relax and concentrate on your speaking habits. Tech support is great; they’ll help you, and be sure to read the help file “How to Speak to a Computer”—and the manual. Especially for often repeated phrases, the voice-actuated “macros” are great, a real time-saver. It’s well-worth the time you invest in learning how to use this tool.” What are the pitfalls? “Mumbling,” says Dr. Block, “that’s the main problem. Doctors are used to dictating in a low, monotone mumble, as fast as they can. A person might be able to handle it by going back and listening to the recording again and again. But for voice recognition, doctors need to speak in a normal, conversational tone of voice, just like we are doing right now. Speak normally, and Dragon has no problem, it works very well. It’s really quite simple.” He stated that using a handheld Sony digital voice recorder with removable memory stick allows him to dictate anywhere, anytime, then later, “feed” the sound file to Dragon, achieving about 98% voice recognition accuracy. (Please note: If you are considering making a recording for later voice recognition by Dragon, be sure and use 16-bit resolution .avi format, or Dragon won’t even try to “digest” it. It won’t bother with a recording of poor quality, because the end result would be useless.) Although he is considering it, Dr. Block has not yet adopted a commercial EMR(Electronic Medical Records) software system for his medical records, mainly because of concerns about interoperability standards. (Coming soon to an EMR near you.) However, by using Dragon Medical as his “front-end” for the creation of detailed paper medical records, email reports, and digital-FAX messages, Dr. Block not only uses computers, but has also created a highly personal and expressive way to “chart” a patient, unmatched in detail, depth, and the “human touch” by out-of-the-box EMR software. Would EMR software developers do well to discuss with this doctor any design plans for a voice-controlled, voice-recognition-based EMR program? I think so. Will a “hands-free” EMR workstation which responds to voice commands--as does the entire Dragon program--ever be used to help maintain a “sterile field” in the medical environment of the future? It certainly worked well on the Starship Enterprise, didn’t it?

Transcend acquires California company's transcription biz [2006-01-31]
Transcend Service Inc. has bought PracticeXpert Inc.'s transcription business. Under the terms of the agreement with Transcend, PracticeXpert will receive up to $500,000, over three years, on an earn-out basis, with an initial $40,000 payment on closing. Atlanta-based Transcend (NASDAQ: TRCR - News) provides medical transcription services to health systems, hospitals, clinics and physician practices. Calabasas, Calif.-based PracticeXpert (OTC BB: PXPT - News) provides medical billing, accounts receivable management, practice management, consulting, seminars, practice management software, electronic medical records software and related services.

AAMT to start offering its first medical transcription training program in the Philippines. [2006-01-29]
IT education institution Informatics recently signed up with the American Academy of Medical Transcription (AAMT) to start offering its first medical transcription training program in the Philippines.The training modules intend to improve both English communication skills and medical knowledge from basic to intermediate in students hoping to work in the medical transcription business growing in the country. Among the modules are English grammar and style essentials, foreign accent dictation, human anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, diagnostic procedures, laboratory medicines, medical word building, and medico-legal concepts and ethics. Participants with medical backgrounds would have 150 hours of lecture and 160 hours of on-the-job training. Those without medical skills would have 220 lecture hours and 160 hours of on-the-job training. The program intends to train about 2,000 medical transcribers to enter the workforce this year, according to Informatics director for corporate learning Paul Dumaguin. Statistics from the Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines indicate that over 7,000 medical transcribers are needed to meet the demand of the medical transcription business. The US is currently the biggest source of medical transcription and 45 percent of the work is being done by India. Dumaguin said that medical transcribers can work for existing firms, but have an option to work at home as independent transcribers. “Trainees typically obtain employment with an MT outsourcing firm, but with the growth of the industry, they have other options as well, such as putting up their own MT businesses,” Dumaguin said. The worldwide medical transcription business is expected to grow to 25 billion US dollars within the next three years.

PracticeXpert, Inc. announced the sale of its transcription business unit [2006-01-04]
CALABASAS, Calif., Jan. 3, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- PracticeXpert, Inc. (OTCBB:PXPT) today announced the sale of its transcription business unit to Transcend Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:TRCR). Commenting on the sale, Jonathan Doctor, president and CEO of PracticeXpert, stated, Transcend is very much like PracticeXpert. They utilize leading-edge software applications to deliver transcription services, just as PracticeXpert utilizes leading-edge software applications to deliver our physician revenue management services. Allowing Transcend to focus on providing our customers with transcription services will allow us to focus on what we do best -- outsourced billing and collections for medical practitioners. We consider this transaction much more than a sale of our transcription business unit. We see it as the beginning of a long-term partnership with Transcend. We intend to formalize a strategic marketing arrangement with Transcend under which they will be the transcription provider of choice to PracticeXpert customers, and Transcend will be able to offer our revenue management service, practice management systems, and electronic medical record systems to the thousands of physicians who currently use their services. Under the terms of the agreement with Transcend, PracticeXpert will receive up to $500,000, over three years, on an earn-out basis, with an initial payment on closing in the amount of $40,000. About PracticeXpert, Inc. PracticeXpert provides turn-key practice management services and technology solutions to medical practitioners that improve operational efficiencies and enhance cash flow. PracticeXpert offerings include medical billing, accounts receivable management, practice management, consulting, seminars, practice management software, electronic medical records software and related services. PracticeXpert bundles its technology applications with its billing and other practice management services to provide a complete and integrated solution to its physician customers. To find out more about PracticeXpert, Inc. (OTCBB:PXPT), visit our website at www.practicexpert.com.

Revolutionary new Medical Transcription Software. [2005-11-27]
This is to introduce a new Medical Transcription Software KeyboardCheetah. KeyboardCheetah is an application that helps you create very fast text macros and text replacement hotkeys to increase your typing speed vastly. KeyboardCheetah application redefines the way typing is done. It helps increase your typing speed to 200% of your present speed within a period of 15 days.

TRANSCEND: appointment of Lance Cornell as Chief Financial Officer [2005-11-02]
TRANSCEND SERVICES, INC. today announced the appointment of Lance Cornell as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Cornell replaces Mr. Mark D. Meersman, who has decided to return to the position of partner-in-charge of inProcess Consulting, a management consulting firm that he left six months ago to join Transcend. Mr. Cornell is a Certified Public Accountant with over 18 years of experience in accounting, finance and financial management, including controller and chief financial officer positions with publicly traded companies. Prior to joining Transcend, Mr. Cornell was Chief Financial Officer for nearly five years at Facility Resources, Inc., a private consulting firm specializing in facility-related project management, systems implementation and outsourcing for large corporations. Prior to that experience, Mr. Cornell served in chief financial officer and controller positions in two separate publicly traded companies in the healthcare information systems industry. Mr. Cornell received a B.S. degree in Finance with highest honors from the University of Colorado. Larry Gerdes, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the announcement: We welcome Lance's financial executive experience to our executive management team and thank Mark for his many and varied contributions to our Company. Mark has assisted the company in the automation and analysis of financial data that will prove helpful as we focus on improving our overall profitability. Lance not only understands the challenges facing the Company, but also sees the opportunities for the Company to grow and prosper in the $6 billion market for medical transcription services in the United States. We are particularly excited about his experience in planning and financing growth strategies, including acquisitions. Mr. Cornell commented: I am excited about the potential effects that the Company's BeyondTXT speech recognition functionality and its strategic acquisition initiative should have upon the Company's financial performance. I look forward to helping the Company achieve its growth and profitability objectives. About Transcend Services, Inc. Transcend believes that accurate, reliable and timely transcription creates the foundation for the patient medical record. To this end, the Company has created Internet-based, speech recognition-enabled voice-to-text systems that allow its skilled medical language specialists to securely and quickly produce the highest quality medical documents. The Company's wide range of transcription services encompass everything needed to securely receive, transcribe, edit, format and distribute electronic copies of physician-dictated medical documents, from overflow projects to complete transcription outsourcing. For more information, visit http://www.transcendservices.com.

INDIA - Why medical transcription is such a major draw [2005-08-20]
The medical transcription business is drawing people from other sectors. That’s because the income can be quite substantial. Transcriptionists are paid anywhere between 60 paise to Rs 2.0 per line. At a minimum of 6 hours and transcribing 800 lines per day, transcriptionists can make around Rs 1,200 a day. Working 26 days a month, they earn more than Rs 30,000 (USD 450 - 500)a month. They send their reports to an Editor for proof-reading who are paid upwards of Rs 40,000 per month. As a result, hundreds of professionals are quitting their regular jobs to assist US doctors in transcribing their conversation with patients. X-ray, pathology, surgery and discharge reports of US patients are also being transcribed out of India. To be a transcriptionist, an aspirant has to acquire skills in medical terminology. The next step is the editor. Level three is a quality analyst (QA) who has to work out of the office of the MT firm. It’s a daily ritual for thousands of homemakers across India. After sending husbands to work and kids to school, they download voice files and start transcribing medical illnesses of patients in the US. Slowly, medical transcription from home is becoming a phenomenon, particularly in tier-II cities where the BPO boom hasn’t yet caught on and educated women are still not being encouraged to venture out of home. “Almost half of our 600 home employees are women. Working from home allows them to spend more time with family,” said Mr Rajiv Shetye, VP, Spryance, a Boston-based medical transcription firm which now has 1,200 employees in India. According to estimates, India has about 100 medical transcription companies and the big ones include Accusis, Spryance, Stheris and Heartland. About 10,000 people work in the $120 million-strong industry. Still, there is a lot of untapped potential. The US market for market transcription is about $12 bn per annum, which is more than double the BPO exports of India. More than 700 million hospital events need to be recorded every year. According to Nasscom, about 1.6 lakh such transcriptionists will be needed in India by 2008. Earnings depend on how much time a person is able to devote. Billing is based on the number of lines transcribed. HARSIMRAN SINGH

Transcend and MDI Founder Announce Stock Option Agreement [2005-08-19]
ATLANTA -- Aug. 18, 2005 -- Transcend SERVICES, INC. (Nasdaq SmallCap: TRCR) today announced that a co-founder of Medical Dictation Inc. (MDI), Sue McGrogan, has agreed to invest $200,000 in Transcend as of August 15, 2005 through the purchase of 71,942 shares of common stock. This purchase is part of an overall option agreement that provides four options to purchase $200,000 each that could result in $800,000 of total investment over the next two years. Half of the investment will be in cash and the other half in the forgiveness of a note due to Sue McGrogan from her sale of MDI to Transcend. These purchases will be made at a price of 110% of the average market price for the ten trading days prior to said purchase. The remaining three options are exercisable on the six- month anniversary dates of the execution of the option agreement and cannot be carried forward once the option date has passed. MDI is a transcription company that has been in operation since 1988 in Brooksville, Florida founded by Sue McGrogan and her mother Liz McGrogan. The McGrogans first entered the industry in 1972 as owner-operators of a medical transcription company in New Jersey. MDI recently became a wholly owned subsidiary of Transcend. Both Liz and Sue McGrogan have played an important role in Transcend since the acquisition of MDI by Transcend on January 31, 2005. Liz currently serves as interim general manager at MDI, which has grown from $6.4 million in revenue in 2004 to a current annualized level of over $8 million. Sue is a Business Unit Manager at Transcend, managing a significant portion of Transcend's field operations. Alex Munoz, Transcend's EVP of Operations stated, Having worked closely with Liz and Sue during the integration of our two companies, their level of increased commitment is exciting as we continue to make changes within the company. Liz McGrogan agreed, commenting, We are both very excited about the future of Transcend and MDI, and the potential growth through new business and acquisitions. Sue added, The decision to invest money into Transcend is indicative of our confidence in Transcend and its future.

Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA), new strategic goals [2005-08-12]
Aug. 11, 2005--At its recent meeting of the Board of Directors for the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA), new strategic goals were crafted for 2005-2006. According to Sean Carroll, President of MTIA, the association will be dedicated to activities that will direct member companies to be valuable and relevant in the rapidly evolving healthcare documentation environment. The following strategies were approved: -- In order to be valuable and relevant, MTIA will lead by asserting itself in the standards development arena, and by serving as a valuable resource for the medical transcription business community and the vendors that support it. -- In order to be valuable and relevant, MTIA will be coordinated and strong by proactively building productive alliances with related associations and becoming an active participant in government relations. -- In order to be valuable and relevant, MTIA will engage with technology by educating its members in the effective use of emerging technologies for continuous quality improvement and greater efficiencies. -- In order to be valuable and relevant, MTIA will focus on programs and deliverables that will help their members preserve and increase profitability and succeed within the dynamic evolution of this industry. Carroll proudly proclaims that the Board is fully committed to achieving these objectives, making this the most important year ever for the association. MTIA is definitely on the move! MTIA is a nonprofit membership association founded in 1993 to represent medical transcription companies of all sizes. For more information about MTIA, contact Elaine Olson, Executive Director, at 800-543-MTIA or eolson@mtia.com.

why not start by not taking the job. If no one fills the job then [2008-11-21]
that is protest enough. I myself refuse to work for a company that doesnt pay for spaces and I stand firm on that. One time I worked that way and will never again. I got hired by getting paid for spaces and then they did the switch on me. I got a higher pay but it isnt enough to justify not getting paid for spaces.

Management? [2008-10-29]
I've been in this a good long while too and hear what you are saying about organizing. Many of us believe there has to be a better way. Oneparadox in the MT-landthat has always puzzled me in the 10 or so places I worked: Why does any promotion from within a company result in less pay? I am a highly efficient producer of quality, so I have often been targeted for management, proofing, QA type positions, only to need to turn them down when I learn it involves at least a$5/hr pay CUT! I suppose the plus side is not having the pressure of production, but does this mean all the slowest, least efficient producers are in the lead positions? This is one of many things that does not make sense in the MT industry. How can we sell the value of what we do? What magic PR would work? The bottom line is companies and hospitals need to cut corners, but if we could somehow convince them the corners they are cutting could be patient lives based on documentation errors, that would be key. We all have a stake in the nationwide shortage of MTs currently pegged at 40,000 and HIM supervisors pegged at 10,000. Yet under current conditions of wages literally staying the same for the past decade despite credentialing, continuing education, and high quality, I think it will take a huge top-down or bottom up approach toenforce nationwide standards that really include MTs at the table. Part of the problem is way bigger than us--the fragmented nature of healthcare in the US in general, and health documentation specifically. Can you imagine if every hospital, clinic and MT company had the same QA standards? Used the same IT network?Literally every place I have worked has a different system for QA, a different software platform, a different judge of what is adequate. I am considering education inHIM because I want to: 1)Earn more and collaborate with others to solve problems, 2) Use my years of experience as an MT to benefit other MTs, 3) Not throw the baby out with the bathwater by neglecting years of education and proficiency in order to become a waitress and earn more in tips than I can transcribing my fingers to the bone! There has to be some value in our collectiveexperience, and I have tried to support AHDI but with the down-spiraling economy, I cannot afford to renew my membership this year and will be paying off my state AHDI convention costs on my credit card for the next year. There has to be a better way!!

productivity [2008-09-19]
I am looking for ways to increase productivity. Does anyone use a dragon speak type of item for their own transcription? Any other ideas to increase? thx!

Just FYI on new drug Pristiq [2008-07-28]
The name is Pristiq and anyone working in psych transcription will be seeing this a lot. It's a new SNRI used to treat major depressive disorder. There's tons of info on any of the search engines if you need to know dosages, etc. This just came across in my dictation today, so I thought I'd pass it on!

editing [2008-07-13]
As far as I know, it is just like learning new software which is usually what you have to do with any new job. Of course, you have to be trained as an MT just like witha regular transcription job, not sure if that is what you were asking? But like I said, it is just like learning new software, not a big deal.

VR is here to stay [2008-07-03]
I think it serves any professional to keep up with any technology affecting their chosen profession. A medical Transcriptionist who refuses to learn editing of voice recognition files will end up being left behind. Having said that, if you're thinking about transcription work, then choose a school who isn't afraid of current technology and includes it in their curriculum. I love voice recognition. Working with it on a high-end technical level has made me understand that there isn't now, nor probably ever will be, a substitution for the human element. Trained editors will ALWAYS have job security. Because any speech rec system is only as good as the people behind the scenes writing the software. It's not an unlimited technology, and it simply cannot interpret certain things. I love reading some of the gobbledegook it spits out, and snicker while I edit it. Please stop being afraid of technology. Learn it, embrace it, get good at it, and secure your own future.

The bottom line is.... [2008-06-29]
that offshored transcription work sucks. HIPAA does not apply, JCAHO does not apply, etc. There is really no obligation of offshored individual MTs or services to follow U.S. privacy laws. Plus I used to QA these reports, and 9 times out of 10 they have been horrible. The wrong patients were even put on reports!!! This is not to diss the offshored MTs which I am sure are as hardworking as we are, but to me it is a patient care issue.

NOT DO VR [2008-06-28]
What planet are you from? Don't do VR!! It's here and its going to stay. I don't recommend anyone anymore to get into medical transcription. Don't bother with school - just don't do it. If you want to try and work at home, then go into coding or billing, but not transcription. It's a dead field and its just getting worse. The pay has been cut even more, the doctor's are a joke, and it is not worth your training. And if you are training transcriptionists without teaching VR then you really are living on another planet.

Time to introduce a bill [2008-06-27]
This is great news but from my experience, the bottom line is all most companies care about. The company I worked for never paid for enough quality control hours-usually only one hour per day and outsourced it's MT work. Records came back with incorrect names, gender, diagnoses, procedures and labs because the outsourced Transcriptionist could not flag the work for the dictating doctor (boss said doctors were too busy to deal with it) and/or entered anything just to get the chart to clear medical records. They only dealt with issues when lawsuits arose and my guess would be that since most cases are arbitrated, the doctors were the winners yet again. All this is to say, even if the suits know they will get better quality, they do not care because they are only concerned with lining their pockets. It is not just MT jobs that suffer because of outsourcing. Will you (or anyone else for that matter)be denied work or insurance in the U.S. because an overseas transcriptionist entered erroneous information in your medical record? U.S. citizens would probably be outraged to discover this is happening to their private information despite HIPPA. I believe it is time to get tough and form a coalition to introduce a bill to end outsourcing of medical transcription. Time to take a stand and fight back.

From what I've read [2008-06-14]
M-TEC and Andrews are in the very top of the best schools around. I've checked their websites and the prices are around $2500-4000. They also are really good about job placement (from what I've read). I also found a Sylvan program for MT which is very reasonable, but I cannot attest to how good the program actually is. I do, however, know it's a reputable company.

You're right but ... [2008-04-11]
Yes, absolutely, the suits and middle managers have no clue at all, nada, zip, zilch about medical transcription. However, many doctors actually invest in offshore MT companies .... according to Wall Street Journal. It was, oh, maybe 10 years ago that there was a caption or article about medical transcription being where the money is, as in investments, etc. You're right. Typically the MDs don't know and don't care who transcribes their dictation. Most do care, however, about quality at least to some degree. I'm just glad someone came up with a study as to cost effectiveness for whatever reason. It's like they're thrown us a crumb. Hope we get the whole cookie soon.

You're so right, SusieQ [2008-04-08]
I have a huge, huge problem with our professional organization. Errr, ummm, where is the word transcription in AHDI. We've had the plug pulled on us by the ole gals who've been holding the reins for years. It's like a good ole girl association. Most of them have worked for global services, hauled in the big bucks for helping get those services off the ground, and have done it all with no second thoughts. It makes me sick. Our compensation hasn't increased at all. In fact, it has decreased steadily for the past decade. I do, wholeheartedly, wish we could unionize somehow. We should be paid hourly at a sizable rate like other skilled trades. I hate to say it, but our profession is made up of nearly 100% women. We need to be confident, stand up for ourselves, and not let this get any further out of hand.

Yeah, right!!! [2008-04-08]
Any MT who edits any voice recognition files should be stoned. If they want to take out the human element, leave it out. The whole voice recognition thing will disappear in a heartbeat. One in a thousand doctors might, might be able to pull it off without help from a medical transcriptionist/editor. Actually, I doubt that. I teach medical transcription, and one of first instructions to students is, Never, never, never spell a word or drug as dictated by the MD, and never pay attention to their instructions with regard to punctuation. It isn't a matter of trying to nip voice recognition, it's a matter of not jumping through the hoops or nooses meant to eventually hang us. If they're using VR, just tell them to have a happy life and be on your way. Helping them out is like give terrorists a map and directions. C'mon people. Use the gray matter.

Don't fear VR --- ignore it!! [2008-04-08]
Any MT who edits any voice recognition files should be stoned. If greedy MDswant to take out the human element, let's eave it out. The whole voice recognition thing will disappear in a heartbeat. One in a thousand doctors might, might be able to pull it off without help from a medical Transcriptionist with professional judgment and a working brain.Actually, I doubt that one in a thousand would be able to rely on their own perfection. I teach medical transcription, and one of my first instructions to students is, Never, never, never spell a word or drug as dictated by the MD, and never pay attention to their instructions with regard to punctuation. It isn't a matter of trying to nip voice recognition in the bud, it's a matter of not jumping through the hoops or nooses meant to eventually hang us. If they're using VR, just tell them to have a happy life and be on your way. Helping them out is like give terrorists a map and directions. C'mon people. Use the gray matter.

Study on outsourcing -- For Real! [2008-04-08]
Put this under your hats, but there has been a study performed in Ohio regarding the cost effectiveness of outsourcing transcription versus bringing American MTs onboard to handle all of it. Oh, happy day!! The concensus is ..... sit up and read this twice ...... it is more lucrative to hire more people who are skilled and pay them a nice hourly rate with benefits than tooutsource some or all of the work.Hang in there. What goes around, comes around. It's about timethat the true cost effectiveness of inferior work be scrutinized. There are managers and QA's and editors and customer service people up the ying-yang who may have to worry a bit because I truly feelthat doctors across the county (many of whom have invested in outsourcing medical transcription)are beginning to realize that it definitely is a skill/profession that needs to stay here in The States. Woooohooo!

Up-to-date platform [2008-02-22]
MDI Transcription is awesome.

MTs and uniting [2008-02-05]
You will never be able to get all MTs to unite. It will never happen because everybody is so wishywashy about it. Afraid to lose their jobs maybe? What jobs? All US MTs are losing their jobs every day, little by little. Line counts are shrinking with no explanation. How about MT management, do they know? You know they aren't opening their mouth. They don't wanna lose their cushy jobs and will kissbutt when it comes to company officials who know nothing about transcription but think they do.Howlong will their jobs be around? Any company official cando a schedule, take sick calls,be the shoulder for an MT to cry on, and make customer service calls. Its a no-brainer. Management definitely is not standing up for MTs, lets see what happens when their turn comes.

you are an IC if the company you work for does not pay your taxes.... [2007-12-30]
When you are an IC, you tell the company who contracts with you how much work you can provide. It is no different than any other contractor who tells you they will do something for so much money. If they do not perform what is promised, you will probably not rehire them. Same thing goes for IC's. You can be let go for not keeping your end of the bargain. There are great tax benefits for being an IC, but I strongly recommend you seek the assistance of a professional CPA for this come tax time.

some companies do this [2007-08-22]
I have gone to Washington DC to train for a company before. They paid. Breakfast, lunch included. Transportation from hotel to company provided. I was only responsible for dinner moneywise. Group of about 14 of us. Made really good friends. No longer work with the company but still keep in touch with other MTs from training. This was about 5 years ago.

D&L [2007-07-27]
....unpaid, dishonest, and really don't care who suffers in the process of their gain. This company is bad stuff. Stay away if you rely on your income to live!

OUTSOURCING TO INDIA [2007-07-22]
OBVIOUSLY IT DOES MATTER HOW MUCH INDIAN MT'S ARE PAID. IF THE TRANSCRIPTION SERVICES PAY MUCH LESS TO THEM, AND STILL CHARGE HOSPITALS, ETC., SAME AMOUNT PER LINE, THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY MAKING A MUCH LARGER PROFIT. IN ADDITION, THEY ARE TAKING WORK AWAY FROM U.S. MT'S, WHO ARE MUCH MORE QUALIFIED TO DO U.S. WORK ALSO, WHY ISN'T THERE BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF THE HIPPA REGULATIONS REQUIRED TO BE MET BY OFFSHORE TRANSCRIPTION REGARDING INFORMATION SECURITY?

I'd never read this article from May, [2007-07-06]
but had just heard about it. There are some very important details given about this company.

Loved it! [2007-06-10]
I loved Medware for the short-time I worked for them. I was working a full-time in-house position,which I was trying to get out of. I worked for Medware part-time trying to transition out of the in-house position. They were absolutely wonderful people to work for!!!!! I was working 4 hours a day part-time for Medware plus my 40-hr a week job (supervisor/transcriptionist). My plan was to work for Medwarefor 3 months to become eligible for their insurance and leave my in-house position and work for Medware. It became too much, as my husband and I also have our own business and I do the office work. I left Medware. However, I would work for them again in a second. It appeared to be a very competent, helpful company. I highly recommend them!!!!

I came across a website that [2007-06-02]
has information for workers whose jobs were replaced by overseas competition. There are all sorts of rules. A petition must be made by 3 workers who have lost their jobs, all from the same location. Would they mean the company location, or would the fact most MTs work at different locations mean we couldn't file a petition I wonder. I'm not in that situation, but I think it's a good idea to know what's available. http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/petitions.cfm

VBC stands for visible black character. They are trying to drive our salary down even further! [2007-05-26]
VBC means no payment for spaces, formating, paragraphs, nothing. These HIM department people just sit at the desks all day coming up with more ways tocut our pay even more the whole while theycollectingsalaries increases yearly, and AHID (formally AAMT) will probably endorse this as a way to brown nose other healthcare-related industries to get them to become members, thereby increasing AHID (AAMT memberships with dues/revenue pretty much the same way they did with overseas transcription companies, which as everybody knows has resulted in lower pay for US transcription.