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I occasionally come on this board, as do some of my coworkers to get help with words, look around, etc.  I've never posted but today I'm fuming and frustrated.

I just got done working a couple of extra hours at the hospital this morning, worked all day yesterday (overtime I might add) and do you know what my job has been on all this overtime? Correcting ALL of the outsource's work coming in.  What makes me mad is that all of us have been complaining to our boss and even to HER boss about all the mistakes this company makes - terrible dreadful DEADLY mistakes - and all we get back is "there is nothing we can do about it.  We signed a contract and we have to continue to use them until the contract ends." Which, by the way, ends in another year or two, I'm not sure.  But anyways, this outsource company (who is WELL KNOWN) does not even make an attempt to do our ESL doctors, who are not really that bad. I know there are harder doctors to understand as I have been doing this for 16 years.  The service sends the reports back with a ridiculous amount of blanks.  We go in and listen to them and basically redo the whole report, to which they get paid for it.  Then there are the easy docs - the so-called "hold your hand while I dictate to you" docs - and the service still has mistakes. 

Our boss has asked on occasion if they are offshoring, which they swear they are not.  It was in the contract that they are not to offshore so they swear they are not and the mistakes don't look like they are offshore mistakes (the hospital used a company prior to this one that offshored - big difference in transcription mistakes).

I just cannot believe that our hospital has had this company for a little over two years and not only are they being paid a ridiculous high line rate, but we are correcting all their reports and they still get paid!! We have asked if we can start deducting lines, but we were told that their contract states that that cannot be done because our boss has tried that.

I have a friend that works at a hospital in another state that had an outsource service that was somewhat like the one we have, only they constantly lost reports and got paid for them, but she just lost her job because the hospital felt that there was no need to have all the overtime for the past year and the outsource service doing the overflow.  So they just hired a new outsource company, let all the transcriptionists inhouse go, and got rid of their current outsource service.  she is looking around for another job now.  She had that job for 9 years at the hospital, and because of the outsource service, the administration of the hospital looked at is as a huge $$ problem and just said bye bye.

I needed to vent. Aaaaahhh, I feel better now, but I'm worried that with all our overtime and what the outsource service gets paid, that I'm going to end up in the same boat.  Even our boss has admittedly had some worries about it as well, but she keeps telling us that her boss says her hands are tied and is just as frustrated with the service.  It makes you wonder how it is that these services can be in business for so long, make sooooo much money and do this. 

Anyone know how much Jenny's food costs?   I went to their website, but apparently the price of the food is classified information.  TIA.

Has anyone used any of the word/phrase autocompletion software that learns what you type when you type a word or phrase a certain number of times?    Then it will pop up in a suggestion box beside your cursor and then expand for you.  This is NOT Instant Text, Smartype, or Shorthand.  I am not talking about the MT expanders.  I am talking about like these:

http://www.vsisystems.com/autotype.htm

http://www.soft411.com/software/autocomplete.html

http://thinkabdul.com/2007/11/22/turbo-type-on-screen-auto-complete-word-suggestion-software-for-any-text-input-editor-on-windows/

Has anyone tried anything like this for MT work.  I need something better than IT, Smartype, or Shorthand.  They really aren't working for me.

Thanks

Good morning.  I am just today going to buy a laptop and need some advice.  There are 2 I am looking at, a Dell and a Toshiba.  Any suggestions on which one to go with. 

I am planning a trip and do not want to take vacation days since my pay would be so much less by doing that.  Anybody that has done this, please give me any and all advice that would be helpful...  TIA!!!

I'm having a debate with my husband right now. 

I know when you're an employee that it's customary to gives two weeks' notice, but what about when you're an independent contractor? One of us says that two weeks notice is customary whether you're an employee or IC, but the other says that you don't have to give any notice if you're an IC. Who is right?

The loser pays for a dinner at Olive Garden.  

Hi all work at home doing MT for 2 companies  -  livinng situation is rent is $150 a month and "basic needs for someone in his early 60s with MS  -- ie fixing meals, keeping kitchen clean etc  -- if I stay, he has the paperwork drawn up to where I get the house and even if he has to go to an ECF and sell the house, I would get a percentage   -- right now, ESTIMATED value of $200K  -- my decision is going "back home to the Midwest where family and a new granddaughter are or staying  - I have my flight "back" already to the tune of $41 for a one way ticket and REALLY not sure what to do  -- any advice?

Hi, I just ordered one of these keyboards.  Supposedly they will increase  your production and had really great reviews.  I ordered the 2680RP model which is wireless keyboard and mouse.  Just wondering if anyone else has used these and what they thought.  Mine is supposed to be here today.  Can't wait to try it out.  Any info about them would be really appreciated. 

never had any problems with them. I think it is funny that all of you who work there come on day after day after day and say bad things about them. Find another job!!!!!!! There are so many posted on the Job Seeker's Board. Enough already!!!!

I currently use Express Scribe and wanted to get some opinions on other .wav players out there as far as dictation sound quality goes. 

Thanks!!

I was recently interested in applying to a company advertising for acute care MTs.  I have 10 years and can do anything that's thrown at me (or take the time to learn it if I don't know it).  I have an impressive resume.  (I'm not trying to brag about myself but to explain the situation).  I've always worked for about 5 years at whatever company I've worked for.  I was running out of work too much at my present job and waited for months before deciding to apply to this company since I don't just jump around a lot.  I didn't reveal this when I applied as I did not want to say anything negative about my present employer.

The recruiter sent me the application and testing files.  A couple of days later, my schedule was changed to work nights to see if I could get more work.  I emailed the recruiter and explained the situation.  I didn't want to burn any bridges and understand recruiterment frustration when they don't hear back from applicants.  I wanted to give the company some time to come through for me, but it still hasn't worked out.

I emailed the recruiter again and explained the situation, that I was still interested.  I heard nothing.  I left a message on his voice mail.  He placed another ad and I responded to it, again hoping to be given a chance.  Again no word.

Did I totaly blow my chances with this company?  I thought what I had done was at least honest and honorable and showing that I wasn't playing games and took the issue seriously.  This was the only company I would be willing to switch jobs for so I'm disappointed.

I would like some comments about what to do, if anything, and how other recruiters would view this situation.

when we work at home. This is *not* a benefit so we can be more comfortable. It's all about the $. They also have a wider labor poor to choose from. They do not have to set up training programs at the community college, hire a trainer, go through MTs in training who quit, with a wider labor pool. I have no idea how much working at home as an IC saves them over working on site and an employee. I'm sure its big $$$ though. Working as a nurse, cna, rt if you give up benefits they usually raise they pay a few dollers per HOUR. 

 Hosptial square footage is usually big $ and they can rent it out to a doctor's office paying rent if MTs are not there!

Many women *need* to work at home. We should not be taken advantage of because of it. We are saving them money, using our own computers, internet, keyboards, paying for our breaks, errands, and office furniture. They should give an incentive to work at home and an even bigger incentive to contract vs work as employee.

In reading the news release posted below about Nuance buying escription, I was wondering how different SR platforms are working for us MTs.  I do ASR on DQS and have found that on my main account the ASR is pretty good, so I don't have to make tons of changes. 

I tend to like doing the speech recognition and here is why I think that is so in my case: 

If I get my primary account it recognizes pretty well and I don't get much junk to have to change. 

Also, I can usually turn the speed to the fastest whereas straight transcription is usually about the halfway point for me, so I think I am getting it done faster. 

Another thing is that I never did get into the habit of really tweaking my Expander the way a lot of other MTs have.  I have seen some say they put anything that takes more than 3 characters into an expander.  I am getting better about this but not to that degree, so I think SR is faster for me. 

I think I have some carpal tunnel issues starting up so I can't transcribe for as long a stretch as I can edit. 

All that being said, about 25% of my work still comes through as straight transcription and it is a good thing because that significantly affects my hourly rate for the better, so I am not losing lots of $, although I have lost some.

So my question is two-fold:  If you do SR, what system are you using?  What has things specifically have made it better/worse for you?

This may seem like a stupid question to all of you "veterans" out there, but how long until a "newbie" can expect to make a decent wage in this business?  I have only been employed for about 5 mos, so I am trying to cut myself some slack, but minimum wage is hard to swallow.  I do reports from a pool of doctors so I can't seem to utilize the full benefits of expanders, and on my best day, I can type about 110-125 lph.  Again, I know I just started, but I can't keep making this kind of wage forever.  Are there tricks I am missing?  Any insight would really be appreciated!!  Thanks in advance!! 

http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=152854&zoneid=500

Interesting reading here for anyone thinking about applying with DVHP.

Help!  I want to move to the country where apparently DSL is about as rare as an honest politician... with slighltly better luck with cable.

I'm reading here from time to time (jobs) that "satellite won't work).  Anyone know why?  Is it the reliability of signal or something? Because it shouldn't be a speed issue.

Also, what about wireless?  Anyone with success stories about using either of these modalities?

Thanks for your help

I heard about this but it sounds kinda strange.  Anyone ever run into this kind of account?  How do you not leave blanks if you don't know what they are saying?

Has anyone used Abacus with Word 2003 and does it work?  If not, any other nice line count programs out there that creat patient lists/invoices?

thanx

They're in NJ and I'm wondering if they hire subs or if they outsource. Anyone know?

I am looking into this and didn't realize how many different companies are out there.  Who do you use, and are you happy with the service? Thanks!  LLHS

I have an interview tomorrow with a local hospital for a radiology position that is in-house.  They outsource all of their other transcription.  The job was advertised as per diem.  I have about 10 years acute care experience, as well as some clinic work.  I have done a bit of cardiology, but not really any radiology.  Trying to get an idea if this is an easy transition, what to expect from per diem, any specific good questions to ask?  Thank you so much for any input! 

about how wonderful it is to train Indians to do our job.  OH YAAAYYY, LET'S HERE IT FOR SPHERIS AND HEALTHSCRIBE   Let's give a big whoopie and cheer them on while they continue to post for transcriptionists on this board and yet outsource and TRAIN Indians to do our job.  I guess I'm angry about the article on other levels, such as the fact that it seems that Advance magazine is constantly promoting offshore transcription.  This is not the first time they have printed articles like this. 

Our hospital used Spheris and Cbay and we spent hours up hours redoing the reports, yet these companies got paid in full.  Where is the logic in that?  Thank God, administration wised up and brought the work back in.  Now we can go back to doing what we've always done ... OUR OWN TRANSCRIPTION ACCURATELY!