Update - lost the account

Well they said today that they were going to investigate other avenues, appreciated my work but did not appreciate that I corrected her when she did not correctly spell Crohn's disease.  She is a PA and knows how to spell so then why did she specifically spell it incorrectly -- anyway am glad as their were a little shady.  She saw the patients, dictated as the doctor, and charged out MD prices instead of PA so am glad I am out of it.  But God gave it to me over Christmas, I was able to pay off one credit card and so it worked out.  Will enjoy the 6 to 8 free hours per week now.  Just thought I would let you all know how it came out.  

Patti

• Update - lost the account - Patti
  • Yep, you're better off without them. - tnmt
  • Nothing is really lost - MTness
  • Be glad - nana
  • You're better off without them - LinK

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and of hospitals around here that have gone to EMR, no Transcriptionist is needed.

With VR and EMR, the VR automatically puts their dictation into the patient's record.  They could care less how it looks, their idea is to save money.

I am so upset. I have worked on the same account for 2 years now, ever since I started medical transcription. My computer has been giving me issues now on and off for about a month. This week I have not been able to work because of computer issues. I have spent $800 since December on computers having them upgraded and antivirus and more memory. It is constantly acting up for the last week and they had to reassign my work this week. They just called me and informed me they took my account and gave it to a MT who doesn't have computer issues. Like I chose for my computer to go on the fritz. So now I am a backup MT. I am so hurt that I had the bad luck to have computer issues for the last week and they take my work. How can I help that? I can't. Oh well. I think it is time to get another job.

This is only the second month that I have had this account but they thought that their bill was a little "high" as the doctor does not feel that he should pay for any lines that I have in a template or if the physical is mainly normal and so I have a normal template, etc.  I told them to try to find somone else that was cheaper that gave them the service that I did, with the TAT and quality.  This is a doctor that loves to rib off insurance companies and morally I have been debating about doing this account but felt someone had to do it.  But I told the NP/OM that with the time I spend in delivery and pick-up, paper, etc. I need to make this much per hour and that is about what I make.  This is the first time in a long time I have really stuck up for myself.  She said that their last Transcriptionist had been charging $5 a page and  I said fine I would compare that with my lines but it would be with 1" margins all the way around and a 12 courier font to define "a page" and low and behold it came out about the same as with my line count.   Anyway I am sure that they will begin to look elsewhere and that is fine, I wasn't looking for an account when this one came my way and so somewhere else there is something else.  But it made me feel good to stand up for myself and believe in my skills.  

I cannot believe that this happened to me today.  I went into one of my doctor's offices this afternoon to pick up his tape for today.   I was given a tape and told that his wife, who is the office manager, wanted to see me in her office.  I thought nothing of it because she sometimes has extra things that she wants me to type up for her and we talk quite often also.  

She tells me that she just has not gotten around to talking with me yet, but  "tomorrow we will start dictating through a company over the internet".  I was blown away!  She said she wanted to give me a break and that if it does not work out she will let me know.   The whole time she was tell me this she was writing me a check as I had just turned in an invoice.   

My first inclination was to throw that #@%$ tape at her and say "do it yourself", but I knew that wasn't the "professional thing" to do.  I was thinking how could she do this to me, not even a 24 hour notice.  She handed the check to me, I snatched it and walked out. 

I have had this account for five years exactly (began August 1, 2000).   I have never took a day off, never raised my rates, never asked anything of them, and my work has always been the best possible quality.  I have been the most dependable person they have could had.   I have passed up other accounts because of them, and I always put them first.   Thank goodness I have other accounts to fall back on.   In our town, there is only one other transcriptionist besides myself, and we both have more work than we can handle most of the time.

Just thought I'd remind all those other MTs out there that no matter how good we are and no matter how much we try to please everyone we are still not appreciated.  I will never be fooled again.  No one will ever receive the attention from me that I gave them.  

I found the link to above.  Here it is: 

https://volunteer.ccrf.hhs.gov/

This morning I was very upset.  I had just had an argument with my daughter's father.  I was crying.  I tried to call several people to talk to them and no one was answering.  My main concern was my daughter was there and I didn't want her to see me this way.  My breathing turned very rapid/hyperventilating.  This has only happened once before, right after an earthquake about 15 years ago.  I didn't really have any other symptoms and I slowly caught my breath and started breathing normally after about 10 minutes. 

Someone came and took my daughter who was worried about me, but not crying.  I reassured her that I loved her and I'd be okay.

Afterwards, I contemplated about going to doctor, but felt fine afterwards, just a little lightheaded.  I called a counseling center, told them what happened and got an appointment to go in and talk with them.  It helped somewhat and I came home.

Now, I feel lightheaded still and my throat is dry, but otherwise I am okay.  I did just start working out, but I am pretty sure this was only panic/stress related and not anything else.  If I still feel bad tomorrow, I will go.  But considering no insurance, I'd rather not.

I'm trying to make a few changes to my life, as with working at home, I feel pretty alone and I think the fact that I couldn't get a hold of anyone made it worse.  A lot of people depend on me and yet sometimes I feel like I get forgotten when it comes to depending on people.  This weekend, I have made the effort to do more things out of the house and I really enjoyed myself.  Partly may be holiday blues too as I'm single.  And also I have this aggression towards my ex.  He only keeps my daughter 8 hours a week and one of the tensions we were arguing about. 

I'm not one to ask for help, but because of the panic attack today and that it happened in front of my daughter, I was more than willing to ask for help.  Online help or advice is also appreciated. 

I started my period.

Thanks to everyone who replied to me, it did give me hope. I am going to keep on trying, even though I feel like giving up.

I better get back to work. All this worrying has given me low line counts the past few days.

Thanks!!

Well, I took my son to the doctor this morning.  Needless to say they were dumbfounded by the so-called "treatment" my ex did to my son.

He has the equivalent of a third-degree burn on the great toe of his right foot.  They applied Silvadene cream and wrapped it in gauze.  I have to apply more cream and change the dressing three times a day.  We have to be very diligent in this as a foot infection could completely ruin the rest of his summer.

They also prescribed Keflex for him to also try to help prevent infection.  He cannot go swimming unless it's in a swimming pool.  I take him back to the doctor in one week for a recheck.  They will address the warts at a later time because his foot has to heal before they can do anything else to them.  I'm not really all that concerned about the warts at this point.  They will be taken care of in time.

My son's doctor assured me that they will cooperate with my attorney in any way necessary if further actions need to be taken.  They did not feel it was necessary on their part to contact child services or any other authorities.  But they will cooperate.

Thankfully, my son isn't in any pain at this time, but that is because the nerves have been burned.  The doctor informed me that it would not be out of the ordinary for it to start bothering him and/or causing pain once it really starts to heal.

Thank you to all of you who responded with your kind words and advice.  It meant a lot to me as I was very upset (I'm sure anyone would be). 

I talked to my realtor this morning.  She finally talked to the seller's agent.  They said when they were out of town a toilet overflowed.  They said they have receipts to show this has been fixed.  She's trying to find some cheaper insurance for us.  She said the sellers are paying $800 a year premium.  The premium I was quoted was $1120 a year.

I told her I still don't feel comfortable doing this.  I know she wants the deal to go through so that she can get paid, but that's not my problem.  I don't think she's looking out for our best interests.

What do you think?

I updated last weekend and used it for a week.  I did not like it at all.  It has a completely different look and where things are as far as tool buttons, etc., just doesn't work for me, so I unstalled it and went back to IE6.  I must say that the install and uninstall went smoothly.  If you're not comfortable with the installing just yet, take a look at the preview site.  That might give you an idea of whether you will like it or not.  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx#ie7interface

These were a series of psych interviews.  The patient is a very slow speaker and they could be easily typed.  The interviews took most of the transcribers two hours to complete since the patient speak so very slowly.  That's why it was 4 hours and that equaled to $20 per hour of work.

It has been covered and those that did the files mentioned that they would happily take more of them because they were so easy to do.

My first email was vague, I'm sorry...This is about offshoring our jobs,,The plan is below..If you want to save your jobs please email me and send me your state also. This may take time,,I am complining a list of people so that I can mass email and maybe we can save our profession...

I am thinking about trying to get maybe one or two MTs from each state to write a letter to their respective legislators with a copy to the President...And see if we can some how get it circulated and signed by the respective transcriptionists in that state...I read on that other site that Obama has instituted something called I think it was MER or MRE forgot but they were saying it would put us out of work in 5 yrs...I'm still playing on that site but I think it has something to do with medical record errors that follow a patient throughout their lifetime. I'm trying to find out more about that now..There wouldn't be near as many errors if the transcription stayed in the country,,,Now the President needs to know how many jobs he will be cutting as well...Still researching..

It wasn't just me, or some, it was all editors.  And some were even more affected than I was.

I wonder who is next.

The times are changing and while we all hate to think it will happen to us, it will.  Of that, I am sure.

I was just wondering if you got ahold of anybody at your local news station and how you went about doing it.  If this worked for you then I am definitely going to be contacting our local news station and newspaper as well and giving them the information needed to run a story on this subject.  THANKS!!!

Thanks everyone for your advice and support.

I was a little surprise this morning when the neighbor guy knocked on my door.  I was expecting to be read the riot act or something but got just the opposite.

Turns out that the guy is the girls father but the woman who I assumed was her mother is actually the aunt (father's sister).  His wife died in a car accident 3 months before they moved here.  The girl was in the car with her mother and younger brother.  Dad was out of town on business and it took them almost two full days to find him because the girl was in shock and refused to speak for almost a month after.  Both her mother and her baby brother (3 years old) died in the accident.  The aunt is living there to help him with the daughter he said the girl has had severe psychological problems since the accident. 

He was very apologetic for going off the deep end yesterday and that he normally is a rational man.  I really felt bad for the guy.

He also told me that he appreciated us letting his daughter come over and play before but would understand if she was not welcome back.  Said that his daughter completely withdrew from her friends at her old school and she is still in grief counseling twice a week.  Playing with my kids was the first time since the accident that she had made any effort at socializing. 

I never would have suspected that she had been traumatized this way.  She was quiet and didn't say much about her family but gave no indication that this had happened. 

The guy was here long enough to basically pour out his life history and I truly felt sorry for him and even more for his daughter. 

I'm still going to be very watchful for now but there's room for a second chance after him having made the effort to clear the air and explain things.  I think I will just sit on this for a few days and then invite the three of them over for dinner in a few days and try to start over.

I may be a sucker I know.   I would rather have a friendly relationship with my neighbors and if we can do this, well, it would be better for everyone.

i am the OP on thread below re CRUELTY CLARIFICATION and just wanted to say thank you to all who responded .... have not recently come across a such a large, and largely POLITE - WOW!!!!!! -- and informative group in a long time.  this information will stay with me for a long time and i plan to share it with others.  did not know how ignorant i was.  am not by any means a bleeding heart.  it's a tough world and you have to be tough -- but the way we apparently treat these animals in the year 2005 is PATHETIC, just pathetic, and there is simply no need for it. 

to those who say 'but this is a consumer-driven industry," yep you are right, but you know what?  consumers like to be INFORMED.  we don't like to feel that someone or some entity is trying to pull a fast one on us, and i STRONGLY feel that if every child in america -- and the child's uninformed parents and grandparents -- KNEW the real deal, the pressure would be on IMMEDIATELY and things would change in the industry faster than martha stewart's gonna get out of her ankle bracelet.  Before anyone says Yeah but there goes the economy, well i don't think so because if i knew that i could get chix at the store from happy chickens versus what we are 'offered' now, as well as happy cow meat (look at how successful the California dairy industry has been on their little ad campaign, hmmmmm?) vs what we have now, i'd be willing to pay more.  not double, but more!  i think anyone except the poorest of the poor would, too.  and the same government that is subsidizing the cruel farm animal conditions could subsidize the poor for their better quality meat, instead. 

anyway, those are my thoughts.  i really really appreciate all of you smart people telling me something i didn't know, and that's no bull.  great big kudos to all of you who kept the thread polite, too.  'night.

Old Transcriptionist needs help updating her resume.  Any suggestions are welcome. thanks!  

Molly

A few days ago I posted here in response to another MQ person nervous about leaving.  I was a little to forthcoming about my failure on a test and got mostly encouraging replies and a few holier than thou responses.

But anyway!  Good news!  A job offer late this afternoon at 8.5 a line!  I had tested on Monday - my favorite kind of test - basic grammar and terminology and then on to the dictation.  Three dictations (DS, Consult, and SOAP).  No mention on how I did on the test but guess it was good enough.  This is a big raise from what I was making at MQ - 6.5 cents!  Only problem is the time - they need eves - but feel I will take it just because the money is worth my while. 

Just wanted to let everyone know.  I felt so bad the other day, very ready to throw in the towel.  I still think that ours is a dying profession due to voice recognition and jobs outsourced but I am going to hang on for just a while longer.  Thanks for the encouraging words the other day.  I really needed it then.  And to Nervous MT 1, hope you are reading this and that you will keep us posted on how it goes with you.  There is life after MQ.