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I think that is very good advice but how do you know if a company is going to treat you well?

Posted By: Charlene on 2007-10-28
In Reply to: It pays to take a "pay cut" sometimes - My story

During the interview they will tell you all kinds of wonderful stuff.  Are you saying it is better to look a company offering a lower line rate as an indication of a better place to work?  You could be right.


It seems kind of sad though in our industry that in order to get decent management the personal price is to take a cut in pay.  Why can't it be good management and good pay at the same time? 




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I just want some help & advice about a good company
anonymous
Good advice, and advice that I'm giving real thought to ...

If I had known that they offshored before I accepted employment with them I never would have gone there to work.  I've been here long enough now though to not want to lose my benefits. 


Still ... making a DECENT PAYCHECK and making a living without being stressed out over the type of work that I'm doing is just as important as good benefits. 


I like my company. They treat me well.
industry's *standard* pay.

BUT ------ Thanks to AAMT/AHDI, greedy hospital CEO's who want more money & more management, at the expense of less of everything else (including patient care), and MTSO's without the backbone to stand by a rate that means they can pay their MT's a living wage, even *the industry's best* pay just isn't cutting it. Not as a single person, anyway.

Changing jobs would just make my situation worse. But if the payscale doesn't go up soon, I'll have no choice but to get out. I already cant ever retire, thanks to the Wall Street pigs. And thanks to greedy people buying into the MT industry to make a fast, easy buck, just makeing ends meet is getting near-impossible. I could understand it if I had no education and no skills. But as a person who is pretty much at the top of their game in MT, I'm so disappointed that my work, my hours, and my knowledge aren't paid what they're worth. A very respected doctor/professor once told me that MTs are *one of the doctors' strongest lines of defense against mistakes, malpractice, and lawsuits*. He used to thank me personally every year, even though the rest of the hospital didn't seem to give a crap, for catching those tiny dictation errors that ALL doctors make, and for bringing things that seemed questionable to his attention. As a result, we both learned continually, and quality was job-one for him, as well as for me.

Now, it's just a numbers game. Crank out those lines. Cut those corners. Someday that continual haste is going to cost a lot (if it hasn't already). A life. A job. A medical licensure. A few million in a lawsuit. We used to be important players in the quality of medical care documentation. Now, we're just *expendable* cogs in the wheel.
Been there. My company didn't treat me horribly
but because I could do the very worst ESLs I got dumped on.  Work is assigned by the company and there isn't supposed to be cherry-picking, but there obviously was.  I could do the dictation, but it slowed me down considerably.  On top of the bad dictator it seemed the sound quality was also bad.  I would be stressed at the end of the day and end up with a headache.  If I were getting paid by the hour I would have still be a bit stressed, but not as much because I didn't have to worry about producing lines.  My MTSO has told me a couple of stories too.  I have looked for another position a couple of times, but every company that offered me a position didn't want to pay me what I was currently making, didn't allow me the flexibility that I have, didn't have the friendly platform that I currently have, and I had to be connected to the internet to work the whole time.  I like to get outside when the weather is nice and with my current job I download my work and then I can get off-line.  I can take my laptop outside and work.   I still read the job boards on occasion, but I have decided I can't do any better anywhere else, so I'll just accept whatever issues there are and deal with them.  
FN is a great company full of wonderful people who treat you with respect. SM.
But they only want to pay 4.5 cpl for SR, 5.5 for heme/onc. Can you believe that? Also, workload has been very, very low for a very long time.
Good advice above
So right on regarding the type of work you do for the pay. There is much to consider, but will they tell you the truth about what type of work you will get for 7.5 or 8 cpl? Am looking for a change because of being in a pool with hundreds of doctors that I can't make macros for or expanders. Very frustrated. And then there is the voice thing.....
That's very good advice. sm
I know when the company I had worked a very long time for sold to MQ, everything changed and not for the better.  They took a really great company and ruined it. It seems to happen that way.  The only one looking out for you is you.
Good advice
That helps. I will look into that. Thanks for looking out for the newbies.
Good advice -
NM
Thanks -- very good advice sm

That is good advice, so thank you. 


One more question -- have you ever been sorry about leaving?  I have always had the stick it out and it may get better attitude, but things just keep getting worse, my pay keeps going down, even though I am working much harder.  I have a fear of getting a new job that turns out even worse.


Not sure I have anything to add to the good advice you have already been given ... sm

But my doggie is my baby .. to give her up for a job .. never ... to give her up if I somehow became unable to care for, I'd do because it was good for her .... but NEVER let go of things in your personal life that you love.  One time I had a great job -- 11.5 cpl -- but my boss told me my job should be more important than family.  So, right or wrong, I said goodbye.   Unfortunately, my mom passed, so I don't have the family either, but looking back, I wouldn't change a thing.  You can always find another job .. you can never get another mom (or other thing you care for .. fill in the blank ).


Good luck to you ..  :-)


good advice
Well said!!
VERY good advice

In any event, it is over and now I am wiser and never going to spend more than 8 hours on an acct for anyone ever. MTSOs simply do not appreciate it or remember it.


Now THAT is good advice.  It's a shame to say it, but skill, loyalty, seniority, etc. - none of these things matter in this business anymore.  And I can tell you from direct experience, when your company gets swallowed up, NO ONE at the new company gives a rat's a$$ how many years or how much seniority you might have had at your prior position.  It's not even a consideration.  The 1-year girl, the 5-year girl, and the 20-year girl - To them, we're all the same.


Good advice!
Only downside sometimes of being female in this industry is we can get too emotional and take everything personal - I know so, as I do it constantly.Business is ultimately business, and we should all try to look to the future and not over analyze this and kick owners to the curb, etc. 
I don’t think your advice is very good
Stand up and demand what you want? People now are hanging onto jobs. I in the past was exactly where they are. Bad advice, especially when you are not in the same boat. I think some let you know that.
this is very good advice, anon. I did the same
sing-song of the voice you are listening to and forget your own inflections. You almost have to adopt that accept and understands that ra means la. Leave those blanks, go back to relisten and you will usually have saved time and some sanity.
guys below have really good advice... c msg
i work from home and receive hourly pay as a remote employee; i would never give up my set pay (not in this field, too scary).

you can supplement with an mtso, and there are many MTSO companies you can test for with better test dictators, and who pay for spaces. dont let this first experience take you down.
good advice from admin above
This is a good recruiting board.  Recruiters posing as MTs raving on and on about their company.  What snakes!
Thanks. That sounds like good advice.


Good advice! I was holding a grudge
I realized that while I was angry and at home all the time with a grudge, my friend was out dancing and going on with her life.  I was the one caught in a trap.  Be above all that, forgive, turn the page and go on.
Thanks so much, both very good advice, words of wisdom:)
:)
I think your physician gave you good advice

These MT schools are still cranking out the MTs as fast as they can (and taking their money).  I am sure they know that there already isn't enough work to go around and no work = no money.  Plus the fact that the MT trainee who could ever hit the ground running and make money right out of the gate is far and few between.


As for the coding, it is pretty obvious that is a huge candidate to be done by EMR and I'm sure it will happen in the not so distant future.  There will probably be someone an R.N.? LPN? EMT? who will do chart reviews to ensure that every possible diagnosis that could get another dime in reimbursement is put in the record.  That would be a few jobs depending on the size of the hospital.  I seriously doubt that these jobs will be offered to former MTs.


Another job opportunity might be that of what used to be called ART (acredited record technician), those people might be allowed to do chart reviews as they have always done it anyway, I even did it myself way back there.  The JCAH (forget what they're called  now) used to offer a study at home course but you had to be affiliated with or work for a hospital in order to have access to the records that were necessary to complete the course.  In some smaller hospitals ARTs (or whatever they are called now) were even heads of the medical record department.  I believe it is also offered as a 2 year course at some community colleges.


Sadly I think that those who have put themselves out for the expense and bother of getting and maintaining CMT credentials are just going to be SOL because I think those credentials and a buck might buy them a cup of coffee.


This is the way I feel and I could be wrong but I don't think so.


Anyone have advice if a company will not pay you?
Thanks
Good luck with your interview! The best advice I was given before being hired was to communicate.
I had a few vacations planned, had my son about to go off to college and wanted to give notice to my employer. They worked with me and were very easy to work with. I think they send out that letter to weed out those who do not want to work hard, cannot work hard for one reason or another or for those looking for specifics that they do not offer (i.e. IC status).

Good luck!
Are you telling her to work for $5 an hour? That is not healthy or good advice nm
nm
Perplexed and need some advice regarding current company...
I ran out of work last weekend on my main account and asked for a backup account.  I was told Monday that later this week I would get cross trained on a new account.  I have sent three to four emails with no response as to when we are training.  An obscure email was sent out today to everyone about how all the accounts are low and not to worry about it and we could take the day off and work this weekend or such.  I understand things are slow right now, but having absolutely no response to any of my emails is rather upsetting.  I know I am not their greatest producer, but I do not appreciate being ignored.  Any suggestions other than just sending a resignation email and see if I get a response?  LOL.   Thanks.
Jeannal, here is some advice - it doesn't matter which company
you go with if they have good insurance. If you are basically looking for great insurance, then go with the company that has the best insurance for you. Bottom line. It doesn't matter what kind of work you get, what kind of jobs you get, as long as you make the minimum line count and you are only concerned about insurance, then go with that company that offers the best. It might not be Diskriter, it might not be Spheris, it might not be Medquist - or on the other hand, it might be all three. It's up to you - if insurance is a big issue and work is not, then go with the company that offers good insurance only. The rest will fall into place
AllHealth in GA - Good company, good equipment, any info about this company? (sm)

What type of work do they have?  Any op reports?  Appreciate any info. 


Thanks for the advice. The idea of clinic work sounds good, but I do feel comfortable with acute ...
care. I have a lot of experience with operative notes, DS, consults, radiology etc.. but I am not that thrilled with ESLs. It is just harder to make money on them. I think I will look into clinic work. It was only the lack of work that was bothering me about these companies and mismanaging the accounts they did have, broken promises, and just getting the runaround.. over everything from benefits to work.
MD-IT hiring - looks like a really cool company to work for... any advice/information?
I sure would love to know more about the company - a search of this forum turned up zilch.  I was with Medquist for 8 years, and the company I went to did not deliver on the acute care account I was hired for..... 
Does anyone recommend a pretty good company that is good to work for, pay always on time and plenty
of work.  I know that is asking a lot, but just curious?
Strictly IC, good company, hard accounts, good platform.
Good pay, always on time, no direct deposit though.
Is Transcend a good company with a good platform to work on. They are advertising.
:
Webmedx hires some ICs. Good company. So sorry for your loss. Good luck!
x
TransTech for many reasons, good pay, stable company, good benefits
and flexible.
I have looked around the last 6 months and have found nothing better. Have turned down numerous jobs, and have finally decided to stay put. The better insurance plans were announced and even moreso than ever, I am staying put, and my paycheck is happy about that because it is getting better every day. Good luck to you.
TransTech is a good company. Debbie is the owner and a good one at that! nm
n
Good company, great people, good benefits.
Affordable insurance. Good luck!
I know JLG and they are a good company with a good group of people

I joined JLG about 9 month ago and I am thrilled with the experience that I have had.  Although the company has been around for 20+ years, a group of good industry veterans who know how to operate fairly to both employees and clients have joined the company in the past year.  I followed my manager from another giant company. 


I have also worked on this account and it was plauged with problems from the start.  The hospital required the account to be implemented in a matter of days, there were technical issues and the hospital management staff was new and the employees were mad because transcription had been outsourced.  Personally, I won't miss this client but good luck to those that get it. 


There is plenty of work at JLG and I have already been advised on my new assignments


DSG is a good company. The sound quality is good sm
but I don't understand why they are hiring. In the a.m. was have NO work. The afternoon and evenings do have more work though.
or maybe it's really a good company. Give me a break. If a company isn't talked about sm
on here, good or bad, it's probably too small to matter and does not offer benefits or anything at all.
If that is how they treat their new MTs,
then just imagine how they must treat their MTs on average or for the long run! Gee Willikers! I doubt you'd have much positive to look forward to if you stayed. For that person to treat you that way so quickly -- she must both be used to doing so to others and gets away with it from the company. That gives her a lot of power to make other people miserable. I would let that place take a hike. I sure hope I don't run into her on my job search.

Good luck to you in whatever you decide.
Yes, when you treat the MT like....

I have to say if the MTs weren't  treated like they are in sweat shops and constantly hounded about their production and could get paid a decent wage, then maybe the quality could get better.  But, when you are paid on production and someone just out of school has yet to build up speed, and they are being hounded as to why they are not producing their line count, then they feel rushed and yes, making careless mistakes.  I have been MTing for 3 years, and I surely do wish I would have chosen another field.  I am currently getting myself ready to go back to school and get into diagnostic medical sonography.  The only thing I will miss is being able to work from home and be more available to my family.  Sorry in advance for any typos or punctuation errors. 


Good company, with good incentive SM
pay scale, decent health plan for full-timers, lower end for other benefits, well organized and dependable, good platform, good support. Very heavy ESL, medium-sized community medical centers, relatively high SR pay rate because it takes longer overall to clean it up. However--good producers who put in a good workday make quite good money here.
They have a low pay scale. They treat you like
The owner is nice enough, but she does not like to pay until her client pays her and she will make you sign a paper stating you agree to that.  Just be careful what you sign.  You might like it if you like EMDAT.  There is no training.  You train yourself through a website she gives you for EMDAT.  Again pay is low.
I don't agree-because Men treat U the way U..NM

But they are!! Treat employees very well
nm
If you treat your employees well, why

would you make the statement all but 1 would turn on you if someone offered something better?  Most MTs I know are thankful to work for someone who treats them well, something that is no longer the norm in this business, and generally stick it out for the long haul, until the MTSO offshores or there is no work or not enough work to feed our families.  Somehow it has been lost that an employee well treated and well paid is an asset, not a liability.  I don't know about you, but I appreciate respect for the work I do and the knowledge I bring to the table and that respect comes in many forms, most notably a living wage.  You can be darn sure that in these economic times and with the depressed wages we have had to settle for because MTSOs, large and small, offshore or live high and mighty off the backs of us MT slaves, I'm looking out for #1.  Loyalty and respect are earned.  Very few companies today exhibit business and/or moral practices that earn them either. 


 


They treat their employees VERY well.
I have been there for over 2 years and don't plan on going anywhere else. They will go out of their way to do anything they can for you if you are a hard working employee. I have never been with a company who treats their employees this well.
They don't treat you well on the CM side
You may not think it makes a difference, but it's like working for a different company. I think the staff is very abusive and disrespectful to the MTs and each other. Webmedx needs to go in there and clean house from the supervisors down.

Read ChartMatrix MT's post below. The culture really does make a difference. Apparently, she doesn't have work, either. Bad on both counts.
And that they will treat you like FAMILY, too.
Can't argue that one. I guess like most of MY family, these yahoos would never pay me what they owed me, either.

I cannot believe they still have the audacity to advertise here.


They're going to treat you the same as all other employees
and you'll not get your way by threatening and stomping your feet. You hold no more weight than the rest of us with them. Just how expensive is it for YOU to type for MQ who is PAYING YOU? LOL