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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

$18.5K two smaller nationals. nm

Posted By: IC on 2005-07-19
In Reply to: $$ - Nosey-Rosey

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Smaller nationals are way to go...
It seems you get treated like dirt by the large nationals, i.e., Medquist, Spheris, no communication, etc. Many experienced MTs have gone the way of smaller national companies simply because of the better communication among employer and employee, more warmth among the company, etc. Spheris tries to give off this impression they are a warm company much thanks to the CEO, but the organization itself is not a good employer to work for.
I want to look into Smaller Nationals.

I am hoping to get some names of some good Small National companys to work for. 


Thanks in advance for your help!


Are there any smaller MTSOs/nationals that offer good health ins.?

I may be needing my own health ins. coverage in the future and I was wondering if anyone knows of any good companies that don't require acute care experience (and preferably will accept dial-up - but that part could change). I have 12 years of multi-specialty experience and have always worked as an IC but may need to consider employee status. I need to work from home due to health issues.


Thanks so much.


I used to think smaller was better
I took a job with a small MTSO who offshores.... they added to my responsibilities w/o extra pay and THEN had the gonads to cut my pay. They said "sorry" but we are a small company and making some adjustments. I'm like dumbfounded.
Smaller
Left big national for smaller company in October and I LOVE it!  They actually know me! 
No, it is not w/ Medquist. It is w/ a smaller co. nm
/
I would, but they ran out all the smaller businesses here. nm
..
10 is smaller not larger than 12, so it would be more than 65 cpl- nm
xx
Smaller companies that pay better...
If you guys know any names of smaller/mid sized companies that pay much better and are better all around, PLEASE give out some names - it's really hard to know which ones are the good ones unless we have word of mouth! Please :)
smaller MTSO
I once worked for a very small MTSO in their office. They were in a suite. But they were located in a metropolitan area, very busy. At the end of my second week of employment with them, the CEO walked by the office I was working in and conveniently said VERY LOUDLY that a "certain medical center" (account I was solely working on) owed the company over $30,000. This was before I received my first paycheck. I was stunned. How's that for shock value? I received my check in a timely fashion and it did not bounce. However, CEO was sure to let me know of HIS SITUATION.
Many smaller companies - to name a few... sm
Health Information Partners, TTS, OSI, there are many many others.
regarding smaller font
I will type in any size font that they want, use what ever margins that they want but when I do my line count I change the document back to Courier 12 and use my usual margins.  I tell them up front that my charge per line is on Courier 12 with 1" margins on sides.  No one has every questioned me for this.  They can have as many characters they want on a line in whatever font that they want but not for my line count.  Saves me on my sticky paper and so I don't care.  But have been doing this for years and am very upfront about what my definition of a line is and yes I do gross lines. 
it is usually because they used it in a smaller screen
Open it up, click on the large square in the upper right hand corner next to the X for closing it, so that it is enlarged.  Then close it, and it should open to the full screen the next time.  Most all software will open in the same size that it was closed in the last time.  Hope this helps. 
Maybe a smaller company would be a better fit. sm
I know many MTs need health benefits, but if you can swing it, try the smaller or medium size companies. Most likely you will have the same account and dictators every day.
Keep looking, but find a smaller company.

The smaller ones have better accounts, useful macros and expansions, decent line rates, nice supervisors/owners, but probably IC with no benefits.  I don't care about that as long as I can crank out the lines in a small amount of time.


Yep, she needed something that was smaller than the cigarette.
For sure!!!!
USA Type, smaller companies...sm
the larger nationals suck big time, they ALL stink IMHO. I have NOT found one good national since YOG. Transhealth is okay, but it takes forever to get started with them, AND...lots of awful ESLs, but the sound quality was good, but I didn't stay. too many different docs, I am too old and tired for that and working on complicated platforms, Give me an MTSO who uses plain old word or WP and wav files.
Kathryn looked a little smaller????
x
I want an ergo keyboard but I cannot seem to get used to the smaller (sm)

shift key on the righthand side of the keyboard.  I keep hitting the keys beside or below it.  Do you eventually get used to it?  Right now I am looking at the Goldtouch and the Kinesis Maxium.   Would appreciate anyone's input. 



making the font smaller
does change the line count for those of us who are paid on a gross line. On a character count line, there is no difference.
Yes, but you'll probably need to find a smaller MTSO.
Put your resume in the MTstars resume database specifically stating what you're looking for. The smaller MTSOs usually don't put ads in because they don't want to be bombarded with hundreds of resumes. If you leave your info, they'll come to you. I had three independent contractor "p.r.n." or "very part-time positions" this past summer, so the positions are out there. Then I figured since I was already putting in 30 hours between the three, why not just work 20+ hours as an employee? So I am. Good luck with it!
Hospital with many smaller satellite clinics associated with it
nm
On my Google page, everything is lots smaller than it was and
it is too spread out for everything to fit on 1 page, so basically you have to look at the right side and then move over to see the left.Any ideas on how I can get this straightened out? Thanks!
I think a lot of the private practice docs like smaller ones.
They like the personal attention they get.
If you work for a smaller MTSO, it is rare that
they offshore. I work for a small one FT and another one as an IC, and there has never been talk of them offshoring. A lot of the smaller MTSOs don't.
Ctr + or - to make bigger and smaller. : ) No Message
Ctr + (bigger) Ctr - (smaller) ... just in case you open the message. : )

*If it does not work at first, click on the page and then try again.
Wonderful, got it--I see now it does work here too to make things smaller
thank you, very kind of you to tell me. I've made eveything on this page smaller now. Muy bien. Happy typing.
Any idea where to buy them or how much they might be? I live in a smaller area w/not so many 'bi
nm
QT nedical is a smaller national but overall the best company I've ever come across. nm
xx
Smaller MTSOs. They're tough to find.
You'd best put your resume in the MTstars resume database with the objective that you're searching for a smaller MTSO.
Hi! Went through a similar thing at a smaller community hospital....sm
in the state...all the same set-up as you stated, but the coders, who shared our office, were also the darlings of the hospital and were treated differently. When pressed for an answer, the head of HIM said that between us, the coders were seen differently because they were responsible for bringing lots and lots of money into the hospital, their coding "properly" translated in to billing, which translated into $$$ for the hospital...all the while, the coders, in part, depended on back-up from our department when trying to decide which code was most appropriate. Since your working conditions would be changing if you are sent home, I think it is entirely reasonable and very intelligent to ask them for a new job description, I always love to have things in writing for future reference. You sound like a very productive MT, so don't worry...I didn't have to worry about speech recognition at this hospital cutting down on pay, but is there an HIM head whom you could all have a small meeting with to clarify these questions? It would be nice to put your mind at ease. Hope it all works out and you have the best of BOTH worlds, Granny!
Money talks & the smaller the amount paid out,
x
That is what I'm trying to do. I've picked up some smaller accounts, dropped the national, an
very hard to cut my hours. It takes time learning the new docs and systems, but I'm sure soon I'll be working less (I pray).

Thanks for your thoughts. I should have never gotten used to the bonus $$.
Is anyone else missing the complete list in the blue box? Pages seem to be smaller, too. nm
s
What nationals?
What nationals or hospitals have this policy of showing doctors how to dictate better?  I have worked at 11 hospitals, clinics and trans services in my career, managed a few, was lead transcriptionist at a few hospitals, supervisor at another and also just an MT at times.  Never have I ever heard of a policy like this.
There were no nationals
Nobody had ever HEARD of outsourcing.  We were all in-house, regular employees, got a REAL SALARY with benefits including LOTS of PTO time, etc.  We were treated with respect and appreciated for our hard work and MT was an actual profession to be proud of.  Then after computers came along and the "want it on the chart 5 minutes before the doctor dictates it" mentality, somebody got the brainstorm that they could make tons of money off of us by getting rid of the in-house departments, "allowing" us to work at home, and only paying us peanuts on a "production only" basis.  The bottom line of "the cheaper the better" took hold, the nationals took over, started outsourcing overseas, and you have the mess we have today.  I guess that about covers it----
Do any other nationals have 10,000 MTs?
Maybe that's why it is talked about so much.  There are 10,000 MTs affected by what they do.
Nationals are no better

Disagree, no matter whether you are an I/C with own accounts or with a national or even small MTSO, we are all at the beck of the doctors.  If they are off or do not dictate, there is no work.  I do not think that the majority of you realize how hard is to balance out having enough staff to do the work to keep the accounts and also keep them busy when the work does not come in, especially when the help does not think twice about someone in the family being acutely ill when they are not, taking off for children field trips on a whim, children being sick or whatever the excuse is not to work.  It takes quite a juggline act to accommodate both employees and acounts themselves.   That said -- flame me as I have already been burnt many times by people who do not have a work ethic or want to work when they want to and not when the work is available.


 


Nationals are no better....sm
Every group has people who don't come through when they should, doesn't matter what job, etc. but most of us are professional enough that we don't leave our employers in the lurch, certainly not nearly as often as most of them do us, no work, computer down, etc., etc. but, if someone refers to me as "the help" I wouldn't feel too kindly toward them. I would do the job, but don't ask "the help" for any favors.

Sorry...that's a sore spot. Makes me feel like we should be kept in a corner somewhere until we are needed to "help"
If that happens, no more nationals for me!
nm
Big nationals and MTs

I have been in this business over 20 years.  I started when we used IBM Selectrics and tapes.  I have seen this business changing over the years, some good, some bad.  One thing in particular is the very large national companies getting more and more of a monopoly in the transcription business.  This has had an impact on the MT.  I am making less per line than 15 to 20 years ago, and I seen that is widespread in this industry.  I see it is getting more and more impersonal. 


20 years ago many MTs were getting 7 to 7.5 CPL.  I see that still happening.  Adjust that for cost of living increases and inflation, and I feel wages have gone down.


Now we must compete with overseas work and if an MT wants to do VR, they must take a pay cut, at some companies of up to 50% of your line rate. I remember many years ago when they were talking about implementing VR, we were told we would not have pay cuts, just be able to type more.  I knew then that they were lying, of course they would cut our wages.  They will squeeze and squeeze to get the most money for themselves.  Many of these CEOs make millions, but what about all the unethical business practices.  Remember Enron. 


I feel most of these changes are because of the a few very large nationals changing the nature of the business.  Of course, they want to make as much money as possible.  Everybody does, I cetainly do.  But it seems to me they are doing it at the expense of the individual MT. 


Did you know many transcription companies actually train the MTs in India and then give them a job.  If you are in the good old USA, you pay for your own schooling and are lucky to get your foot in the door because of no experiernce. 


I think if there were fewer nationals and more smaller companies, maybe the MT would benefit.


 


 


Nationals can pay much better
than hospital jobs. If you are capable of 1500 lines in a hospital setting, you can easily do the same at home. With experienc (which you seem to have) you can make at least .95 or .10 per line. Most hospital MTs do not make $150.00 a day. If you want benefits, there are some good national companies with good benefits.

You just need to decide how much your in house job means to you versus staying at home. I work in a hospital during the day and at home in the evening. I make more money at home but I need to see other people so I love going to the hospital 6 hours a day.
No, they don't. Maybe Spheris or the big nationals
that actually send you equipment and take the time to train you, but the little MTSOs don't do anything except set up your user ID and password to get into their system and fax you their contract.  Ooh, 15 minutes out of their lives are gone.  Dreadful.  They expect you to have your own equipment, be proficient with the computer and software, and know how to transcribe medical reports.  Reasonable enough, but it does NOT cost them anywhere near the figures you quoted.
nationals vs working for yourself
Regarding the post below about how to avg 1600-2000 lines per day, someone posted they make about 12 cpl and about 3500 lines per day.  I'm assuming this person works for themselves.  To all of you wonderful ladies who are so lucky to do this, where the heck do you get started???  I'm soooo jealous, thats a dream living right there.  Seriously, where to look, how to get started, what equipment.  Any pointers from you gals?  I work no less than an 8 to 9 hour shift to scrape in my 1300-1400 lines, work until my fingers get stiff....!!!!
Probably why the larger Nationals have their own
qq
OH! One of the nationals I worked for did that.
Of course, the supervisors had been on the accounts before getting promoted, so they had tons of macros and expansions already.  However, they'd work a few hours and get these astronomical line counts while I had all the leftover garbage dictators.  Between that and the frequent shortage of connections available, I quit.  The supervisor not only got her supervisory wages, but she also cranked out about 2,000 lines a day in less than four hours by taking work away from the MTs.  Why did they hire me and the other MTs if she was just going to hog the good lines and the C-phone connection?
YES! nationals have turned

wife's kind of job......need a second income to live.


It is no longer a career


It is no longer a respectable job.


They have lowered it to _drop in_ make a few bucks_go to bed


But don't expect or receive RESPECT, A LIVING, OR ANYTHING ELSE


from a transcription company.  They are there to make the profit


OFF OF YOU.


 


Bows sounds real darn good - when do we start - I'll make the


wagon to sell them from - I'm pretty handy with power tools now since


my husband left because I had to type 26 hours a day!  Stupidly he thought


we should have a life.


I won't work for nationals. Been there, did that.
I got hired on part time at the local hospital, then gained one account on my own. I continue to work for the hospital PT, and now have five accounts and two subs who work for me.
what about nationals where you use THEIR expander....
never thought of that...couldn't they just glean your normals from the Expander without even telling you? I am going into it right now and change the NAMES that I associated with those normals I slaved for free to create!!! (doctor names) Thanks for the tip.
I agree about big nationals
Ridiculous. They pressure you, but leave you high and dry with low work available and expect you to work. Thank goodness for the smaller companies. They are getting the cream of the crop of good MTs!! I switched from a big national to smaller company too!!
Nationals: Sometimes the hospitals have their own MTs sm
and pull the MTSO off the account when work is low to keep the hospital employees busy.  This probably happens more often than one might think these days.  IMHO