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I worked at home for the local hospital here.

Posted By: Maddie on 2007-10-17
In Reply to: Suggestions please - Brenda

It was fine. They paid hourly and provided equipment. We had plenty of work and had to stick to a set schedule. They do use a service or two for overflow, but it is strictly overflow. The hospital still has employees working at home. They don't ALL outsource. (And ironically, some hospitals are taking back their transcription and hiring in-house and at-home MTs!)


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I worked at a local hospital

It had its good points and bad points.  The good being it paid better and had better benefits than most outsourcing companies. We had a 4 tier incentive program.  The lowest pay being 0.087 and the highest being 0.10 cpl. You had a choice of working in-house or at home and we were all paid the same either way.   Also, if there was little work or no work you had the choice of using PTO or working in medical records at an hourly rate which gave us a little break from MT and a feel for something else.   


 


The bad, if you were at home they would pull you in at any time just because.  Also, at home we had a lot of problems with their computer locking up, getting kicked off the VPN, slow moving from one screen to the next etc.  The tech support always blamed it on our ISP.  Also, they always made sure you never moved up to the next pay tier.  Only their favorite ones could do that.  They made excuses of why you cannot move up even though the numbers were there.  The one they used on me was that I took off a day during the last 6 weeks.    They told another girl she walked around in the halls and talked too much to bump to the next level.   However, if you did not get your line count they were all over moving you down.


When I worked at a local hospital
this happened.  I just transcribed it like any other report.  I would not even mention it to the family member.  When you work for a small local hospital it is bound to happen. 
I worked for a local hospital that used the same formula for our incentive pay.
x
I'm a hospital employee, working local at home, so I get a raise every year.
x
When I worked at home for a hospital
I had all of the benefits, but the hospital I worked at did not go by production.  They just basically paid per hour.  They did not expect a certain amount of work be done in a certain amount of time.  I had access to the software the hospital used.  This probably won't help you, but it has only been 2 years since I left the hospital.  I make way more with my own accounts.  If the benefits you are seeking have to do with retirement, then you may be better off setting up your own retirement account because if you are older, you will need to be vested before you even begin to think about a pension. 
I worked for a hospital at home for 4 years. sm
We had to work set hours. My advice is allow youself 1/2 hour for lunch, and at least two 15-minute break periods. Work 2 hours, take a break, work 2 hours, take a lunch break, etc. Otherwise, you may find yourself having back, shoulder and hand problems. Working 9 hours may seem like a drag, but not being able to work at all is even worse. Remember, if you were working on site, you would not only have to work 8-1/2 hours, but would have travel time on top of it. Just my experience.
I surely lost out on that, worked from home for a hospital
for 2+ years and required to come in house for meetings and never, never paid for my gas nor my time down and just asked to make it up. After that we got outsourced to a company and guess what again? Meetings at their place and again no pay!! I bet others who see this probably have had the same thing happen to them. Your place exceptional.
my take is that she worked inhouse, not at home, and now wants to find out how to work at home. nm
x
local hospital
I work for a local hospital that have all transcriptionists at home except for radiology. I have been working from home with them for about 8 years now. We are hourly employees and clock in and out on computer. We also have an incentive program (which used to be good, but they changed transcription platforms and it's not that good anymore), but it's better than having to drive into the hospital every day. I love it!
local hospital
I worked for local hospital for 11 years, then they decided to go to ASR and the Q took over their account! Seems like most hospitals are finding it more cost-effective to send it to large company with ASR!
I had a local hospital do the same s/m

even after explaining to them what E&O really meant.  Their previous transcription company had E&O, but that was because they had to have it for their copying services as well and the transcription just fell under it.  I found that Farmers carries it, but it was around $1,500 for a year.  They did have payment plans though too. 


Best of luck!


I got up early, worked during naps, and worked when DH got home.

You have to be disciplined to make yourself work when baby is napping instead of maybe watching TV or doing housework, etc.   


I might also go the route of having a teen come into your home, or either trying a mother's morning out program at a local church/daycare.   I've been home since my youngest was born and he has never been in all-day daycare, but I did have him in a mother's morning out program 15 hours a week at a local church.   It didn't help a lot with my work schedule because I had an older son in school and was a room mom and tutored other kids, but that might be an option.  The only problem with the mother's morning out program is they are around other kids and tend to pick up every germ.  I finally took my DS out of the program because he stayed sick.  You were supposed to keep them off if they had green nasal discharge and I did, but no one else did.  Every time I got him well after 2 to 3 days back he would be sick again.  Other than that it was very good for him because he would not have had a chance to be around kids his age otherwise. 


So did I!!! I left a local hospital
because I thought I could make more money working for the nationals.  Ugh, I threw away a good thing.  I tried to go back, but they said I'd have to start all over at the bottom working night shift again.  Not gonna happen.  Well, chin up, things will get better.
I work for a local hospital,
not a company. I know to stay away from Transcend.
local hospital work
i moved from a large city to a small town and i'm thinking about doing what you did. try to go to work for the local hospital. would have to probably work a set schedule, but the town is small so it's not like i'd be driving a long distance and i could go home for lunch. i don't have benefits right now and that's scary, so i'm leaning that way.
at my local hospital, they always call the

I think that is pretty standard. Calling by the first name only would be rather confusing. Especially if it is a busy hospital with a waiting room that is always full, like our local hospital.


I have a "questionable behavior" story for you! I went to the walk-in clinic held at our local hospital b/c I was having pain in my pinky finger. The waiting room was packed, as always. I go in, see the doc, and he tells me to go back to the waiting room until they call my name again. After a few mins in the waiting room, he calls my name & I get up thinking he was going to bring me into a room to privately give me my diagnosis. NOPE! The dope says it to me, loudly - not at all in a whispering tone, in the middle of the waiting room for everyone to hear!! He said "I think it is some kind of fungal infection" His actions were not only humiliating, but wrong! It was not an infection, rather a blood clot that developed on my nerve that needed to be removed surgically! Now, that, I think qualifies for a HIPAA violation!!  (Yes I did file a complaint with the Patient Care Rep)


I also work for a local hospital which is
growing in volume of work minute by minute. We have 52 remote transcriptions and still we need to send out work to two venders.
Local Hospital Accounts

I actually work for a Hospital Transcription Dept. My advice is to ask for the supervisor of transcription or Director as they usually have one or the other.


I actually had a person(who I know was from an outsourcing company from overseas) called and aske me if we were doing any outsourcing. We told her we were not interested, but I actually do send some out to an outsourcing company already. Just wasn't going to do that.


Alot of hospitals around where I live usually are small and have in house transcriptionists. The only reason we have our outsourcing is for people on vacation and when some emergency comes up and we fall short.


Carla


local hospital accounts
do any of you IC people have any tips on what is the best approach on how to find out info on who does transcription for local hospitals?  Thanks! 
Look at your local hospital's websites
jobs open.  The reason you don't see them advertised is a lot of hospitals outsource all their dictation.  But some still have in-house (or at home) MTs.
Wanna tell that to the local hospital MTs whose....sm
...staff was just decreased because EHR came to town? They were told only a few would be staying now because even in the hospital most reports could be handled by EHR. I think you need to reserve your opinion till we really find out what O has in mind for this field.
Wow! VERY well written and said! My husband works for a local hospital and
there is one patient who is an illegal that has been in the hospital there for 2 weeks and has racked up a bill that is now over $200,000.  One of the other nurses on staff there called the police department and explained the situation and they are in the process of deporting the patient back to Mexico and admitted to a Mexican hospital.  We can't cover the cost of every single person in the world.  The US is just so big and sorry, but my family, all American citizens comes first.  Does that make me a cold hearted person?  I don't think so.
I tested at a local hospital on the East Coast...
The pay was $14.82 per hour to start. They were paying medical unit secretaries $14.60. Also the job was per diem, needless to say I didn't take it.
The easy answer is to go to a local hospital and get experience.
The other answer is to ask anyone and everyone out there to give you a test, prove yourself, put your best foot forward.

Be very careful tough, because in your post you even used a wrong word "there" for "their" and I just wanted to bring this to your attention not to give you a kick but to caution you that you really need to "know your stuff" to get into this business. What you put out there tells about you, so make sure it's your best.
Just got an offer from a local hospital and wanted to run it passed you all before I say yes...

Employee status w/benefits


$13.50/hr with 0.05 cpl incentive fo anything above 1200 lpd and $2.00 shift differential (for 2nd shift which I will be working)


1000 lpd minimum productivity requirement


Work in the office first month for training and then home with hospital provided computer.


Dictaphone EXText Word Client transcription platform


Is this a decent offer?  I've worked at the same place in the office forever and haven't actually been out there  looking in several years.  I tried working for a national part time at one time because I wanted to be working from home, but couldn't see how someone could make a living on 0.08 cpl without working yourself into an early grave, so I gave up the part time job and kept the full time in office job.  Now I have a new boss who doesn't know her butt from a hole in the ground and I started looking around and came across this current job and before I jump ship, I want to make sure I'm getting a good deal.


The $13.50 seemed kind of low to me given my years of experience (13 years), but because I was at my other job for so long I maxed out pay wise.


How do I find out if a local hospital's transcription is done in-house or not?
Can someone please give me some advice?  I am trying to find out if one of our local hospitals has in-house transcription or what company they use for their transcription.  I called the MR Dept. and the lady acted like she did not want to tell me anything.  She said some was done in-house but most of it was done electronically and would not elaborate as to what company they used.  How can I go about finding out who does their transcription for them.  I never see any actual job opening in the MR Dept. or for transcription for them, so I am assuming they outsource most to a transcription company.
Try calling your hospital or local medical providers.
I've been uninsured and in pain for about two years now requiring surgery. I've tried finding a job with insurance. I've tried working extra to save up the money to pay for the surgery. I just found out that the local hospital has a program in place for people who can't afford surgery or medical bills. Their income limit isn't really low either. If I had known this, I would have had the surgery two years ago instead of living with a ticking time bomb inside me and daily pain.
Try working inhouse at a local clinic or hospital.
That's what many MTs end up having to do to get their foot in the door & gain experience. IMO, that's the best way to start anyway since you have experienced people nearby to ask for help because those first few months can be very difficult. Good luck!

P.S. Agree with the other posters below that you need to specify you have your certificate in MT, not referring to yourself as a Certified MT which is a completely different thing and can only be obtained after a few years of experience & testing with AHDI. However, that brings up another topic... many MTs choose not to become certified now that AHDI has sold us out & encourages offshoring of our work. I've been doing this nearly 20 years and only once have ever been asked if I had my CMT, so it's pretty much irrelevant anyway. As long as you have experience & test well, that's what they care about.
hospital at-home -vs- national at home

I have an interview today with a hospital...work in-house for 3 months, then go home, paid on production. I don't know as of yet what they pay production, so my question is to anyone who works for a hospital at home AND has also worked for a national at home...


Which would be the best to choose? The hospital offers great benefits, but the national I work for now also has benefits, not as good as the hospital, though.  Any input would be most appreciated!



Where do most of you get your computers worked on. Do you take them to a local dealer and what is
the wait time for anything to be done.
I worked with a small local years ago who
s
Mammograms are going to PenRad in the local hospital's Radiology dept.
dd
Local hospital and state sponsored class. (see message)

This was way back in 1980-81 (age 19) in a pretty small town.  Our local hospital in cooperation with state funding had 3 different programs:  Medical Secretary (note--not transcriptionist) which was an 8-month program, as well as Respiratory Therapist and LPN, which were both 2 years if I recall correctly. 


The cost was about $300 (my parents paid) and included ALL materials (books, paper and pencils) for classes 8 hours per day, M-F, from Sept thru May.  The classes consisted of anatomy/physiology, medical terminology, typing and transcribing, English, accounting, and general office practices, all, in 1 room with about 10-12 students in the entire program. 


The last month was spent doing 1 week of practicum for 4 weeks.  We could pick just about any situation we wanted and as long as there was approval by those "offices," it was all right.  I did 1 week in that hospital's pathology dept (transcribing, charting, answering phones--almost got to see an autopsy but was a burn victim, so couldn't); 1 week in another town's hospital MR dept (spending a day or so in each subsection--MT, coding, filing, etc); 1 week our local area's cancer treatment center (again, in each MR subsection), and the final week at our area's tumor registry.  I felt sorry for the 2 girls in the latter; they had ARTs (don't even know if that still exists as a 2-year associate's degree for "accredited records technician"), and all they did was file cards all day long. 


After that, we graduated with a "Certified Medical Secretary" certificate and pin.  I've been an MT ever since, working inhouse (both hospitals and service office for 10 years) and now at home for the past 17 years. 


 


local jobs at home
i have been thinking of getting small local jobs.  do the docs normally want to give you a test beforehand so they see how you do plus you get to hear how they sound ? 
Keep applying at jobs is my opinion. Find out where your local hospital transcription is done
dd
Any chance of taking a tiny ad out on local hospital websites, if not too expensive? Perhaps Drs wo
xxx
If you want to work at a local hospital or doctor's office, go to community college. Otherwise
if you want to work from home, for a national company, you need to take the course from either Andrews School or M-TEC. It does you no good to save money by taking the Penn Foster course, because most companies will NOT hire grads from that school, it is a poor course and does NOT prepare you sufficiently for MT work.
Good for you. I love my local at home job.

The hospital that I worked for would
not accept any applicants with online nursing programs because they did not have the required clinical hours during training.
When I worked in the hospital sm
the only ones who had Oxycontin were mostly cancer and back surgery and cardiac patients. Knee replacement patients got morphine the first 1-2 days and then switched to Vicodin. The majority of patients reduced to Tylenol after they went home. Never heard of OxyContin being used for knee replacements but your husband may have a very low pain threshold, too, or other factors necessitating to the use of OxyContin. I'd look at the whole issue of his pain control a little more closely. Can you discuss it with the doctor?
I once worked at a hospital (sm)
doing radiology where referring physicians could had the option of listening to dictation of their patient's report if it wasn't transcribed and signed quick enough for them. They did this through a supervisor in radiology, and inevitably they would exclaim that they had NO IDEA what the radiologist said, and would wait for the report. We always had to chuckle.
I worked at a hospital that did that. Had to do
with them not wanting people on e bay all day. Since I left that job when they downsized, everywhere else allowed it so I became dependent on the I-net for research. Made my quality better. Regarding production: Yep, it broke it down. Surf too much, wayyy too much. I tried to break the habit but our job is so isolating and numbing, I need to surf to wake myself up. That is no excuse however. I guess I want contact with the outside world. Too bad the hospital can't block the net, but let you have e mail and research sites or at least just block certain sites. I think they can do that. I know it must drive you nuts, because if I had to use books again, well. Forget that option. LOL.
When I worked in a hospital, I had a
doctor actually sit on my desk and dictate while I did a stat for him. The system was working, he just wanted to actually see one of us in action.
I worked for a hospital like this

We went to the supe about it and she told us that if we had time to eyeball the job lister, we must not be doing our work so...she took our job lister away. 


When I worked in a hospital, we had
access to all patient records, if for nothing else to help with current dictation.
When I worked in a hospital, there were
times we had no work or was very low on work, therefore our overflow service did not have work to give their people became we kept it inhouse. It is the nature of hte job. However, I do not agree with companies that if you do run out, you are REQUIRED to make it up on weekends or ungodly hours. Sure, it hurts your paycheck with you don't, but 90% of the time it is out of the MTSO's hands, if there is no work, there is no work.

Downtime is a whole different story. If you can not work because of computer/server problems on their end, then you should be compensated.
How much per minute, I worked for hospital and ...sm
it was 100/minute of dictation... very low in my estimation.
yes, once I actually quit my hospital MT job and worked for
Wal-Mart and actually made the same amout. 
When I worked in the hospital, the docs
NEVER had a pen with them, so good gift.

I also once gave out pens at for Halloween at work, and I was very popular!

LOL
I worked on site for a hospital
that had voice recognition in their radiology department (PowerScribe). That was very easy and enjoyable, but I was paid hourly - no idea if it would have been profitable otherwise. They did cut half their staff when they made the switch, so that might give you an idea on pay. You can do about twice as much I guess? Hope it goes well!
The going rate at the hospital where I worked...
....small city, about 60,000 people, for radiology/diagnostic imaging MTs, the range was roughly $10-$15 per hour.  This is in Oklahoma, where the cost of living is VERY low compared to most places.