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Lots of food (pardon the pun) for thought! THANKS SO MUCH EVERYONE!!

Posted By: Pokey on 2006-05-03
In Reply to: Weight Watchers - need advice - Pokey

Thanks!


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Thanks for the food for thought

It helps to hear all of the good and bad.


Right now it comes down to $$$ for me.  I need more money and I want to keep my work life apart from my home life at this point.  Every time I walk by my computer I feel like I should log on and I hate that feeling. I feel like I should log on because I really do need more money, but at this point, I can see myself burning out from living a life that way.  I need more life in my life and I like the idea of working 8 hours and being done.  I also like the idea of being paid for holidays. Where I work now we don't get paid for holidays, you can use your vacation time when you take the holiday off, but the company does not pay for your holiday.  You get many sick days also, although, of course, you hopefully don't need them!  The insurance is really good, and we need that as we are no spring chickens.  The deductable at my present employer is outrageously high, more than we spend all year at a physician, so we don't participate in their insurance program.  On the other hand,  we don't have young kids at home anymore and that makes a big difference.  When I first went home to work it was a blessing to be able to be there for them when they got home from school, etc., or to be home if they were sick.  At this point, I want to be able to make enough to continue to put money away for our retirement and I find I can't really do that working at home for a national--I use the money that I make to pay the bills and there isn't much left for investments, etc.


food for thought...
I had a client like this. I didn't have a vacation for 9 years, and that includes national holidays and many weekends, because they'd dump a pile of dictation on me precisely at those times and then take off and have fun.

I mentioned I was going to be hiring a subcontractor, and they hit the ceiling. They didn't trust anyone else to do the work for me, and claimed I was going to be in violation of privacy of info (this was pre HIPAA). They threw every reason in the book at me.

I finally said, "well, this is my medical transcription business. I have the right to hire competent people to improve my level of service to you and my ability to have a balanced life as well, which will ultimately make me even more productive. If you don't find that acceptable, then maybe we aren't a good fit for each other."

The relationship didn't last a lot longer.

No love lost.

Now, I also had a client that was quite nice, understood I needed time off, and was more than willing to work with me.

Both kinds do exist, though it seems the former is far more common. Why? Well, ostensibly they can get away with it. Think about THAT! ;-) I mean that in a kind way... don't let these people boss you around, and don't let them think they can treat MTs this way.

Yes, the work needs done. Definitely. But you've attempted to be more than reasonable in finding another person to help, and they recoiled. It's on them, not on you. They're unreasonable. Plain and simple.

I know it's hard to let go of a client, but sometimes these crappy situations, when we feel like sweatshop workers, are a swift kick that we sorely need to find a better path.

I myself am leaving the business, but if you choose to stay, I hope you can find a viable solution and more reasonable clientele. I'm sorry you are going through this. But let it motivate you to do something good for all involved. :-)

Good luck. And don't let anyone tell you that you don't deserve to be good to yourself.
Food for Thought

I have worked 2 jobs for many years now.  My full-time job is with one of the nationals.  My second job is for a local specialist's office.  It is the second job that I want to talk about.


I have worked for these 3 physicians for 14 years now.  I started out typing from tapes and bringing in the work daily on "sticky back" paper.  We have progressed over the last year to having the work put on the internet and having the office staff download the work each day.  It is working very well for all of us.


I am paid a very generous hourly wage.  I am on the company's payroll.  I get benefits, such as paid holidays, AFLAC, sick days, bonuses, personal days, etc.  I am quite satisfied with the arrangement.


My thought is, can we somehow appeal to our local providers to once again give the work to those of us who work at home as employees rather than farming out work to the big nationals?  This would eliminate the middle man and our wages would hopefully once again go up. 


I am most interested in others' opinions.  Are you happy working for a big MTSO, or would you prefer working, once again, as an at-home employee for a local company.  If so, can we somehow solicit this work back where it used to be?  I have been doing this for 25 years now, and I remember when most local health care providers did have their own employees,either in house or at home, doing their transcription.  Guess all the recent discussions on this board have got me to thinking how I (we) can improve out current situation!


Thanks in advance for any replies I may receive on this post.


Food for thought
The "all-in-one" offers sound like a great savings, BUT...

If you're like many folks who don't have a large financial cushion, and you have to put off a bill or two now and again, remember that you'll lose phone, TV, internet, and cell phone all in one fell swoop! If you keep them separate, at least you can keep your phone line if you have to let your TV go.
Food for thought

Here is a link discussing noncompete clause enforcement in California.  Depending on what state you are in and if it imposes unreasonable restrictions on your income a court of law might find it void and enforceable.  I doubt it would get that far anyway.  What does contract say about notice to quit?  What state are you in? What state is company in?  Have you told them you are unhappy?  Ask them how much notice they need.  A lot of times these services make up their own contracts and sprinkle in a few clauses that sound good and are unilateral (one-sided in their benefit).  Bottom line:  They are not always enforceable.


 


http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/laborlaws/l/aa042202_2.htm


 


 


food for thought
Just out of curiousity.....with all the wage wars in this business, has anyone ever thought about a union for MTs.  For what is expected from us, don't you think we should have a standarized pay scale that we will not go under.  It seems over the past 5-6 years instead of making more money the companies are taking away from us.  For example, many companies are now hiring IC versus employees so they do not have to offer benefits.  They make whatever benefits they do offer horrible and we pay all the cost instead of the way it used to be that they pay for our benefits for what we make for them.  Many companies no longer offer short term or long term disability.  In this business that benefit is much needed.  Just a thought... any responses on forming a union.  My thought... if all of us that know what we are doing decided to stick together.... what choice would a company have but to offer what is necessary to have a good employee.
Hmm...that's food for thought. I don't do op notes
because I have a weak stomach. Thank you for pointing that out.
Is man at the top of the food chain? Thought it was the lion.
Unlike carnivorous (sp)
Link inside provided as food for thought
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/320/RipOff0320581.htm
Food stamps, WIC, food banks, churches, family...
There are many answers to that problem.

No one has the right to steal and writing a dishonorable check is stealing. It is called "theft of property".

My tax dollars support government programs to prevent people from going hungry and to provide for women, infants, and children. I make donations to food banks and churches, etc., for those who just need help as well.
Food for the staff and doctors, if you can afford it. Food is always a big hit in a doctor's off

One of the biggest perks I can remember when I worked in a doctor's office was when the drug reps or orthopedic equipment reps would cater lunch for the whole office just so they could meet with the docs.  The whole office would get so jazzed at the idea of free lunch.


If you can't afford to cater lunch, then I would do something like a muffin basket and bagels always go over well.  But food is your best bet.


Really???? I miss 'burgh food. Philly food is okay, but it
x
The food is resturant quality food and very good
XX
BBQ, slaw, cornbread, ham, casseroles, lots of veggies, chicken pastry, lots of desserts!! BIG fami
.
I bed your pardon.

Beg your pardon...
Been an MT 20+ years, been an MTSO, got tired of pounding the pavement and putting up with MTs who didn't show up or had such poor quality. Sold the company. Went to work for another company. Moved into management. Get along great with those reporting to me - I've been in their shoes and work alongside them to support them as much as possible.


Lots of inexpensive decorations at Big Lots. Had a party last year.
s
p.s. pardon the typos nm
nm
No, pardon me, I forgot something.
x
Begging pardon!
It is NOT the only way for them to compete.  That is total and utter BS!!  It is just a better way for them to satisfy their GREED!
Beg your pardon. Not T. Someone who knows who works for them
and no am not management
Pardon my ignorance but sm
When did they start using flash drives and how? Most of mine don't know how to use the computer! Please share. Sorry for your problem, sounds like the office manager is gloating over this - it's their problem, not yours. Charge them for the lines find out how computer literate the staff is. They usually pay peanuts and get monkeys!
Pardon me, and not to sound like an old crank...
but I think the current spectacles for preschool graduations, kindergarten graduation, 6th grade graduation, or even 8th grade graduations have just gotten out of hand.  Formal dress for a 5-year-old finishing kindergarten?  We've just gotten carried away making huge productions for children out of normal everyday stuff.  No wonder they act the way they do sometimes.  Some kids expect fireworks for every move they make in this life.  I'm not that old and we didn't do jack diddly squat for any of the above occasions... Even 8th grade, it was just "have a nice summer and see you next year."  I just personally think we should save the big hooplas for something that is actually a culmination of a lot of persistent work.  High school, college, etc.  But kindergarten? 
well, one posted close to that...pardon me...nm
xxxx
Pardon my stupidity, but what is an MTSO?
x
You're bedding my pardon? Oh my!

LOTS and LOTS of video tapes and DVDs.
x
I beg pardon, but I have to strongly disagree with above post.
If your heart is pounding, if you cannot catch a breath, if your vision is blurred, if you no longer recognize your surroundings (even for a few seconds), if you feel like you are going to die.......yes, you may well be experiencing a panic attack. Or you may not.

There have been too many times that people diagnosed themselves with a "panic attack", not even knowing what that is, and ended up dying with a heart attack or stroke. As in dead.

This is simply because of ignorance.

Once again, the first thing you do is to make sure the symptoms you have are not physical. And, you go from there.

If, once diagnosed as actually having panic attacks, with no physical reasons, then you learn to deal with it. You learn to "feel" it coming. You may be happily shopping in a mall or whatever, and suddenly feel like you cannot breathe. There is not a breath to be taken in. Your heart pounds. Your vision goes. Your extremities are not responding at all. You feel you are dying right there, right then. My first impulse was always to run, but I felt my body would not cooperate. It did. It always has......because it was panic attacks, and not a heart attack or stroke, etc.

So, you sit down. You pull your car off the road. You stop frying chicken. You take yourself out of harm's way, in other words. You learn to deal with it.

But, if you do not know for sure that this is what is occurring, you're a fool to treat it as anything less than some kind of breakdown in one of your systems. Cuz that's what it feels like. And, anyone who treats that particular feeling without seeking medical advice is a fool.

Any other advice is ludicrous.
I beg your pardon. Some of us who work as IC put in more hours daily than employees!!
Heck, most of us take pride in our work and can run circles around your QA with accuracy! Please, you are way off base.

I agree there are some "fly by night" ICs who just don't care about QA or TAT, but that is not the majority. You can not make a generalized statement for all of us IC MTs. I am respected and paid very well by my Hospital for my accuracy and speed and knowledge!
I beg your pardon. I have elderly relatives in nursing homes who are constantly in and out of
hospitals.  The elderly especially need our reports to be ACCURATE, as nobody gives a hoot to "talk" about them, let alone doctors getting to actually know and remember patients. EVERYTHING about their acute care in hospitals is taken FROM THE PAPER MEDICAL RECORD, and also when they get bumped back to the nursing home.  The caretakers take ALL info from the transfer sheet.  Reality check for those who need help most - elderly who cannot rattle off their histories themselves.
Pardon me, but your ignorance and obvious lack of class are showing.
x
Maybe I misunderstood the OP's concern. Pardon if my response doesn't pertain. nm
x
I am not feeling well today so pardon if I am making mistakes. I just think that it is time to stop
defending the illegal activities of this company. I know I defended them for many years.
Dog food
Try switching to a better dog food, such as Nutro. Also at her age she deserves all the best in life and I would even consider giving her a meal once a day of chicken and rice or beef and rice, very inexpensive also. The table scrap thing, although stated by the vets all these years, is a bunch of bunk in my opinion. Dogs like a varied diet just as humans. Just so long as it is whole natural foods, not processed. You would love you to death to give her this small pleasure at her age. Good luck.
I think it has less to do with food....
and more to do with activity.  I'm 45 and remember eating Ring Dings and chips and all kinds of junk food back when I was a kid.  Granted we hardly ever had fast food, but moms back then didn't exactly cook according to Weight Watchers.. We had spaghetti, meatloaf, fried chicken, all that good stuff.  However, what did we do in our spare time back then?  WE PLAYED OUSIDE!  We didn't have organized activities or play dates, we just went outside and played, all day long if we could.  I remember being dragged in at dusk because I didn't want to stop playing, riding bikes, skating, etc.  What are kids doing today?  Sitting on their rears watching movies and playing X-Box.  Maybe that has more to do with childhood obesity than diet.  Food for thought anyhow.
food?
AMEN to the mexican food and margarita!
food
Baked beans - 1/2 cup is considered a serving and for the hash browns, 4 ounces would be considered a serving. You can add or substract from this to make it come out. Better to have a little bit left over than not enough at all. Good luck
I do like his food. nm
x
food
And what about pierogies?..lol..yes, Primanti Brothers makes a pretty tasty sandwhich. :)

Gina
food
..I meant for this post to go under the pittsburgh post..thanks.
food
I totally agree. Also, I just got an awesome recipe that is a dip for fruit. I would get a fruit tray and make this dip. I took it over for a July 4th cookout and it was a hit. It's best with strawberries. Anyway, the dip is one 8oz package of cream cheese, one 7oz jar of marshmallow cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. You can even add food color to it if you want to.
Food lol
I have some doctor friends/clients and once in a while I book a traveling coffee place for them. Then they can get coffee, hot chocolate and muffins or something that they can pick out.
More food
I think it's a lot like illegal immigrants taking away our work, but this way they didn't have the moving expense of immigrating!
But with dropping food - SM
You run into more logistic problems. First of all - it's got to be dropped in a place where people can get to it, it's gotta float, and it must be waterproof.

Unfortunately, too, you run into the problem of distribution, with the people reaching the bundle first possibly hoarding supplies for themselves rather than sharing them out.

IMO, there's a certain amount of Monday-morning quarterbacking going on, but NO ONE wants this situation prolonged. They're working like heck out there.
Thank you! This is weird about the food. sm

My son has chronic eczema. He had so many food allergies when he was small. We were told he would "grow out of them" and, for the most part, he did. His major allergy was, and probably still is CORN.


Now everything you buy has corn syrup or cornstartch or corn something in it. Even the dyes in Kool Aid have a scientific number, which is actually a corn biproduct of some sort.


As you can see, I have done my homework about corn. My first time shopping for him "corn free" a decade ago took me almost 3 hours.


Unfortunately, cold weather aggravates his eczema and we live in the Northeast.  He has  been to the best dermatologist  in the state and has 4 meds that keep it under control. However, he's 15 and he goes and eats pizza with his friends (no pizza sauce ever made without corn syrup - you have to make your own out of tomatoes). McDonalds, etc, everything is loaded with it.  I only found 1 local breadmaker that actually has white bread without corn syrup in it.



MT:Working for Food
Next thing you know we will be working for Food.
Just tell yourself all of that is just food in a different form. lol sm
Seriously, though, just put in your contract you don't do toilets, the same as some don't do windows.  I bet there are people who would rather get other things done, and would be willing to do that themselves, especially if the price was just a tad bit lower.
Food is better in Philadelphia.sm
Also, New York. They cannot even make a burger right in Colorado. Seafood is horrible & expensive. Pittsburgh is okay, but Philadelphia has better Italian IMHO. Have to overnight hoagies if I want a treat.
does anyone know how to calculate food
quantities for a party? i need to know how to calculate enough side dishes (like baked beans, hash brown casserole, etc). we will be ordering the main dish but trying to save money by doing the other stuff ourselves.  right now there are about 80 people (about 95% are adults) on the guest list.   thanks for any info! 
Other crock pot food -
I have done a lasagna that turned out pretty good, I sometimes throw in some boneless skinless chicken breasts with some homemade BBQ sauce, have done chicken and dumplings which was good, spaghetti sauce. I would actually love some new recipes. The crock pot is so handy - I like to just throw stuff in and forget about it. My husband also works late a lot so he just lets me know when he is on the way and I can just throw on some veggies to go with whatever is in the crock pot.
Comfort food.
a