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Time off from own accounts

Posted By: Patti on 2006-06-16
In Reply to: Just Curious - Becky

Most of my accounts have been with my for over six years and so they are pretty understanding when I take some time off and I let them decide if they want to hold the tapes or I can have one of my friends who also has their own business do my accounts.  95% of the time they decide  to hold the tapes which is good and bad. I don't lose any money but I am quite busy when I get back.  I don't take a lot of "long periods -- more than 2-3 days with a weekend" off and take more short times off, Th, Fr, Sa Su etc.  I did go to San Francisco last year and took my nephew for his graduation and did take Friday through Weds off but came back to the tapes.  The docs did do some of the notes themselves.   But that was their choice.  I do not have any children or a husband so I that helps out.  But you more or less gotta form some networking with other small MTSO's in the area to cover for each other.  I am also lucky that my largest account, surgeons, are not in every day so I can usually take time off and only miss one of their days.   That helps.  But most of the time your accounts will work with you.   But that is the downside of having your own accounts.   


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It is time to seek you own accounts to be paid what you are worth! nm
x
It slows down every August and January on both ER accounts that I have. This time sm
of year is the worst. I forget about it every year until it happens again. It usually picks up again at the end of August and then is really busy until the end of the year. It slows down a bit (not much) in the beginning of January and then is really, really busy until mid to late July into August.

I have been doing this for 13 years and the only year ever that it did not happen to me was last summer. Not sure why, but both hospitals stayed busy the entire 2006.


How about zillions of accounts. MQ has these accounts so overloaded even the new hires dont have any
work. I would love to read some of these reports and then they expect perfect QA and no blanks. Did they lose their minds completely.
The accounts are old and she keeps her accounts TRUSTING she hired the right MTs
who if in doubt will ask questions regarding reports. No one can find all mistakes in all reports and that is human to have a report with perhaps a typo. You think anyone reads through all the reports of a national company before they get to the hospital? Not a chance. Some random QA is supposed to correct all mistakes? Not hardly. Doctors/dictators make mistakes too. We all do. So do QA people. So the thing is this person hires good people who are trustworthy, the hospital likes the way she does their account and life goes on quite nicely w/o hovering editors/QA people. BTW, who QAs the QA people on your accounts. Ever wonder?
Not all accounts are good accounts. One
That should not be the case. Sounds like you need new accountant with strong knowledge of IC deduction.  We save a several thousand on what we pay in taxes based on what I can deduct as at home IC, $2000 off the top for what I pay my child to help with office chores, as an example.  The measly 7.xx% I pay that an employer would pay is well worth my independence in being my own boss.  
Not anymore. For some time now, I've been working 32 hours and am considered full time to receive
p
Working full time at home with small children is hard but part time works great
is almost impossible. You will either have to work when your spouse is home or for only a few hours during the day and then more when they are asleep. I work part time at home and my kids (2&5 now) have done very, very well. They are great kids, very well behaved, don't get into much. I stop working to check on them/give them some attention every hour or so while I work (5 hours each afternoon or so) and they get all my attention in the morning and at night. It has worked out beautifully for us.
Yeah, our choc. lab does that from time to time - makes it interesting!- nm
x
Cannot legally require you to commit time to them as an employee and then not pay you for that time.
x
full-time in office/ part-time at home
I currently work full-time in a physician's office and have started part-time online. My hope is to eventually go full-time online; however that will be done the road for a single mom with a son in college. My suggestion would be try to type part-time for a MTSO and see how that goes i.e work and money with a decision down the road for ultimately being home all the time. A guaranteed paycheck is always a necessity for me. Hope this helps.
I work part-time hours with full-time pay...
I made over 26,000 this year...
I work a full time and a part time, but not sure about 2 full-time...
My hubbie is disabled and I am the only one in my family working also, so I fully understand. You will not have a day off at all working 2 full-time as that is going to be the only way you will get in all your hours. I work one job in the mornings from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the other from 5 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and do have off one day a week, but if I had to get in the extra 15 hours to make the other job full-time I am not sure how I would do that other than lose my only day off. Also, make sure you have your account specifics in front of you at all times because you will get yourself confused as to who is what and having notes will help in that area. Good luck to you, as it is possible, but forget about your house being clean, having any social life, etc. Feel free to email me personally if you just need someone to talk to, as I have been where you are and still am.
Maybe they will. Give it time. It takes time to set up links.
OSI, Precyse, etc tell us more.
full time, part time, statutory
newly defined full time...

newly defined part time....(which is an added classification)

I believe statutory just was not mentioned because there is nothing new about the definition of statutory.
full time/part time/statutory
The definition of full time is new.

There is a new classification called part time.

I believe statutory was not mentioned merely because that has not changed and they do not receive PTO/benefits.
I work 1 full-time, 2 part-time....nm
NM
its a waste of time yet you take the time to respond?

**yawn time for your bed time old thinker*
Hippie??  What pray tell is a hippie?  Im not judgmental..I dont care what another is partying about or with or whom they are with..Im not a cop or the warmonger in the White House..far be it from me to judge another..You, however, by your post seem to have grown old before your time..I recommend you just graze on your back yard grass and leave us **alive ones** alone..**yawn**, time for you to go to bed now, hun?  Bye..bye..old person..
I do believe she is good enough, and has more than proved that time and time again. NM
z
part-time or full-time
I'm curious. Are you FT or PT? Thanks.
4 week's time or 4 weeks' time
Does anyone know this one. I will see the patient back in 4 week's time, 4 weeks' time or 4 weeks time. Can't seem to find this in any of my reference books. Thanks in advance.
1 full time and 1 part time for now
I am still pretty new, so that is all I am taking on. I may take on more after I get more experience, if possible.
I never denied that I need a break from time to time, but
I was just stating how I took her post and the fact that I am worried about how my son will react since he is already getting quite upset. But, yes, any parent SHOULD be able to admit that they need a break from time to time...we're only human too! :)
even ISPs have to do maintenance from time to time--sm
and most do this during the wee hours of the morning when MOST people are sleeping and not using the internet. They need to upgrade their services and virus protection just like the home users. This is probably what occurred.
I recently requested time off for the first time...
(3 days off) and gave 2 weeks notice but was asked by my boss to give more notice next time.  I thought 2 weeks was decent, but next time I will give at least 30 days.
Do we enter each time there is a new prize, or just the one time?

thanks.


 


Not 1st time, wont be happy the 2nd time and
x
Utter waste of time, unless you have a lot of time--then have at it! nm
x
I've had 3 at one time, but only one open at a time. nm
xx
Virtually never. Time spent doing that is time SM
that could be spent typing. Instead of stopping to listen, then typing to catch up, I scan AHEAD of the dictation as I type, looking for upcoming questionable areas.
How many accounts?

My national employer has 19 accounts in my queue, though I rarely work in all of them in a week or a month.  Still its too many.  I'll often work 5 or 6 accounts in a single shift, despite the promise of a limit of 2 or 3. 


This is a terrible business practice. If you are a dedicated MT, it requires extensive time to review account-specific instructions, not to mention being unfamiliar with place and people names associated with the different regions.  It is unfair to "quality patient care" to bounce MTs into unfamiliar territory.  After all, how quickly and accurately can one transcribe a record when you are overwhelmed with studying your fifth or sixth different set of instructions in less than 4 hours?  I believe the substantial amount of MT shuffling is to slow us down--they have overstaffed and its to their benefit to force familiarity with odd accounts so they can do it again next time.  They do phase people out of primaries and secondaries and even tertiary accounts once they become proficient.  We hear the work is low due to summer slow down, yet they keep sending their "please welcome our newest recruits" memos.


And, yes, I will definitely be searching for a new company very soon. 


I have 8 accounts and seriously,
they do run out of work, but I change my work hours. I know if I get on at 6:30 a.m., I will get a decent amount of lines done in about 2 hours time with the normal interruptions of kids. I usually do get back on in the afternoon to try to finish up and there usually is work for me at that time too. I was transferred to Amherst when our office closed. I have been with MQ for 4 years. It just stresses me out that people complain so much about Medquist and it is always the same people. Why not get another job????? Why do they continue to come here and complain about the same thing over and over and over again????? It is the most annoying thing I have ever seen. I agree that we all need to vent, I do too. But why remain at MQ if you are all so unhappy? Maybe finding another job with a different company will make you happy, although it seems like people from every other company are complaining, as well.
15 accounts......
Yes, but it is important that we post this information. I believe, or at least I hope, that the people at the top need to hear this.

The people at the top management levels read this board regularly. They are concerned about the bottom line. Three things affect the bottom line: production, TAT, and quality.

If you have 2-3 accounts, you will have much higher production, much better quality and TAT will be better controlled. You will make more money because you are not wasting time jumping from account to account.

I believe the problem is in middle management. They are the ones putting us on 15 accounts at a time. (I actually had a supervisor who told me she had asked the manager while she was throwing me at every problem account and her answer was...."Tough S---" Unbelievable.
These are only for MT's/accounts that are on DQS
If your account has never been switched to DQS, I don't believe you would receive a check. This somehow pertains to DQS. It appears that the longer your account has been on DQS, the larger your check would be. But this is all a mystery to us MT's. It may also pertain to certain accounts/clients that MQ had misbilled, per the law suits against them. At this point, MQ upper mgmt is keeping very quiet about this check, so can't help but think that it pertains to the overbilling that they had done to some MQ clients -- possibly we were the MT's who were worked on those accounts. BUT YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE about the purpose of the check, other than they had to pay back some monies FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. Will we MT's ever know ????
TOO TOO MANY ON ACCOUNTS
Don't forget to call Human Resources and follow up with a written Employee Complaint with ALL these complaints. They think the complaining is only from an isolated few and won't even take things seriously until the written complaints start to mount up.
Try for your own accounts - How did
xx
Those of you that have your own accounts, what's the

best way of getting your own accounts?  I have one small local account that I got from a newspaper services ad eight years ago.  If I had two or three more like this one, I'd be a happy camper.  I've mailed postcards and made cold calls with no luck whatsoever.  I've even done intro letters with business cards to new providers on the city business license list and in response to help wanted ads.  No nibbles there either.


It doesn't even necessarily have to be a local account.  It could even be Internet based or via mail/UPS.  One guy used to priority mail tapes to me from New York back when I had my virtual assistant/secretarial business.


Any positive suggestions are welcome.  Thank you.


New accounts

It is like selling a house or anything, it takes a large volume of people to get one buyer.  Even if I am not looking hard,  I send out flyers every year or so to keep my name out there -- have a lot of people that are willing to subcontract for me.  I also hit the smaller ones sometimes and do the rounds in the medical office buildings by the hospitals.   Send flyers out to smaller cities/towns if you are set up for digital as those are the ones that are sometimes looking.   Do networking with other MTSO's in your area. I know many in mine and we all network together.  A lot of it is being at the right place at the right time as they often just throw our flyers out and that is why you have to keep sending them out.  Offer something unique -- I cut apart chart notes and that helped with a couple of accounts.   Stupid but they love it.   Also accounts that use transcription services -- take them a flyer personally with some cookies -- it does work to get it to the manager's/doctor's desk it really does.   I have also offered my own accounts a "finder's fee" if I get an account.  Anything works.   I have gotten a few through the yellow pages.  But it takes time and persistence.  One mailing does not usually do it as there are a lot that start up and stop so if they see it once or twice, they remember it.   Good luck.   Keep your prices fair and offer a good service.   Patti


Do 7 different accounts in my
job, 2 programs, and another job with another program. different hospital.  Once you get used to an account and work on it regularly, I have found it does not slow me uip to switch from account to account, keeps me in work.  Also, no problem with doing way over 1000 lines in 8 hours.  But that is just me.  I have been at this 21 years.  I hear others do have problems and sympathize with them. 
As far as QA and their accounts, sm
this company has the best I have worked with. I have no idea what the QA rate is, but they do have the best QA IMHO, so I am assuming they are paid well.
Accounts
Ihave 4 clinics -- one with two Internal Medicine, one with two surgical oncologist, one with a plastic surgeon and hand surgeon and then my psych.  Total in all accounts is about 25 hours per week and gives me about $3000 per month.  I work 12 to 20 hours additional at a clinic as an employee doing EMR work and that pays me per hour with benefits.   Going digital I hope within the next 2-3 months.  No health problems yet.  Have had accounts from 5 to 18 years.
If you have your own accounts and

do you feel obligated to share whatever work there is with them, even if it's really only enough for you?  In my case they have other work that can do but they make more from my work, so they are anxious for any work I have available.  It's overflow, so sometimes there is work and sometimes there's not.  The amount of work available right now I could easily do myself.


Usually I share whatever I have with them, but right now I have so many bills and really need to do the work/keep the money myself.  But I feel bad about doing that.  Should I feel bad?  My husband says no.  He thinks of it strictly in a business sense.


I believe it with your own accounts.
most MTs do not have their own accounts and have to deal with the company's line counting system as well as being paid a very low rate.

Then again, I could never work 60 hours a week (my body just wouldn't allow it) even with my own accounts so this income is definitely not the norm, but having your own account I feel can really put you in control of your income potential. You go girl or guy, don't know.:)

Own accounts
Do a search on this as we extensively discussed this about a week ago.  You have to be ready to do all types of accounts using all types of equipment.  The more money sounds good but there is a lot of work to it, no relief for time off, a lot of non billable time.   You have to realize that if it is just you will be be seeking out either a one to two doctor clinic as that is about all you could handle at first.  Most of these smaller clinics use tapes, you print, pick up and deliver.  But if you are going to limit yourself to digital only then you need to expore setting up your own FTP site, know how to transfer back and forth and it is usually a larger clinic which would be hard for one person to handle.   I think you need to do a little more investigation and there is no "book" to buy it is through a lot of hard work, sweat, tears and perservence that you keep doing your own accounts.  Like I said you are sick, no one to do your work and often times the office understands the first time but when you are new, a second time and they look elsewhere.  They have a hard time understanding sick children, relatives, power outages, disc failures, etc. until you have built a reputation and rapport with them.  Has taken me 20 years to so do.   Good luck, use your own common sense and brains and do a flyer, brochure, letter introducing yourself and send them out.  It can be done but it take a while to get started and keep going. 
Own accounts

Well how did this office contact you?  I would get this one under your belt and use them as a stepping stone and a reference and go from there.  It works the same in this field as in any other field you want business, you go out and advertise, do flyers, make phone calls, etc.  Most will not come to you unless you have been established for years or have an ad in the yellow pages, etc.  So start with this one since they have contacted you and go from there. 


 


I am an IC with my own accounts -
I get 17 cpl for transcription and 12 cpl for editing VR, all acute care.
Getting Own Accounts

Hi, I would like some info on where to start in getting my own accounts as in what kind of equipment required, where to begin, etc.   Also, what do you charge, etc.


I have 17+ years of transcription experience working for others, want to try something different.


Own accounts
Have had several contacts to me regarding own accounts.  I don't mind sharing general information, etc.but please do not ask me for samples of my brochures, flyers, business cards, etc. and ask for a step by step procedure to go through for  obtaining your own accounts.    I am not a consultant you pay for those fees.  If you have been in the business even working for someone else for many years, then you should have a basic idea what is needed with regards to equipment, etc.  No one can know you have a service unless you go out and advertise it.  Get your name out there and let them know you are available.   I am not being mean but I had to do a lot of learning along the as well as time spent in research and development and if you want to do this there is no easy way.  Guess I could write a book and sell it.  As for rates, if you are working for a small MTSO  in your area add on 25 to 35% of what your rate is currently.  To me, I would rather start out low and raise in a year or so to get the account, the experience of doing my own clients, etc.     Patti
Getting new accounts
Talk to your hospital medical staff coordinator and ask if you can sponsor doughnuts for the doctors lounge on a certain day. You get an estimate of how many dozens you need, pick them up, deliver them to the lounge and then the hospital puts up a board saying the doughnuts are compliments of "XYZ Transcription Service." You leave a stack of brochures and business cards on the table so they get into the hands of the doctors and not the office managers. You'll get business quicker by impressing a doctor than you ever will by impressing an office manager.
The accounts I currently have are *sm*
small and I use a call-in system for them.  This account would be quite large.  My first thought was to get the account and use a call-in system and switch to something less expensive later on.   I find it strange also that they expect the vendor to provide the paper but that is what it says.  In regards to what someone else posted, am I allowed to request a copy of the prior bid? 
getting accounts
I work as an employee, but have a friend in another state who developed her business by going in person to Dr.'s offices, introducing herself as someone who will do overflow work when their regular Transcriptionist gets behind or goes on vacation, and leaving a business card/flyer. That way she is nice, polite, and doesn't come off as cutthroat. When she does get the call, her work is so professional that many switch to her permanently.