Medical
Transcription Monthly News
October '09
1. This month's ramblings... It's hard to believe it's October already, but it is! I wish I could tell you something funny that's happened to me, but I can't think of anything this month! I've just been working hard and tied to the computer really. My daughter Lois and I have been spending some time together since she moved back from her six months in NYC. She's living in Port St. Lucie, which is the next town to me. I was so excited yesterday when she got her approval letter to go into the nursing program! She will be going to IRSC, our local college, which used to be IRCC, in the Spring of 2010. She has taken classes there since she was about 13 years old via the dual enrollment program, and then later she took lots of classes there after she graduated high school. She's been working at Seacoast Bank since she moved back, working at the Rivergate Plaza, in her old job. She moved to Maine for a while, when she was dating a guy in the Navy, and after that she lived in Jacksonville, FL for about two years, and went to college there. I'm so happy she's back in Florida and close by. I can't believe she's 23 now! She was about seven years old when I started my transcription business! Of course I still "THINK" I am as young as I was back then, but the realization of turning 44 last month didn't go amiss! Oh who cares... I feel like a young person... some days... There is a saying and I have to admit, I think it is so true! "Youth is Wasted On The Young!"... I don't know who said it, but it's true. I didn't appreciate my youth. I thought it would never end! Well, I can safely say, "lesson learned" now! Oh yeah! I know what I wanted to show you! I love cooking and baking, and I bought this wonderful cake mold that makes a GIANT CUPCAKE! I really couldn't wait to bake it. It's a silicone cake mold, and if it appeals to anyone but me... here is where I got it: www.harrietcarter.com Now, please be warned, that all the pretty cake decorations they show you in their catalog are most likely totally do-able by most people, but I really don't have a creative bone in my body, - I'm a "wannabee cake designer", but I know my limits, and I know my weaknesses. I know I'm crap at math. I'd never be an accountant or a financial advisor... Anyway, here was my giant cupcake! I'm sure I'll get better with practice.
And here it is with some cupcakes around it.
I used a small piece of a Twizzler for the candle
wick, and M&Ms for the spots. Since I don't own fancy
cake-decorating equipment, I used my serrated bread knife to make
lines around the bottom part. (I know they're wonky.)
Anyway, I did enjoy making it. Apart from that I've been transcribing, and also working with my students and the medical transcription training program. I've been quite busy working with my students and grading tests and watching them advance in their training. It's really been a dream come true for me. We have lots of students in the program now, and it's really been so nice getting to know them. It makes me feel great to make a difference in a person's life. I always want to look back and know I made a difference in life, and that I helped others. Oh I just have to share this with you! This lady is an excellent artist. She does the most gorgeous portraits! As a lot of you will know, unless you are a newer subscriber to my newsletter, I lost my companion and friend in July 2008. My wonderful dog, Mutley. Life is not the same without him. I still cry and miss him. Anyway, Debbie draws the most beautiful portraits, and she is drawing me a copy of the picture below! I can't wait to see it. This photo makes him look a little thin on the back-end, but as you can see from his fat-rolls around his neck, it's just the angle of the picture. Dr. Gil was on my ass for over five years about putting him on a diet. Mutley weighed in at 165 lbs. He was a TALL dog too though! He was like a little pony!!! Anyway, he didn't die of anything fat or heart related. I will probably never put a dog on a diet, it's just not my way! He had a happy and very content and loving life. He did live to 10 years old, which is just above average for a Rottweiler. He was the most loving and docile dog I've ever had. He wouldn't hurt a fly. My big baby...
Debbie can do portraits of all kinds. If you'd like a portrait too, check out her site: She does wonderful work!
Okay, let's get down to business! There are many ways to send and receive your dictation! Some doctors may ask about a call-in service, others still use tapes and need pick up and delivery, others will send you the work via encrypted email. You may have heard of FTP services as well, and you may well be confused about all the different platforms available, and also wondering which will be most cost effective and best for you. I'm going to try and breakdown how each works, and the advantages and disadvantages for you. With all the technology we have today, I cannot possibly describe to you all the different ways to send and receive your work, but we'll talk about the major ones so that you can have an understanding about what is available. I personally prefer the most inexpensive way to send and receive digital dictation, and that is FREE! But you have to be prepared for your potential clients, and able to accommodate their needs. I personally explain to them the $$$ savings by doing it my way... :) The most simple one, but more time consuming, and one that is not my first preference, is micro-cassette tapes. A lot of doctors still use tapes, especially doctors that are not in a group practice or larger facility. You will need to pick up the work and deliver the printed version back to the doctor. In this situation, you want to be within local driving distance if you depend on yourself to pick up and deliver work. I don't mind this, so long as it's short distance. However, we get a great tax break on mileage at 55 cents per mile, as of 2009. This is a wonderful tax deduction. Call-In Systems. There are a variety of ways that these can work. Some call-in systems are very expensive and cost a couple of thousand dollars upwards. These are more suited to a transcriptionist with lots of accounts, who either has employees and/or lots of subcontractors. There are also call-in systems that cost around $500.00, such as the one by Martel. This is a call-in system via a phone line to a micro-cassette tape recorder. This system is rather old-fashioned now, but it can still work for you. Remember, tapes will never be as clear as digital dictation, but it can be a way to offer your doctors a call-in system that you yourself own, without the price tag. http://www.martelelectronics.com/callndictate.htm - You have to scroll down the page to read about it. They also have some other interesting links, so spend a while on their site and check out what they have to offer. There are other call-in systems that are much less expensive, but charge a monthly fee - You won't own the equipment, but you'll have the technology. *** TIP: You must be able to pass along the costs of this type of system to the doctor, so you will probably need to charge a doctor that wants a call-in system more than you would charge a doctor that uses a simple digital recorder and email encryption. For example, this site - http://www.transcriptiongear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=IDIG0 They have a monthly fee, and you can set your doctors up to call in to this system, without you having to invest in the equipment yourself. There are MANY companies that offer this type of service, so be sure to Google "call-in dictation systems" before deciding. The prices and level of service can vary greatly! The words FTP can totally confuse the hell out of a lot of people, and suddenly all this transcription/dictation stuff sounds weirder than ever. So I'm going to take the scary factor out of it for you. Some of these call-in services also offer to charge you a monthly fee so you can login and download the dictation your doctor has called in. They give you a login ID, and you find your folder and download it. Just like when you download an ebook, a software program etc. Yep, that's it... file transfer protocol. A scary name that just means, "this is how we let you download that dictation"... Basically if you can point and click, you can download the dictation from the FTP service. The FTP service is basically holding the dictation on the server for you. Some of the services will offer to email it to you encrypted, if you don't want to access the site to download the dictation, (FTP). So, if they email it to you, you would treat it like any other attachment. You would save the .zip file to your computer and unzip it, then open up the folder to see the dictation you have received. Once that is done, you can use your digital player, such as Express Scribe, (highly recommended and FREE...) or you can try other digital players, such as Gearplayer or Winscribe. They are all just digital players. You load the dictation into the player, and put on your headset and use your foot pedal, (if you need to have one), and you can open any program you want and type the dictation. A lot of these players have a space where you can type the dictation and even send back the dictation. I personally don't like that because I use Word to type my dictation, and I have lots of program short-cuts and productivity optimization features within Word, and I don't want to give that up. I recommend having your doctor use a hand-held digital voice recorder, (remember those hand-held "tape" recorders, well they are just like that), except it records to a memory card, just like your digital camera stores photos, - to a memory card or chip. You can then insert the card into the USB port on a computer, upload the dictation, (which is a fancy word for saving the dictation to the computer), then they can send it to you via email. To make sure you are protecting patient privacy, you have the doctor install and use Centurion Software, which can be purchased at www.centurionsoft.com, for about $50.00. If you use Express Scribe, which is free from http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/ and you use Centurion Email Encryption Software, you have just found the most inexpensive way to run your transcription business and have all the new technology and benefits of digital dictation. Another recommended site: www.bytescribe.com Hopefully that clears up some of the confusion regarding dictation systems etc!
It's very important to have your own web presence nowadays, whether you have a transcription business advertising for new clients, or you are a medical transcriptionist looking for a job. Most of you know that a resume is usually only one page that does not tell your prospective employer anything about your personality, lifestyle, other skills, or any other information that might help sell yourself better to get the job. But having a website address on that resume and something that says, "to learn more about my skills and experience, visit: www.mywebsite.com" can be a useful tool that will make you stand out amongst others. If you are a business owner, it's crucial to your image that you have a website that physicians can visit to learn more about your business. When you send out account seeking letters, having your website address listed is a way for the physician to learn more about your transcription service. If you're not a web designer, you probably will not be able to put together a website that looks as professional as you'd like, and you probably don't have the time to learn how to design web graphics and learn html. So, I've come up with a solution for you! My friend Leva who runs a secretarial business, is also a web designer and she has agreed to design websites for you at a HUGE discounted price! She usually charges over $1000.00 to design websites. You can see her prices at www.fivestarwebdesign.com. But for me, she has agreed to heavily discount her prices for my newsletter subscribers and website visitors. She will design a TEN page site for medical transcription business owners for only $377.00. That's a really awesome deal! To get yourself a business owner's website at the DISCOUNT RATE visit: http://www.medical-transcription-at-home.com/discountsite.html The bad thing is, she can only design ten a month due to other work commitments, so you'll have to get in quick if you want to have a site done soon. For medical transcriptionists that want a resume site, Leva has that set up for you now. She will make you a six page site and host it for you! You can learn more about it here: http://www.medical-transcription-at-home.com/resumediscount.html
MY LATEST EBOOK - I know people worry about how to get a job as a new medical transcriptionist. You hear about national companies requiring 2-3 years' experience, and you might wonder how you'll ever get hired. It makes you wonder how thousands of MTs got their experience, doesn't it? If nobody will hire a new MT... then how do you get a job? There are many ways to get started in medical transcription. I personally don't like the idea of working for a national company; I'd rather have my own accounts and be in control of my future, plus I get paid a whole lot more. But some people want to work for someone else, for various reasons, so I've explained many different ways you can get started in a work at home position in my latest ebook. I haven't released this to the public yet, I'll do that sometime next week. So as a special offer for my newsletter subscribers I'm discounting the price to $11.99. (If you are a student of my online medical transcription training program, please don't purchase this, as it is included as part of your course!)
MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION HOME STUDY COURSES
I've really enjoyed working with the students at my medical
transcription training site. It's hard to believe we opened in May
of this year and it is already October! I have put together an Easy Payment Plan, and offer an Easy Cancellation Policy, because I understand that sometimes "life happens", and you may need to take another path, or you need to wait a few more months, or whatever... The Introductory Price offer is ending this month. The total cost for the training will be $787.00 instead of $587.00. I was going to raise the price October 1st, but have extended it until the end of the month. If you'd like to learn more about the training
course, please visit:
LINE COUNT AND INVOICE PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL
TRANSCRIPTIONISTS
TRANSCRIPTION PRACTICE DICTATION A digital downloadable version is also available.
Just email me if you want Instant Access Downloads.
Home Based Medical Billing: How To Avoid the Scams Within The Industry Before you read the article by Paul, I would just like to say that my friend Paul Hackett is the ONLY person that I would recommend that you learn from about Medical Billing. I personally do not do medical billing, so my knowledge in that regard is limited, but I know there are so many scams out there, and lately I have had lots of email questions about medical billing. I have known Paul since 2003, and a lot of my website visitors that are interested in medical billing have purchased his information. He is the only person I would recommend you learn from and trust about medical billing. I very rarely endorse a person or their product unless I have either reviewed it or spoken to the person myself. Paul is an expert in this field. To read his article click HERE
BUSINESS CARDS THAT ACTUALLY WORK! I never really realized how serious business card design was until one of my customers mentioned Diana's business card design book. I haven't personally bought this one, but she apparently has quite a reputation regarding the best way to design your business cards. I thought you might want to take a look at what she has to say. http://www.medical-transcription-at-home.com/bizcards.html
PROMOTE YOUR MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION BUSINESS WITH POWERPOINT2VIDEO! Need to promote your Medical Transcription business? Why not try a PP2Video?
I think this is an awesome way to promote your
transcription service! Watch this sample video, which can be customized just for you and your medical transcription business: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=163y38I3QUg.
Excellent quality & prices!! For further
information contact:
anitajames639@btinternet.com
I LOVE THESE AND I WANT SOME!!! http://www.iditplates.net/new/14140/index.html
As you may know, I love animals and I hope you do too. They give so much to us unconditionally. Please take a moment to visit the Animal Rescue site below and click on the button. It only takes a second. Your click will help provide food to needy animals. Please pass this link on to your friends and family and ask them to click everyday. They also have a store with lots of neat stuff. Every purchase you make helps the animals too. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3 I am also a member of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. They do such wonderful work with rescuing animals. My new adoptee is Mr. Chips, a lovely dog that needed a home where he would be treated nicely. They send you a photo of the animal you adopt, you can choose a dog, a cat, a horse, and lots of other animals. They keep you updated on the animal's progress and life. Last month, Mowgli, my other adoptee was given a permanent home, which is wonderful news, so now I am helping Mr. Chips. I urge you to adopt an animal. It really is a small donation and goes so far! They also have a store and the proceeds goes to the animals. http://www.bestfriendsstore.com I also donate monthly to The Humane Society, http://www.hsus.org and the ASPCA, http://aspca.org, I hope that you are able to help as well.
JOKE OF THE MONTH - I love this one.
Thanks to Julie Rountree for her contribution!
Legal Eagles
These are from a book called 'Disorder in the American Courts'
and are
things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place. ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory? WITNESS: I forget. ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot? ___________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning? WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam? _________________________ ___________ ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he? WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ. ___________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken? WITNESS: Are you shitting me? _________________________________________ ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time? WITNESS: getting laid ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: She had three children, right? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: How many were boys? WITNESS: None. ATTORNEY: Were there any girls? W ITNESS : Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney? ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated? WITNESS: By death. ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated? WITNESS: Take a guess. ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual? WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard. ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female? WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male. _____________________________________ ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney? WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work. ______________________________________ ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people? WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight. _________________________________________ ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? WITNESS: Oral. _________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m. ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time? WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished. ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample? WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question? ______________________________________ And the best for last: ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor? WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar. ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless? WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law..
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