A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Epic - changes in # of staff in HIM dept? - newbie

Posted: Mar 07, 2013

Hi. I am in my third week of employment as a coder! Yay! I am learning a lot, still going to school FT, and commuting 1 hour each way to work. I am the "low man on the totum pole." We are starting to train for Epic which is supposed to be going live in a few months. Has Epic affected the work load in that there is a reduction of coders/transcriptions where you work? Just wondering. I do other clerical duties such as pulling charts, abstracting, and even filing loose papers. With the arrival of Epic, will that eliminate the other "busy" work that people do when there's not a whole lot of coding to be done (filing loose papers, pulling charts, etc.)?

Electronic life - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
EHRs do things differently, but they do not take over like "Hal." People have an exaggerated and almost ridiculously unrealistic view of computer capability.

The records are electronic but they do not manage themselves. People still have to validate them, make sure documentation gets done and is complete, and scan things in on occasion.

Jobs just change. We no longer need to file records and papers in them, but we need to do other things with electronic ones. Lots of other things.

Training doctors and staff, developing point and click, validating the coding they do, making sure documentation meets the requirements of the codes, etc.

We moved staff around, but did not get rid of any. We have more now, and most jobs now require more education and training.

As for whether our coders do loose filing and such when work is low . . . that is an unbelievably poor use of coders. They are some of our highest-paid staff. We do not have low work because we manage our resources and in the event of downtime for reasons like computer outages, we provide training for our staff. We might have other projects for them to do, but that work is commensurate with what we pay them.

EHRs require more skilled staff, not across the board staffing cuts. The work changes, but does not vanish.

I agree - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
My facility has been using Epic for almost 2 years now. The transcription is outsourced now but that would have happened anyway. All of our MTs now work in HIM-related jobs; abstracting, scanning, record review, analysis, transcription QC, etc. We have not lost any coders but we have not added any. I have never seen a coder with down time, especially with time to file papers, we have support staff to handle that. If you are a coder who is filing, your skills are being wasted. People are moved around and placed on special projects as needed. Epic has changed the way we work, but it also opened up new and different opportunities for many people, especially the former MTs like me.

Epic - the beginning of the end - Replaced by Epic

[ In Reply To ..]
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you think Epic doesn't have the capacity to replace transcription, think again. The hospital system I work for has been using Epic for 3 years. I find out Monday at a last minute mandatory meeting what the future of our entire department is. There is a program in Epic called CPOE, "computerized physician order entry." We were told that this would just be where the docs would personally input the medications and lab tests to reduce human error. Wrong. This has enabled the physicians (whether they want to or not) to enter in their own reports with the use of created templates. Our transcriptionists have scrambled for work, taken voluntary time off and burned up their PTO just to compensate for the loss of work. We will all be without jobs. Other hospitals in the surrounding area with Epic let their MTs go months ago. So if you think Epic doesn't have the capacity to replace the MT, I'm here to tell you from first hand experience that I'm witnessing it happen right now. I'll be filing for unemployment this time next week.

She's not asking about MT - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
She's asking about in-house HIM people like coders/abstractors/record techs, etc., not MTs.

Read my post again, please - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
I did say that my transcription department closed with Epic, because the work is outsourced now, that opened up QC jobs. Yes, there is some templating but I think your facilities will find that they may still need to run a "skeleton crew" of MTs, don't be surprised if some of you get called back in. Depending on the facility, some things will not be compatible, and there will be docs who hate it so much that they will refuse to use it, trust me on this. Epic also opened up a number of new HIM positions and all of our MTs found jobs. Do you have to do transcription? Ask your administrators/HR department if there are other jobs for the displaced MTs; they might actually find a spot for you that you like better than transcription. When my department closed, I was off work for 5 days before I got called back in for an HIM job. There are other things to do besides MT. Sometimes, when God closes a door he opens a window.

this is why I recommend looking for inhouse MT positions - not to get off course

[ In Reply To ..]
and my apologies to the coders; I realize this is a coding board, but as this post shows, if you are working inhouse as an MT, you are far more likely to be moved into some other position when MT goes away. It's not a guarantee, but just the fact that they have to look you in the eye when they tell you it's over increases your odds that they will find another position for you.

In house MT - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
Finding an in-house MT job might be a solution but I regret to say that they are very rare these days; I think my department was one of the last ones to fall. There are quite a number of variables in regard to being placed in another job if you are on site. We all had many years invested with our employer. I have been there 19 years and was one of the newer hires and I had always worked on site. I would think seniority would come into play when they start placing people in other slots. Many of us also had other skills that were transferable into other positions. Someone who comes in as a new hire and is only there a few months before the department closes might not be given the same consideration when it comes time to place people. An advantage to being in house is that you have access to internal job postings. Under the current conditions, I don't think I would take an in-house MT job thinking that it would last or that my employer would find a job for me when it ended, I just happened to be one of the lucky ones. I also apologize to the coders for getting off topic.

To newbie - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
I just have to ask. If you are a full time student and commute 2 hours a day, how many hours are you working? With that schedule plus the time you are spending pulling charts, abstracting and filing, how much coding are they having you do?

well... - newbie

[ In Reply To ..]
I was also pretty surprised that they would pay a coder to file charts, create new charts, put papers in order, etc., but that is what I did most of today. Apparently, we (me and my trainer) have to wait for somebody from accounting/billing to print out some report for us to know what files to pull and code. In my 3 weeks I have coded ER face sheets (somebody else did the injections), outpatient clinic diagnoses (again, if there were injections, somebody else did it), but I am mostly coding ancillary reports. I look verify that the x-ray and lab reports were actually done for the patient and that the MD orders are in the chart, and then I code the REASON the tests were performed. I asked them who actually coded the results of like the x-ray reports, and they were not sure and thought that was coded when the patient returned to the MD visit and then was given the results of their tests. It's confusing to me because there are a handful of us, only one coding inpatient, and the rest of us coding various aspects of the outpatient reports. Some days I am coding all day, but today I did no coding at all. I needed the job because I needed the experience. It is worth the drive to me and the extra expense of gas, but the salary is extremely low, and there have been no raises since 2007, even if I get my CPC and CCS and that is what I am training for. But, for now, it is where I will remain. I am like a sponge soaking up as much knowledge as I can.

Regarding EPIC and the MT jobs, yes, I do know what EPIC did to the MD industry. I was a MT for a very long time and that is one of the reasons I left the field. If I were the MTs at this hospital, I would be very afraid. They are absolutely clueless and have no idea what has been going on in the real world regarding the MT industry. When I told one of them that I was a prior MT and then transitioned into coding, she giggled and looked at me with big eyes and said, "Why, what happened, what did you do?" Clueless.

Clueless MTs? - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
However, to me it sounds as if your facility is a bit behind schedule on its EMR conversion if you are still pulling files and creating new charts. I work for an outpatient facility and we were on the way to being paperless at least 5 years ago, even before anyone heard of Epic. The MTs transcribed without access to paper charts for at least 10 years. Your system sounds a little confusing; I always thought charts were coded on discharge, not filed and then pulled later. It also sounds strange to code the x-rays and labs when the patient returns, it sounds as if that would hold up the billing; oh, well. Your MTs may be okay for quite a while, they may even keep their jobs when all is said and done. I think it's great that you are able to do what you are doing, what a great opportunity to learn. I still don't know how you do it all - commute 2 hours a day, go to school and work, it makes me tired just thinking about it :-)

Hang in there and good luck.

thanks - newbie

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree with everything you said. I always thought the charts returned from the floor, were all coded, and then filed, sent for sigs, etc. It is quite confusing, even more because it's my first job in coding. My comment about the "clueless" was that when I speak to the MTs, they seem to have no idea about anything like voice recognition, how it has been affecting pay scales of MTs, and how things like EMR have been affecting the industry. I hope all goes well with the hospital with their changes. It's a challenge to work FT and find time for school (which I have not been doing enough of), but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks.

That is great! - Just think

[ In Reply To ..]
Just think of it this way - You are getting experience in coding. AND they are paying you to do it! Can't beat that. You are setting yourself up for the future and are ahead in the game.

Similar Messages:

Sep 05, 2012

continue to do. ...

Dec 20, 2011

speech or straight transcription. Just wondering about that and DS, Consults, etc. ...

Aug 02, 2012

that also do away with MTs doing OR reports which is about all I really do. ...

Aug 08, 2012

DQS completely and the hospital will drop MQ. Just curious about that. It seems Epic is the way to go and was not sure if that can be interspersed with DQS or eliminate MQ altogether with DQS. ...

Apr 29, 2011

Ask a technical question on the web form and see what response you get (hint: NONE). Have they done away with all those people too? Maybe they are getting ready to get eaten by a bigger fish... ...

Nov 23, 2012

Anybody else having problems logging in on webclock. I started working but have yet to be able to log in; sent note to TL. I now have no work but was able to get 2 hours of work in - we will see how the rest of the day goes ...

Jan 24, 2013

Has anyone else received a letter from Alpha Staff informing that they are no longer affiliated with Nuance? Or am I late getting this info? ...

Dec 19, 2012

are at a fever pitch, as usual around the holidays. I seriously don't see how patients get any rest with all of this squealing and shrieking. ...

Apr 12, 2013

Saince Transcription no longer has a QA Staff. They let them all go about a month ago. The MTs have been divided into teams with a team leader who is doing all the QA for the team. This poor team leader is really doing the QA for nothing, they get an extra 10% on their cpl rate to offset doing the QA, but sounds like that could really cut down your production. The hospitals they type for don't even know it has happened which sounds illegal or at the very least unscrupulous. They signed ...

Aug 12, 2014

M*Modal Expands its Medical Transcription Operations in Mysore Posted August 11th, 2014 by Mmodal Company charts aggressive hiring plans; to double the staff count to 600 by 2015. Mysore, August 11, 2014 – M*Modal, a leading provider of clinical documentation services and Speech Understanding™ solutions, today announced it has expanded its existing facility in Mysore. The company has set aggressive hiring plans to ramp-up the center’s headcount ...

Apr 20, 2015

Makes me sick. They are making fun of this man's penis size. I know they are dictating from the OR because you can hear them trying to wake this man up in the background. I hope he hears them. Jerks. ...

Apr 30, 2015

Thanks to Healthcare Documentation Today facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/healthcaredocumentationtoday) for this link. Could this be the final nail in the coffin? Sounds like they're using the US business "model" for how to treat your employees like slaves and keep a track on them every minute - but they get to do their "household activity" so everything's A-okay!!! "He has no fears about employees shirking work. "All employees work on our software and log into our system. ...

Dec 15, 2012

Recognized as top career choice by US Dept of Labor Statistics, "employment of medical transcriptions is projected to grow faster on average compared to all other occupations through 2014." In addition, with new health care legislation, adding nearly 50 million people to health insurance will definitely increase the demand for more transcribers. What a crock. ...

Oct 21, 2013

I no longer work there and need to get in touch with them. Need a copy of W2 and did not have to file a tax return because I did not make enough and do not have a copy of the W2. Need it for financial aid. ...

Sep 23, 2014

Not sure if I'm just drawing a blank or if I'm going crazy (or both), but didn't our old email system (before IPSWITCH Imail Server) have a bunch of different sections, specifically how/where to contact Human Resources? Can't seem to find it anywhere and the old email system won't let me log in....? ...

Jul 19, 2011

Alerting the Department of Labor has been bandied about regarding the unfair and unjust treatment that MTSOs like to dole out because they think they can get away with it, and we have, in a sense, just rolled over and let them for fear of job loss or being the troublemaker if we spoke up. Perhaps it is time we find out if we have legitimate issues here and maybe something can be done about them, such as: 1. Not being paid for spaces. 2. Not being paid for demographics. ...

Aug 07, 2012

Off-the-Clock References The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that covered non-exempt employees receive at least the minimum wage and at least one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. In general, "hours worked" includes all time an employee must be on duty, or on the employer's premises or at any other prescribed place of work. Also included is any additional time the employee is allowed (i.e., suffered or permitted) to work. The amo ...

Aug 18, 2013

I would appreciate it. Need it for applying for UE tomorrow. Any help...thanks. ...

Dec 02, 2014

I just love emails from IT department at imedx. It is like solving a puzzle to figure out what they are trying to communicate. More fun and sparkle added to my day! Message to Imedx: Hire 1 English as first language IT person to commicate with your US employees. Just fuels my belief that despite what I have been told, you have NO intention of keeping me on as an employee long-term. This is just common sense, which in my opinion most of your decisions so far seem to be greatly lacking! P.S. Sure ...

Aug 19, 2010

Last pay check, I did not receive the PTO I requested in SS and was granted by my CCM. I contacted payroll immediately. Mind you, this happened to me once before. It took 1 email and 1 phone call and I had a check the very next day. It is now a week later. I have been around and around with payroll and my CCM. FINALLY, yesterday, I get an email that they owe me the PTO and will add it onto MY NEXT CHECK. I don't think so. That is money that I earned and am entitl ...

Oct 07, 2010

I would encourage everyone to call their local DOL about this issue. When we sit here for 20-30 minutes typing a job and lose it due to no fault of our own, we should be compensated for the time that we sat here. I left a message for my local DOL, hopefully will get a call back, but it seems to me that constitutes not getting paid for hours worked, which is illegal. If anyone else has checked into this, let me know. Thanks! ...

Jul 31, 2013

Anyone else get a sweet check from K&R for back wages and a letter from Department of Labor? ...

Jan 10, 2015

instead of my own. I called and told the person (it was the exact person that I had send the records) and he acted like it was no big deal -- he just goes, "oh could you bring that back here today?" Of course I will bring them back, but I think it was funny how he made it seem like there was nothing wrong with the scenario. He probably thought I had no idea about HIPAA. ...

Apr 04, 2015

Landmark: They were sued with a class action for FLSA violation, for "willfull and reckless" nonpayment of overtime in 2011. I have not seen a suit for minimum wage. Anyone aware of any suits besides the one against Landmark? ...

Oct 12, 2011

? ...

Sep 19, 2012

Called state DOL and was given these numbers for US DOL because the company grosses over half a million a year. I called and left message regarding OT practices at Nuance. Will update when I get a call back. ...

Sep 12, 2010

I am seeing LOTS of new names in QA and also a new STM. My question is this - why are these openings not posted so that all can have equal opportunity for compete for one of these positions? Is this even legal? I know it is not ethical, but not sure about the legality. ...

Jan 29, 2010

Dr. says, "The patient's s/l staff services are up." I am pretty sure it is not staff but i dont know if it is an abbreviation or a different word. ...

Jan 29, 2010

Please see my post below. I was afraid it would get lost, and really would like to know what kind of threat Epic is to us. I've lost one account to them, and now possibly another. ...

Dec 12, 2011

With the hospitalis going to EMR, they are being forced to by the government is what was explained to me, i.e. Epic. So then my taxes are being used to put me out of business. ...