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

Team Interaction? - CT

Posted: Mar 18, 2014

For those of you who do or have worked as a remote coder, were you on a "team" of coders? If so, did you find you were encouraged or discouraged from talking to your teammates?

I'm probably misunderstanding the question - I work remotely

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We are all a "team" and we interact quite frequently via emails. We need to, and it is encouraged.

Nope, looks like you nailed the question! - CT

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I'm currently an MT getting my MBA in HIT, but I'm looking to pad my resume by adding coding credentials - I'm not going RHIA route. So, I was wondering if it was similar to remote MT in that you are on a team, but discouraged or even not allowed to communicate horizontally, only vertically to direct supervisors or quality staff. I'm glad that at least you have had a positive team experience. That would certainly be refreshing.

Perhaps it was just a bad job experience? - I worked remotely in MT too

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And we communicated with each other as well, although not as much as I have needed to with coding. My group of coders are great. :) Congratulations on furthering your education!

That sounds interesting! What school offers - an MBA in HIT?

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What on earth is it, too!

Odd - sm

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HIT is 2-year degree. I would not think you could do an MBA in it. You can't even do a 4-year degree in it. No matter, though, because she couldn't get an RHIA anyway because the program would not be accredited for it.

Good thing she's going for the coding, because otherwise nobody in HIM is going to hire her.

Very positive outlook - CT

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Actually, people will hire me with just a measly MBA. But to provide myself with ample upward mobility opportunities, I'm looking into coding. It might be appropriate to resign your blanket statements for when you have all of the information. Thank you for your helpful feedback.

SNHU - CT

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My MBA focus is Healthcare Information Technology (basically systems transitions to EMR) at Souther New Hampshire University (I think they've starting advertising on TV??), but I'm looking to blend that focus with general admin skills. Thus, there's not a lot more marketable than understanding revenue cycles, which roughly translates to understanding why and how coders do what they do ;) So, I'm considering dabbling for a year or two to gain the basic fundamentals - I'll leave the super coding to the pros.

But I want to make sure that while the short people in our house are little, I'm available to them, and now is the time I get the coding knowledge knocked off my list I'm thinking. I'd like to cultivate team skills, from participation to management, and there's no way I'm going to get that through the smoke and mirrors that is MT.

So, I figured I'd wander over from the MM board and see what everyone's thoughts were on the team structure and dynamics in remote coding.

What do you think the team structure and - dynamics should be?

[ In Reply To ..]
NM

Encouraged Openness - CT

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I would hope, and again I haven't had the privilege of experiencing as yet, that the teams were transparent, with encouragement from industry knowledgeable management and team leaders to pose questions to not only them but peers as well. It would seem that there is a wealth of knowledge that can be tapped from other coders, and to position employees such that they are isolated and unable to utilize those individuals as resources to expand their own knowledge, clarify codes, and produce a more thorough document in the end would be counter-intuitive from a management perspective.

Just an outsiders perspective though. That's why I'm looking for the opinions of those of you actually doing it.

For those who work on-site, what are your experiences with teams?

Is there a reason why you decided against an - RHIA and then an MBA?

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I'm not questioning your decision, just wondered at the thought process. One of our Vice Presidents is an RHIA and an MBA. It would almost seem like to me that if you want to dabble in coding, you could do that with an RHIA plus so, so much more. Also I don't know if coding is maybe something you can "dabble in". It's one thing to have a general understanding of what it is about, but a whole other thing to actually do it.

I think you would find that the issue with transparency really has nothing to do with transcription and everything to do with your employer. I have worked remotely in both careers, and have been treated fairly and encouraged to communicate with others.

Employer transparency is very possible the problem - CT

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I already have to AA degrees and a BA, none of them in anything remotely related to the industry. Thus, I'm transitioning from a different career entirely and wanted a broad reaching degree that would cover not only my career but be flexible enough to manage many aspects of an entrepreneurial track our family is taking as well. Thus, the MBA was the most prudent degree to seek at this point in my life. The RHIA is something I thought long and hard about getting first, but in the end, having the broad business skills was more important than the focused medical business skills. By dabble I mean more that I don't intend to stay with it long -term. I will be looking to do coding for a period of 2-5 years, or until my husband is done with his active duty time with the USMC. As you can imagine, it's difficult to move into a management position with such a transient lifestyle. Now is the time for me to refine my skills so when we "settle down" I'll be able to leverage those skills!

MBA & RHIA - Informaticist

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We all make decisions for our own reasons, but just so you are aware, not having the RHIA is going to go a long way toward excluding you from the health information sector. So, if your goal is a job outside of that, an MBA is fine.

You can approach informatics from several different angles. The main thing is that people do it from another field, either nursing, pharmacy, medicine, IT, or HIM, with that background forming the knowledge base and focus of their work. In other words, they don't usually walk in the door with a fresh MBA and expect to start running things.

I question your choice because that program is unbelievably expensive for what you get. With your desire to work in coding for 2 to 5 years, and presumably not to have to work in a doctor's front office, you would need a CCS or RHIA to qualify for a remote coding company with a decent reputation. To get that, you will either need Andrews, or a university coding program, or an RHIA postbac. Given the cost of those, the best choice in $ and time was the RHIA postbac at the U of Toledo. The other good option was the informatics RHIA at WGU, which youcould have possibly completed in the same time and price.

Of course, you would have had to be accepted to those first, and have more than 15 hours a week to dabble in them. When I did this, it took 30+ hours a week.

Another more reasonable choice for the MBA is WGU at about half the cost or less.

Not criticizing you, but just pointing this out so others do not follow in your shoes.

Hi Informaticist - Did you do U Toledo or WGU for your RHIA? - (Not CT)

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Just curious, because you seem to know your stuff. Also are you a former MT? Again, just curious! :)

Yes No Yes - Informaticist.

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Well, I'm not exactly making it up. lol!

MBA + RHIA - eventually, maybe - CT

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I don't think being accepted is going to be a problem, no matter the route I choose. I may not devote as much time to my studies as some, but I will be graduating magna cum laude with my MBA.

Others should follow whatever path is right for them, and for me this is the correct path. I'm not looking to enter the private sector, though I'm not crossing it off my list entirely. My goals involve places like the VA and Naval Hospitals, places with a great deal of inefficiencies and ineffectiveness, places that directly affect the sort of care my family and friends receive.

Again, we as a family will be dealing with a separate family business once my husband is no longer active duty. This brings on a host of other things that I will need to have exposure to, exposure I wouldn't get from just an RHIA.

So, as I said, to each his own. For me, knowing where I'd like to head, what time frame, and under what circumstances leads me here. Additionally, the goals of my family long-term also direct me down this path. Each person must examine every factor in their life in order to understand what's going to be the best choice for them.

Not criticizing me in order to make sure others don't follow in my shoes... well, I don't think my shoes are a bad fit.

Question ... - sm

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OK, that's a good goal. What job or job area are you looking to get into with a VA or Navy hospital. Have you checked into the requirements?

GS7-GS9 qualified, depending on position. - CT

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I've looked at a couple of options along different areas of administrative work. Again, it will be a couple of years before I'm ready to re-enter the office arena. There are some facilities that are already out-sourcing their coding, but not all. So, I expect that is very likely to become standard if the initial facilities show it to be a cost-effective and easily manageable solution. Of course, it's a government contract...so that could get cancelled and be brought back in-house, too. But I look more to positions that will lead to something dealing more in the overall efficiencies to improve patient care and patients-served numbers. Obviously, those sort of roles are long-term and not something you pick up straight out of school.

Certainly a noble goal - saving our veterans - from VA inefficiencies!

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Are you Alan Funt???

And how did you determine you were qualified for GS 7 thru 9 positions?

So positive and so rude. - CT

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A combination of previous experience, education, and academic standing place me into those grades.

Also, there is a need for people who are forward thinking and motivated to make an effort to improve things, private or public sector. Sure there is more red tape than ever imaginable. Sure it's not likely any one person can make an enormous impact. But where are we if no one tries? What a horrible situation that would be.

So, I may go out like the ORI Director, but I'll at least be able to say, I took big scissors and tried to get through some of it.

What will you be able to say?

Umm, do you know who Alan Funt is?? - Funny!

[ In Reply To ..]

NM

How that works - Been There, Done That

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I'll try to summarize this:

Most employees come in at the GS 5 level and work their way up.

If you have an MBA, you can start in a VA federal career training program at the GS 5 level and work your way up.

If you have an RHIA, you can start in a fct program at the GS 5 level and work your way up.

If you are a certified coder with no experience, the MBA won't count, so you might start at the GS 4 level. With 2 years of experience, you might start at GS5 or 6. With an RHIA you would likely start at 6.

The VA is considered to be one of the best healthcare providers in the world. All jobs there involve eliminating inefficiencies and improving heathcare.. They value that, but I don't think they have a job for "efficiency expert."

You sound like me, but I'm getting BS in HI. - I think one needs to understand coding.

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My goal after my BS is healthcare applications analyst, or something in clinical documentation. I think to understand clinical documentation it is absolutely necessary to understand coding (man but doesn't it look COMPLICATED?). I am a person who needs to understand things by doing them. I would like the chance to code for a couple of years, not looking to be a veteran coder. That might sound opportunistic or flighty on the one hand, but on the other, if I am going to i.e. work on the computer system to maybe improve things, wouldn't it be best that I understand how things work in the trenches?

Yep, you get it! - CT

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There's not a lot more annoying, at least in my experience, than people "managing" or "fixing" the things they've never used. Understand the frontline applications before you start making sweeping changes...

I agree with you - It just feels like coding for you

[ In Reply To ..]
Might be a step sideways in your goals. Have you looked at Western Governor's University, and their Informatics program? You could transfer your college credits, and potentially get your RHIA very quickly, be able to code, be able to do a lot of other things, and THEN get your MBA. I do appreciate that you want to UNDERSTAND what you will be managing, I just think, with your level of education already you could parlay that into something so much better for you. But congratulations on whatever you decide!

I looked at WGU - CT

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I looked into WGU and UI-Chicago among others for post-bac, but opted to go straight to my MBA for cost savings. I knew I wanted to get that above all else, and getting that and maybe a CCS with it, I'm hoping will be sufficient to supplement where the RHIA would have gotten me in the short-term. Also, should I choose to move to a field outside medicine, I wanted to make sure I would have an education that translates across industries.

I don't really mind taking a brief side step to get coding under my belt, I've got a few years available to use for experience building before the husband and I switch roles and he is the primary kid wrangler and I'm released from my voluntary exile.

Cost SAVINGS??? - Good grief!!!

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Its nearly 3 as much as WGU's MBAs!!

So, what coding course are you planning on taking?

MBA Accreditation cost savings - CT

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I wanted an MBA that was either AACSB or or ACBSP; WGU is not either. For me, those credentials were weighted more heavily than AHIMA. Again, that is because in the case of moving out of healthcare, which may happen as we are military and I need to be VERY flexible, I wanted an MBA that was still going to be recognized outside of this industry. I also wanted a state school - personal bias, but the program needed to be 100% online. For me, SNHU was a better fit than WGU, for now.

I've been looking at a few different vocational coding programs, such as Andrews, Meditec, and Career Step (which is where I did my MT training). From what I've found, those are the big three. I haven't made any decisions as yet, since I'd like to finish my MBA and we have a PCS coming soon, again.

But that isnt a state school - It is private, according to them

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No msg

Should have said non-profit - CT

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Which I know WGU is also. But I wanted to avoid school like Phoenix, DeVry, Kaplan, etc.

Funny - I am doing my BSHI -> RHIA at WGU! - Great program!

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Just started and I love it.

I was hoping do a "double major" in Software Dev and Health Informatics but sadly that was not allowed.

If I didn't already have a BA... - CT

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Very likely would have gone a similar route if I didn't already have undergrad taken care of, and I really didn't want a second 4-year...

I do have a BS too already from ages ago. - A second one from WGU was ok by me.

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They gave me tons of transfer credit, and you can finish your studies as fast as as you can manage. Tons of certifications included, too.

i'm seriously considering WGU - It is tempting

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I'm just not sure if I have time to go that route and work full time right now.

You can do it! - CT

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I'm doing my MBA, working full-time as an MT, working part-time as a contractor, and I stay home with my two kids full time. So... YOU CAN DO IT, too!!!

I only have an Associates Degree - How much time do you devote

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to studying/school work a day? I'm a full time employee and SAHM too. I don't know how to find the time.

Day Break Down (M-F) - CT

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24 hours - 8 for sleep - 8 for work - 3 for IC - 3 for homework = 2 hours for all the other stuff during the day.

Weekends are not for working. We devote one day exclusively to family time, the other day is half church half homework.

While it's not an ideal balance, it's also not permanent!

YOU. ARE. AWESOME. - That is all.

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:)

How far along in this program are you? - Wondering

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No msg

Two-thirds - CT

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I'll be starting my 6th term of 8 in two weeks.

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