Remember how I said a few posts back I was still working for MHC and loving it?
Yeah, that's no longer the case.
This story actually starts in 2019. I found out that one of our doctors was retiring, and that another was leaving at the end of the year. Didn't seem like a big deal. But then I found out another doctor was leaving, and then a month or so later, another one. It was super weird. And then we got a company wide email that mentioned something about "if patients want to follow Dr. A or Dr. B to the hospital blah blah blah." And that was super super weird because in 2016, the hospital had closed its outpatient cardiac clinic, partnered with MHC to take over that service line, and we'd taken on most of their doctors and patients. I mean, that's literally the whole reason I got to keep my job at MHC when I moved. That email also said that no one was being laid off, but that no one who quit was being replaced. So . . . bad signs all around. I started to worry a little about my job security.
But we still had a handful of doctors, plus our mids and techs, and I had faith.
And then, in November, the last doctor standing AND his mid decided to go to the hospital as well. This meant that, essentially, by March of 2020, we'd have only one cardiologist, a sleep doctor, and a handful of mids as far as providers go. At that point I alternated a lot between being absolutely convinced I'd be losing my job around my birthday, and being sure that since I was a very senior member of billing, plus a remote (and lower cost) employee, I'd be fine and manage to stay on through the craziness.
I was actually wrong on both counts! On December 30th (a Monday, my first day back after Christmas vacation), I got a call from my boss, letting me know that massive cuts were being made and I was being laid off. I was LITERALLY the first person to be let go. Which felt just great. The entire department except for the manager and the other coder got fired. So did most of auth., and I'm assuming a good chunk of records/front desk types. It was a terrible, terrible way to end the year. I can't really say it was out of nowhere, but based on when each provider was leaving and how much outstanding stuff they had out there, I really didn't think it would happen that fast. But it was . . . abrupt. I think it's because I wasn't in the office. I didn't get to say goodbye to anyone, or like . . . have any kind of option of coming back if I had to. It was pretty much you're fired, log off, and my access was terminated by the following morning. Just like that, after 7 years . . . over. It was surreal. I just felt very lost. Not just because I had to find another job after so long, but because I knew I was going to have to transition back into working outside of the house. That was daunting. (It worked out, though, and I got a new job pretty quick, and I like it, and Jerbs also got a new job in the process, but more on that later).
Really the big takeaway from the story is this: the hospital absolutely, 100% fucked MHC over. Apparently what the hospital meant when they said they wanted to contract with us for 10 years, what they actually meant was that they wanted to watch how MHC ran things for 3.5 years to learn how to do it correctly, then steal their doctors back, reopen their clinic, and tell MHC to fuck off. They had to pay a LOT of money to do it, between the penalties in our contract and buying out some of the doctors' contracts. It's fucking garbage. On top of that, MHC's medical director and founder (who literally started MHC because he saw how awful the hospital was with outpatient cardiology and was sick of it) opted to retire instead of going to work for the hospital. Really, that was the best option for him, but it sucks for the community to lose such a great cardiologist.
As of April 17th, MHC as a clinic closed and was bought by the hospital, so essentially they fucked us and then bought our building so that the can expand into it. The official story is that our medical director approached them about a sale because he was ready to retire . . . which is total bullshit.
As sad as I am about MHC closing and losing my job and everything, I'm more pissed about what the hospital did to us. It's just so epically shitty. And this was probably the hospital's end goal the whole effing time, and that's really infuriating too. It's sad because MHC's founder's goal was to eventually take over the outpatient line for the hospital, and it was such a huge deal that he finally accomplished it. And it ended in bullshit. (Although, interestingly, I heard through rumors as all this was going down, that over the years after MHC opened, it was the first CEO who was reluctant to make a deal with the hospital. The whole deal picked up steam after he left a few years back. So I kind of wonder if he had a feeling that something like this would happen. It doesn't really matter, but I am curious).
So that's that. I'm still sad. But like I said, I have a new job, in Olympia, and I really like it, and I'm making like $5/hour more than I was at MHC, and I think being out of the house is good for me right now. Well, not RIGHT now, because I'm currently working from home again because of the Covid19 pandemic. I'm extremely grateful for MHC because it really came along RIGHT when I needed it, and it led to so many good things. It increased my confidence, taught me a LOT of valuable skills, led to me getting a professional certification . . . all of those things were necessary to get the job I have now. Plus I wouldn't have Max if it wasn't for MHC, because I got him from a co-worker, and I love that little sausage dog more than I can say.
It really feels like the end of an era, the end of something really big and important and meaningful, and that sucks. But at the same time, I am SO happy for this next chapter, whatever it brings!
Showing posts with label MHC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MHC. Show all posts
4.29.2020
1.22.2016
Work Eval
So today I got my yearly evaluation from my boss at work.
It went pretty much as expected. Pretty much just a you're doing awesome and keep up the good work kinda thing. The one thing I know I need to work on is the one thing my boss says I need to work on, so all in all, it was good news. My boss also encouraged me to stop feeling like I needed to take on other people's work if they fall behind (my office mate is suuuuper slow at some stuff and I tend to feel obligated to pick up the slack), and I'm glad she did. I get really frustrated and I think I needed to hear from my boss that it's OK to just let things go and let my co-workers really be responsible for themselves.
One thing that I'm really disappointed about, though, is my raise. Based on the fact that I got my CPC a few months ago, and since I've been taking on a lot more work (both coding and otherwise)--I definitely had a number in mind for my raise. And I was definitely expecting something more than what my past two raises have been.
So imagine my disappointment when I looked at my paperwork and saw a raise that is actually a little less than what I got last year. My heart just kind of sank and I actually almost cried. But I'm not much of a boat rocker so I just kind of sucked it up and didn't say anything. I didn't want to get all upset and crying at my boss, and I knew that's what would happen if I brought it up.
Plus, at least I got a raise, and at least I have a job at all. I reminded myself over and over again today that a lot of people would kill for what I got today, and that I should be grateful for what I have.
But still. It was disappointing.
It went pretty much as expected. Pretty much just a you're doing awesome and keep up the good work kinda thing. The one thing I know I need to work on is the one thing my boss says I need to work on, so all in all, it was good news. My boss also encouraged me to stop feeling like I needed to take on other people's work if they fall behind (my office mate is suuuuper slow at some stuff and I tend to feel obligated to pick up the slack), and I'm glad she did. I get really frustrated and I think I needed to hear from my boss that it's OK to just let things go and let my co-workers really be responsible for themselves.
One thing that I'm really disappointed about, though, is my raise. Based on the fact that I got my CPC a few months ago, and since I've been taking on a lot more work (both coding and otherwise)--I definitely had a number in mind for my raise. And I was definitely expecting something more than what my past two raises have been.
So imagine my disappointment when I looked at my paperwork and saw a raise that is actually a little less than what I got last year. My heart just kind of sank and I actually almost cried. But I'm not much of a boat rocker so I just kind of sucked it up and didn't say anything. I didn't want to get all upset and crying at my boss, and I knew that's what would happen if I brought it up.
Plus, at least I got a raise, and at least I have a job at all. I reminded myself over and over again today that a lot of people would kill for what I got today, and that I should be grateful for what I have.
But still. It was disappointing.
12.14.2015
SNOW DAY!!!!!
We got a whoooole bunch of snow overnight, and it's still snowing right now.
So MHC is CLOSED today!
Which means I'm sitting at home in my PJ's hanging out with my dogs and watching TV so life is pretty much perfect.
And I got lucky in that I didn't even make it to work before we closed. I got up early AF this morning to take Jerbs to work, and the snow was terrible. It took forever to get the car uncovered and dug out (there was a guy plowing the parking lot and he came by and cleared behind the car for us, so that was nice). Then the roads weren't clear by any stretch of the imagination, not even the highway, and it was still snowing. So by the time I got her to work and got home to take a shower and get ready for work myself, I was running way behind time wise and knew I was going to be late. I texted my boss to let her know and then showered/moisturized/blow dried/perfumed and all that stuff. I was just starting to get dressed when my phone rang. It was one of my co-workers; she asked if I was on my way in, and when I said I was just about to leave my house, she told me not to bother because they had decided to close the clinic.
So I put my pajamas back on and did a little happy dance (I mean that totally literally).
Best Monday ever.
So MHC is CLOSED today!
Which means I'm sitting at home in my PJ's hanging out with my dogs and watching TV so life is pretty much perfect.
And I got lucky in that I didn't even make it to work before we closed. I got up early AF this morning to take Jerbs to work, and the snow was terrible. It took forever to get the car uncovered and dug out (there was a guy plowing the parking lot and he came by and cleared behind the car for us, so that was nice). Then the roads weren't clear by any stretch of the imagination, not even the highway, and it was still snowing. So by the time I got her to work and got home to take a shower and get ready for work myself, I was running way behind time wise and knew I was going to be late. I texted my boss to let her know and then showered/moisturized/blow dried/perfumed and all that stuff. I was just starting to get dressed when my phone rang. It was one of my co-workers; she asked if I was on my way in, and when I said I was just about to leave my house, she told me not to bother because they had decided to close the clinic.
So I put my pajamas back on and did a little happy dance (I mean that totally literally).
Best Monday ever.
6.18.2014
Job # 2
I got a second job.
After that financial unpleasantness I mentioned a couple weeks back, I'd been kind of kicking around the idea of a second job in my head. But the only thing I could think that would work would be doing something in retail and working, like, one shift a week, on Saturday or Sunday. But I really don't want to give up a full day of my weekend so . . . yeah.
Then last week Deb, the financial controller at MHC, came into my office and mentioned that she'd gotten an email from the owner of the gym we partner with (the one where I used to have a membership) and that they were looking for someone to do clerical work. Super easy position, 6--8 hours a week, with a schedule that is completely flexible. So I went across the street after work and got an application.
I interviewed this past Monday, got offered the job on Tuesday, and I started training today after I got off at MHC. The work is simple and very doable, and I can literally work whenever I want. Plus I get a free gym membership!
I'm so excited. It's going to be nice to have extra money; between this and the overtime I've been putting in at MHC I'm going to be doing pretty well. And the free gym membership, I'm hoping, will motivate me to get my butt in gear fitness wise. Besides that, I'm just incredibly proud of myself for being able to do this--it wasn't all that long ago that I couldn't hold down one job, and now I have 2!
After that financial unpleasantness I mentioned a couple weeks back, I'd been kind of kicking around the idea of a second job in my head. But the only thing I could think that would work would be doing something in retail and working, like, one shift a week, on Saturday or Sunday. But I really don't want to give up a full day of my weekend so . . . yeah.
Then last week Deb, the financial controller at MHC, came into my office and mentioned that she'd gotten an email from the owner of the gym we partner with (the one where I used to have a membership) and that they were looking for someone to do clerical work. Super easy position, 6--8 hours a week, with a schedule that is completely flexible. So I went across the street after work and got an application.
I interviewed this past Monday, got offered the job on Tuesday, and I started training today after I got off at MHC. The work is simple and very doable, and I can literally work whenever I want. Plus I get a free gym membership!
I'm so excited. It's going to be nice to have extra money; between this and the overtime I've been putting in at MHC I'm going to be doing pretty well. And the free gym membership, I'm hoping, will motivate me to get my butt in gear fitness wise. Besides that, I'm just incredibly proud of myself for being able to do this--it wasn't all that long ago that I couldn't hold down one job, and now I have 2!
2.05.2014
I'm Good At Something!
And by something, I mean my job.
I've been at MHC for a year now (as of 1.16.14), and yesterday my boss and I finally got around to doing my annual performance review. I hate hate hate stuff like that and I was dreading it, but it actually went really well! My boss had nothing but good things to say AND I got a raise. So I'm pretty happy with that.
It's still strange to have a job I like, that I'm good at, where I'm appreciated and rewarded for what I do.
But strange in a good way.
Anyway, I am so genuinely happy with what I'm doing now. I fully intend to stay at MHC until I leave Arizona.
A good review and a raise almost make up for the fact that I am still without a debit card, and for the fact that I have been ridiculously, insanely lonely lately.
But those are things for other entries.
I've been at MHC for a year now (as of 1.16.14), and yesterday my boss and I finally got around to doing my annual performance review. I hate hate hate stuff like that and I was dreading it, but it actually went really well! My boss had nothing but good things to say AND I got a raise. So I'm pretty happy with that.
It's still strange to have a job I like, that I'm good at, where I'm appreciated and rewarded for what I do.
But strange in a good way.
Anyway, I am so genuinely happy with what I'm doing now. I fully intend to stay at MHC until I leave Arizona.
A good review and a raise almost make up for the fact that I am still without a debit card, and for the fact that I have been ridiculously, insanely lonely lately.
But those are things for other entries.
1.15.2014
Work Related Frustrations
I said before that things were kind of shaking up a little at work. When I wrote that here, the shake ups were on the clinical side of things--i.e., not really anything that was going to impact my day to day very much. So I was taking it in stride, NBD, whatever.
Well.
Remember the co-worker I've talked about on here before who was going to leave, then wasn't, then was, then wasn't? We found out yesterday that she officially gave her two week notice on the tenth. Apparently it's a for real this time kinda thing so her last day is the 24th. That part I'm not so upset about. I like this co-worker, and I'm sure we'll stay in touch, but if anyone needs a break, it's most definitely her. I think it'll be good for her.
So one of the girls who currently works at the front desk is moving back to billing. Which, frankly, I don't think is necessary. I'm pretty anxious about this. I feel like, right now, I hardly have enough work to do as it is, and I'm terrified of losing any of my workload. This girl will really just be taking over the stuff that the leaving co-worker's doing now, but still.
Plus I've been convinced that it would be best for me to give up my desk for the new girl and move to a different office/work space. I'm not thrilled about that. I genuinely love my tiny, weird little workspace, and I don't want to leave it. I don't. But at the same time . . . I guess it's kind of a choose your battle thing, and this is one of those opportunities to be the bigger person.
And honestly, my job is going to be the same wherever I work from, so I suppose that in the long run it's not a big deal.
And I've made it clear that I want to take over BCBS. That was part of the plan when this co-worker was originally leaving, and honestly, the best two weeks of work I've had were when she was gone and I was doing that. I stayed busy, my days went by fast, and I like that. I function best when I'm busy.
So really, it'll be fine. As long as I can keep Medicare, get BCBS, and keep my mail duties, I'll be happy. And as long as I can take my computer with me . . . I like my screens and I've got everything set up how I want it, so I don't see moving it as a big deal.
I just hate not knowing exactly what's going to happen. I like knowing what's going on. I'd feel better if I could move my office tomorrow, but I have another week.5 until that happens. I guess I just prefer things being settled, and having someone new coming in is a shake up that I've never had to deal with.
Really, my biggest fear is ending up hating my job. I like loving my job. I do. I don't want to go back to dreading going to work like I have at jobs in the past.
I know I need to just play it by ear and take it as it comes because stressing about it isn't going to do me any good.
Well.
Remember the co-worker I've talked about on here before who was going to leave, then wasn't, then was, then wasn't? We found out yesterday that she officially gave her two week notice on the tenth. Apparently it's a for real this time kinda thing so her last day is the 24th. That part I'm not so upset about. I like this co-worker, and I'm sure we'll stay in touch, but if anyone needs a break, it's most definitely her. I think it'll be good for her.
So one of the girls who currently works at the front desk is moving back to billing. Which, frankly, I don't think is necessary. I'm pretty anxious about this. I feel like, right now, I hardly have enough work to do as it is, and I'm terrified of losing any of my workload. This girl will really just be taking over the stuff that the leaving co-worker's doing now, but still.
Plus I've been convinced that it would be best for me to give up my desk for the new girl and move to a different office/work space. I'm not thrilled about that. I genuinely love my tiny, weird little workspace, and I don't want to leave it. I don't. But at the same time . . . I guess it's kind of a choose your battle thing, and this is one of those opportunities to be the bigger person.
And honestly, my job is going to be the same wherever I work from, so I suppose that in the long run it's not a big deal.
And I've made it clear that I want to take over BCBS. That was part of the plan when this co-worker was originally leaving, and honestly, the best two weeks of work I've had were when she was gone and I was doing that. I stayed busy, my days went by fast, and I like that. I function best when I'm busy.
So really, it'll be fine. As long as I can keep Medicare, get BCBS, and keep my mail duties, I'll be happy. And as long as I can take my computer with me . . . I like my screens and I've got everything set up how I want it, so I don't see moving it as a big deal.
I just hate not knowing exactly what's going to happen. I like knowing what's going on. I'd feel better if I could move my office tomorrow, but I have another week.5 until that happens. I guess I just prefer things being settled, and having someone new coming in is a shake up that I've never had to deal with.
Really, my biggest fear is ending up hating my job. I like loving my job. I do. I don't want to go back to dreading going to work like I have at jobs in the past.
I know I need to just play it by ear and take it as it comes because stressing about it isn't going to do me any good.
11.24.2013
Finally A Good Night's Sleep!
I went to bed at 11:15 last night. 11:15! That's earlier than I go to bed on work nights. And let me tell you, it was glorious. I slept straight through the night until 6:20 in the morning . . . 7 continuous hours of sleep. I don't remember the last time that happened! My awesome night of sleep was the result of a very long and very busy day.
Back in October my boss sent me an email about this one day conference type deal that was happening in Cottonwood, which is about an hour from Flagstaff. It was just a few speakers, and in particular there was a speaker from Medicare coming to talk about coding and whatnot. Our CEO requested that my boss invite someone to go with her, and she invited me. So I said I'd go, and then nothing was ever said about it again. Like, nothing. And as the date got closer I just kind of assumed we weren't going for whatever reason. Then this past Thursday my boss was like oh shit, that thing is this weekend!
So Friday night I stayed up too late and went to bed at 1:30 AM; then on Saturday morning my alarm clock went off at 4:30. It was very unpleasant. But I dragged myself out of bed, got ready to go, and drove over to MHC in the snow (it was coming down pretty hard). (I have to say, I love having an SUV. I felt so much better driving that in the snow than any of the other cars I've had). Thankfully my boss drove to Cottonwood.
The conference was good. There were 3 speakers: a heart surgeon who went over ICD-10 stuff, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hands and didn't talk about billing/coding at all, and then a Medicare medical director who talked about ICD-10 and Medicare. It was all actually very interesting. I definitely learned some stuff that'll help me out in the future and I'm glad for that. Medicare is such a complicated insurance that I think really knowing it will be a good thing for my career in this field. And the conference ended an hour early, so we got home an hour early, which was awesome.
I took a little power nap when I got home and then Jerbs and I went out to dinner and then did some shopping. We got home a little before 10, and I spent almost an hour just lying in my bed before I realized that I wasn't actually going to be able to stay up.
Anyway, that was my Saturday. As much as I kind of didn't want to go to the conference I'm glad I did, because I learned a lot, and of course it never hurts to make a good impression on my boss, right?
Now on to my usual Sunday crap, yay. I'm excited for this coming week, though, because it's only 3 days of work followed by 4 days off! Can't beat that!
Back in October my boss sent me an email about this one day conference type deal that was happening in Cottonwood, which is about an hour from Flagstaff. It was just a few speakers, and in particular there was a speaker from Medicare coming to talk about coding and whatnot. Our CEO requested that my boss invite someone to go with her, and she invited me. So I said I'd go, and then nothing was ever said about it again. Like, nothing. And as the date got closer I just kind of assumed we weren't going for whatever reason. Then this past Thursday my boss was like oh shit, that thing is this weekend!
So Friday night I stayed up too late and went to bed at 1:30 AM; then on Saturday morning my alarm clock went off at 4:30. It was very unpleasant. But I dragged myself out of bed, got ready to go, and drove over to MHC in the snow (it was coming down pretty hard). (I have to say, I love having an SUV. I felt so much better driving that in the snow than any of the other cars I've had). Thankfully my boss drove to Cottonwood.
The conference was good. There were 3 speakers: a heart surgeon who went over ICD-10 stuff, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hands and didn't talk about billing/coding at all, and then a Medicare medical director who talked about ICD-10 and Medicare. It was all actually very interesting. I definitely learned some stuff that'll help me out in the future and I'm glad for that. Medicare is such a complicated insurance that I think really knowing it will be a good thing for my career in this field. And the conference ended an hour early, so we got home an hour early, which was awesome.
I took a little power nap when I got home and then Jerbs and I went out to dinner and then did some shopping. We got home a little before 10, and I spent almost an hour just lying in my bed before I realized that I wasn't actually going to be able to stay up.
Anyway, that was my Saturday. As much as I kind of didn't want to go to the conference I'm glad I did, because I learned a lot, and of course it never hurts to make a good impression on my boss, right?
Now on to my usual Sunday crap, yay. I'm excited for this coming week, though, because it's only 3 days of work followed by 4 days off! Can't beat that!
7.09.2013
Home Sick and Hating It
I'm home sick from work today. I stayed home yesterday too. Which sucks. I HATE HATE HATE missing work . . . it's seriously one of the worst feelings in the world to me. I hate that other people have to do my work for me and I hate worrying that I may lose my job.
To start from the beginning. Around 3:00 Monday morning I woke up HOT. Like, crazy hot. Felt like I was on fire. So I took a frozen water bottle to bed with me and turned on our A/C, and an hour later I was still wide awake and burning. I took a cold shower, I laid in front of my fan, and at 5:30 AM nothing had changed. I was absolutely miserable; my head was pounding, I felt weak and shaky, I felt dizzy and like I might throw up. At 6 all I wanted to do was sleep so finally, out of desperation, I took a sleeping pill (something I never do anymore). I dragged myself up at 7:45 and texted my boss, then I spent the day in bed just trying not to feel like shit. Which didn't do much good because I was s till really sicky for most of the day. It sucked. I was feeling a little bit better last night and I thought, a good night's sleep and I should be fine.
Well, I woke up at about 5:30 this morning feeling exactly the same. So I called in again, and this time I got a stern reply text that if I miss tomorrow I'll need a doctor's note to come back to work and that I need to give more notice of absence. I apologized for the short notice. Oh, and there's no way I'm going to go to a doctor for this. What's a doctor going to say about being heat sick in AZ? "It's July, you live in the desert, suck it up." Totally a waste of time and money.
I'm still not feeling great but I think tomorrow I'm just going to have to suck it up. I wanted to suck it up today and just force myself to go but . . . yeah, didn't happen. My head is pounding just from the few minutes I've spent on the computer typing up this blog entry so I'm pretty sure 8 solid hours of computer time would've killed me.
I'm trying to tell myself that I shouldn't feel bad, because sick happens. (Although no one who misses work to care for their sick kids gets any kind of questioning . . . my workplace may be a smidge biased towards parents, which is lame). And honestly, the way I felt yesterday and today, I'd have been totally useless at work, and I don't think it's fair to get paid for doing nothing. Waste of my time and energy to be there, waste of the company's money to pay me for being there. So yeah. And I'm not really worried about my job because I do good work and everything is caught up, so the only thing anyone had to do for me was payment posting. It's just easy to get paranoid, I think because I was unemployed for so long and I know how bad it sucks. I get to this place where I totally panic thinking of being in that place again.
So my goal is to go back to work tomorrow and just be awesome. I'm already pretty awesome at work but I kind of want to prove that I'm worth having there, y'know? Get all my work done, do the stuff I've been putting off (I dread making patient phone calls so yeah, that gets put off quite a bit), have a good attitude about it . . . etc etc etc.
Anyway. I just needed to vent that and justify things to myself, I guess. But I will say that I really was sick . . . like I really did feel like crud, and going in to work would have been pointless. This isn't fake and it's not mental either. (I'm always afraid that people will think I'm having bipolar issues when I'm out sick . . . down side of being open and honest about those things with my boss and co-workers, right?)
To start from the beginning. Around 3:00 Monday morning I woke up HOT. Like, crazy hot. Felt like I was on fire. So I took a frozen water bottle to bed with me and turned on our A/C, and an hour later I was still wide awake and burning. I took a cold shower, I laid in front of my fan, and at 5:30 AM nothing had changed. I was absolutely miserable; my head was pounding, I felt weak and shaky, I felt dizzy and like I might throw up. At 6 all I wanted to do was sleep so finally, out of desperation, I took a sleeping pill (something I never do anymore). I dragged myself up at 7:45 and texted my boss, then I spent the day in bed just trying not to feel like shit. Which didn't do much good because I was s till really sicky for most of the day. It sucked. I was feeling a little bit better last night and I thought, a good night's sleep and I should be fine.
Well, I woke up at about 5:30 this morning feeling exactly the same. So I called in again, and this time I got a stern reply text that if I miss tomorrow I'll need a doctor's note to come back to work and that I need to give more notice of absence. I apologized for the short notice. Oh, and there's no way I'm going to go to a doctor for this. What's a doctor going to say about being heat sick in AZ? "It's July, you live in the desert, suck it up." Totally a waste of time and money.
I'm still not feeling great but I think tomorrow I'm just going to have to suck it up. I wanted to suck it up today and just force myself to go but . . . yeah, didn't happen. My head is pounding just from the few minutes I've spent on the computer typing up this blog entry so I'm pretty sure 8 solid hours of computer time would've killed me.
I'm trying to tell myself that I shouldn't feel bad, because sick happens. (Although no one who misses work to care for their sick kids gets any kind of questioning . . . my workplace may be a smidge biased towards parents, which is lame). And honestly, the way I felt yesterday and today, I'd have been totally useless at work, and I don't think it's fair to get paid for doing nothing. Waste of my time and energy to be there, waste of the company's money to pay me for being there. So yeah. And I'm not really worried about my job because I do good work and everything is caught up, so the only thing anyone had to do for me was payment posting. It's just easy to get paranoid, I think because I was unemployed for so long and I know how bad it sucks. I get to this place where I totally panic thinking of being in that place again.
So my goal is to go back to work tomorrow and just be awesome. I'm already pretty awesome at work but I kind of want to prove that I'm worth having there, y'know? Get all my work done, do the stuff I've been putting off (I dread making patient phone calls so yeah, that gets put off quite a bit), have a good attitude about it . . . etc etc etc.
Anyway. I just needed to vent that and justify things to myself, I guess. But I will say that I really was sick . . . like I really did feel like crud, and going in to work would have been pointless. This isn't fake and it's not mental either. (I'm always afraid that people will think I'm having bipolar issues when I'm out sick . . . down side of being open and honest about those things with my boss and co-workers, right?)
7.02.2013
Today Was A Good Day
Today:
--Told the PR/marketing director at work about my English degree and offered my help with any writing/editing type tasks she might have going on. So now I get to write the official press release for our new nutritionist, and if that goes well, I'll potentially get to do more writing projects in the future! I'm so freaking stoked!!! I know it's not much, but still, I'm really excited.
--My boss asked me if everything was OK since I've been late almost every day since I got my car. I was honest with her and told her that I just don't do well with mornings and I have a hard time getting the timing right and all that. So now my work hours are 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Hell.fucking.yes. I love having a boss that's awesome and understanding! And I really don't mind staying later, since I usually do anyway, because I hit my stride in the afternoon. Seriously, I love my boss. I don't want her to leave.
--It poured down rain on both sides of town for a good hour, and it's still cloudy out. Which meant an amazing, cool, beautiful afternoon and early evening. Such a great break from the ridiculous heat we've had the past week or so.
--The rain left some perfect running weather when it stopped, so I headed for the lakes by our house and ran 1.42 km (I've decided to measure in kilometers, since it's more impressive, and that's all my stupid pedometer apparently measures in). I suppose I can't really say I ran, because I more jogged with some walking bits thrown in, but still. The point is I WORKED OUT!! So good for me. And at the end of the jog when I was thinking that I really hadn't done much and feeling a little disappointed with myself, I asked myself if I'd have been able to go that distance, at that speed, at this altitude, a year ago. And the answer is definitely not.
Speaking of a year ago, yesterday marked one year that I've been back in Flagstaff, and I'm sure there'll be a long drippy entry about that soon. Because I need to talk about it. I also have to do my weigh in entry but for now, I just wanted to record some happiness.
--Told the PR/marketing director at work about my English degree and offered my help with any writing/editing type tasks she might have going on. So now I get to write the official press release for our new nutritionist, and if that goes well, I'll potentially get to do more writing projects in the future! I'm so freaking stoked!!! I know it's not much, but still, I'm really excited.
--My boss asked me if everything was OK since I've been late almost every day since I got my car. I was honest with her and told her that I just don't do well with mornings and I have a hard time getting the timing right and all that. So now my work hours are 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Hell.fucking.yes. I love having a boss that's awesome and understanding! And I really don't mind staying later, since I usually do anyway, because I hit my stride in the afternoon. Seriously, I love my boss. I don't want her to leave.
--It poured down rain on both sides of town for a good hour, and it's still cloudy out. Which meant an amazing, cool, beautiful afternoon and early evening. Such a great break from the ridiculous heat we've had the past week or so.
--The rain left some perfect running weather when it stopped, so I headed for the lakes by our house and ran 1.42 km (I've decided to measure in kilometers, since it's more impressive, and that's all my stupid pedometer apparently measures in). I suppose I can't really say I ran, because I more jogged with some walking bits thrown in, but still. The point is I WORKED OUT!! So good for me. And at the end of the jog when I was thinking that I really hadn't done much and feeling a little disappointed with myself, I asked myself if I'd have been able to go that distance, at that speed, at this altitude, a year ago. And the answer is definitely not.
Speaking of a year ago, yesterday marked one year that I've been back in Flagstaff, and I'm sure there'll be a long drippy entry about that soon. Because I need to talk about it. I also have to do my weigh in entry but for now, I just wanted to record some happiness.
3.20.2013
Work Update or Why I Love My Job
I'm mostly writing about this because I want to remember it.
This is the first time since my very first job (when I was 16) that I actually love my job. I really do. Even though I'm still not a fan of waking up so early in the morning, I don't dread going to work like I used to. Some days I'm not thrilled to go to work but it's a gigantic step up from where I've been in the past. And even on the days when I'm not particularly excited for work, I don't have that sense of literally being unable to go in or searching desperately for an excuse to stay home.
My work is a little tedious some days, and a little dull, but something about it makes me happy. I'm at a point where I feel like I know what I'm doing in most cases, and there's something kind of oddly satisfying about figuring out what's wrong with a denied claim and knowing how to re-bill it. It's even more satisfying when the claims I correct get paid. In the past month(ish), I've gotten my Medicare collections list down to 18 items . . . it started at 54. I'm pretty impressed with myself, and my boss mentioned the other day to all of us that the clinic's A/R is down, and I know for a fact that I contributed to that. It feels good. This week one of our billers, our practice manager, and our billing office manager are all out (two on vacation, one for a family emergency), which leaves just me and two other billers running the office. It's stressful but at the same time, I'm enjoying the opportunity to kind of show that I can take on a heavier workload when I need to.
Far and away my favorite thing about MHC is my co-workers. There is a tremendous sense of community and of family there and it really kind of amazes me. I've been there just a little bit over 2 months now and I already feel like I'm a part of that family. I love it. Right now one of my co-workers is dealing with some family drama and she has essentially had to adopt her 3 week old niece on very short notice. This past Friday we threw her a surprise baby shower, and it was so sweet. She completely had no clue (how we all managed to keep it a secret I don't know, but we did and I'm impressed) and it was obvious how touched she was. And I just loved that everyone was involved with it, from our CEO (who wrote her a check and bitched about not having enough space to sign in the card) to our newest front desk person (who started last Tuesday), who came to the shower and congratulated my co-worker.
I remember feeling like everyone at Hastings hated me, and it sucked. But at MHC I actually feel well liked. Everyone calls me Jess, our CEO has his own special nickname for me (Green), and I've had a lot of very personal conversations with my co-workers. I like that a lot. I like that there's a good balance of being friends and being co-workers: I can listen to them bitch about whatever they need to bitch about but still ask them questions about claims and stuff like that, and I respect them in both instances.
I feel like this job has done so much for me. It's made me financially stable, which has been a huge weight off my shoulders and off Jerbs' shoulders. It's made me feel more confident, more capable, and more useful. It's helped me to regularize my schedule, particularly where sleep is concerned, which has been good for my mental health. It's given me a gym membership that I'm actively using. It's given me friends and a few good connections within the community. It's teaching me a skill that I'll be able to use wherever I go in the future and that makes me really, really happy. And if it weren't for this job I wouldn't have gotten Max . . . and I love Max. (Even Benji seems to not mind Max, which is amazing).
I think this is where I'm supposed to be right now. I really do. I'm so grateful to have found MHC when I did, and I'm very glad that they liked me enough to hire me even though I didn't have billing experience. I never realized how big a difference having a job I liked would make in my life, but now that I have, I hope I never have to go back!
This is the first time since my very first job (when I was 16) that I actually love my job. I really do. Even though I'm still not a fan of waking up so early in the morning, I don't dread going to work like I used to. Some days I'm not thrilled to go to work but it's a gigantic step up from where I've been in the past. And even on the days when I'm not particularly excited for work, I don't have that sense of literally being unable to go in or searching desperately for an excuse to stay home.
My work is a little tedious some days, and a little dull, but something about it makes me happy. I'm at a point where I feel like I know what I'm doing in most cases, and there's something kind of oddly satisfying about figuring out what's wrong with a denied claim and knowing how to re-bill it. It's even more satisfying when the claims I correct get paid. In the past month(ish), I've gotten my Medicare collections list down to 18 items . . . it started at 54. I'm pretty impressed with myself, and my boss mentioned the other day to all of us that the clinic's A/R is down, and I know for a fact that I contributed to that. It feels good. This week one of our billers, our practice manager, and our billing office manager are all out (two on vacation, one for a family emergency), which leaves just me and two other billers running the office. It's stressful but at the same time, I'm enjoying the opportunity to kind of show that I can take on a heavier workload when I need to.
Far and away my favorite thing about MHC is my co-workers. There is a tremendous sense of community and of family there and it really kind of amazes me. I've been there just a little bit over 2 months now and I already feel like I'm a part of that family. I love it. Right now one of my co-workers is dealing with some family drama and she has essentially had to adopt her 3 week old niece on very short notice. This past Friday we threw her a surprise baby shower, and it was so sweet. She completely had no clue (how we all managed to keep it a secret I don't know, but we did and I'm impressed) and it was obvious how touched she was. And I just loved that everyone was involved with it, from our CEO (who wrote her a check and bitched about not having enough space to sign in the card) to our newest front desk person (who started last Tuesday), who came to the shower and congratulated my co-worker.
I remember feeling like everyone at Hastings hated me, and it sucked. But at MHC I actually feel well liked. Everyone calls me Jess, our CEO has his own special nickname for me (Green), and I've had a lot of very personal conversations with my co-workers. I like that a lot. I like that there's a good balance of being friends and being co-workers: I can listen to them bitch about whatever they need to bitch about but still ask them questions about claims and stuff like that, and I respect them in both instances.
I feel like this job has done so much for me. It's made me financially stable, which has been a huge weight off my shoulders and off Jerbs' shoulders. It's made me feel more confident, more capable, and more useful. It's helped me to regularize my schedule, particularly where sleep is concerned, which has been good for my mental health. It's given me a gym membership that I'm actively using. It's given me friends and a few good connections within the community. It's teaching me a skill that I'll be able to use wherever I go in the future and that makes me really, really happy. And if it weren't for this job I wouldn't have gotten Max . . . and I love Max. (Even Benji seems to not mind Max, which is amazing).
I think this is where I'm supposed to be right now. I really do. I'm so grateful to have found MHC when I did, and I'm very glad that they liked me enough to hire me even though I didn't have billing experience. I never realized how big a difference having a job I liked would make in my life, but now that I have, I hope I never have to go back!
1.16.2013
MHC Day #1
I started work today, and I would say that overall it was quite a success.
Sleeping last night, however, was not a success, and I think I got 2.5 hours total. Lovely. I was so exhausted when I dragged myself out of bed this morning. But still, I did it, and I managed to be showered, blow dried, moisturized, perfumed, dressed, bundled up and ready to go almost on time . . . we did have to run to the bus stop. (Since Jerbs and I work at the same time now we get to catch the same bus in the morning!)
Anyway, I got there on time, and today was all the boring housekeeping type stuff--tax paperwork, new hire paperwork, the employee handbook, HIPAA training videos, OSHA training videos, etc. Between how dull it was and already being exhausted, I almost fell asleep at my desk.
But still it was a good day. I have my own little half an office with a big desk (which I am nerdily excited about). A bunch of people kept stopping by my office or stopping me in the halls/staff rooms to introduce themselves to me and welcome me aboard, which was very nice. I felt really, really welcome, and I got a good vibe from everyone I met--I can't see myself disliking any of them. And my more immediate co-workers are all fabulous.
Tomorrow I get to shadow one of the other billers, so it should be more interesting than today!
Sleeping last night, however, was not a success, and I think I got 2.5 hours total. Lovely. I was so exhausted when I dragged myself out of bed this morning. But still, I did it, and I managed to be showered, blow dried, moisturized, perfumed, dressed, bundled up and ready to go almost on time . . . we did have to run to the bus stop. (Since Jerbs and I work at the same time now we get to catch the same bus in the morning!)
Anyway, I got there on time, and today was all the boring housekeeping type stuff--tax paperwork, new hire paperwork, the employee handbook, HIPAA training videos, OSHA training videos, etc. Between how dull it was and already being exhausted, I almost fell asleep at my desk.
But still it was a good day. I have my own little half an office with a big desk (which I am nerdily excited about). A bunch of people kept stopping by my office or stopping me in the halls/staff rooms to introduce themselves to me and welcome me aboard, which was very nice. I felt really, really welcome, and I got a good vibe from everyone I met--I can't see myself disliking any of them. And my more immediate co-workers are all fabulous.
Tomorrow I get to shadow one of the other billers, so it should be more interesting than today!
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