November 2001

Medical Transcription Program

There is no building, there is no product to sell, but November 13, 2001, the FORWARD Devils Lake Corporation kicked off an economic development project that could have great impact on the region.

"One of the facts we have found to be true is that if you train people here in the region, for a job they can do here - they stay here. Most people have homes, families, and traditions built in the Lake Region and they want to stay here. It's circumstances that make them leave. We feel very fortunate to have an Economic Development Corporation that is pro-active enough to support an initiative such as our Medical Transcription pilot program" says Holly Mawby, Workforce Training Director for the Northeast Workforce Training Partnership.

The Medical Transcription pilot program, begun in the early winter of 2001, is a partnership between Forward, the Northeast Workforce Training Partnership and Total eMed, a Medical Transcription company. Originally interviewing 40 applicants, 21 were chosen to participate in this initial pilot with FORWARD awarding scholarships to 19. (Other participants received additional funding assistance through the Devils Lake and Rolla offices of Job Service North Dakota.) This very comprehensive program is delivered via the internet to the participants who work on the coursework in their homes on their own time schedule. The Northeast Workforce Training Partnership staff monitor their progress, maintain a support network, and notify participants of pertinent information regarding technology, coursework, or social activities.

The end goal of the course being full time employment in a job where the employee can work from their home here in the Lake Region and the earning potential is limited only by the speed and competency of the individual. This is where Total eMed becomes involved. Total eMed, an online Medical Transcription company based in Virginia but with offices in North Dakota has agreed to give hiring preference to the graduates of this program who complete with 85% efficiency and pass their hiring exam which is similar to the final exam in the on line program. This is a terrific boost to those wishing or needing to work from home as most companies require two to three years experience before hiring an at-home transcriptionist.

Many of the applicants for this program needed to work from home for various reasons. Some need to supplement their household income, especially when the main source of family income is agriculture related. Some need to maintain the ability to provide in home care for sick or disabled family members or because they themselves have the physical inability to work outside of the home. Some participants found themselves geographically distanced from places at which they could work or receive training. All would have been unable to train for this exciting new career had the course not been delivered via the internet.

Currently, 18 participants are still enrolled in the program and working steadily towards completion. The self paced online course allows participants to progress at their own rate and expect to complete within 5 to 12 months. At completion, the student will have transcribed almost 900 documents, practiced all types of skills from grammar to medical word building, and gained the self esteem and knowledge to enter the field as a fully competent medical transcriptionist.