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#100372 - 06/15/08 06:07 AM
Stationed abroad?
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Loverlys
New Member
Registered: 07/12/06
Posts: 2
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Is anyone stationed abroad? I am not a military wife, but I am abroad living for another 6 months because my husband's company in the US is based here and we are "exchange students" of sorts so he can improve the way the two offices work with each other. I am looking for a new company to work for and am curious where other people abroad are working. Someone on this board said to ask here, so if you can offer any help, that would be great. I would love to find a good company where I can type instead of doing all this meaningless and underpaid editing for VR.
Thanks!
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#102907 - 07/07/08 09:12 PM
Re: Stationed abroad?
[Re: Loverlys]
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ArmyWifeMT
Junior Member
Registered: 01/21/08
Posts: 31
Loc: Wherever The Army Sends Us
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We are currently stationed in the states and with my husband's MOS we probably always will be. I hope someone can come along and answer your questions though. I do believe it is a bit different for military than anyone else living abroad. We do not become residents of the other country, while living on base we're on American soil so to speak. I have no idea if that makes a difference. I am interested to hear what everyone has to say.
I need to come back and add that I did a google search to find some information for you. I found an article that references a military wife living in Japan and working as an MT, clearly it can be done but then again it doesn't say what kind of work she is doing.
http://www.myarmylifetoo.com/skins/malt/...8&AllowSSL=true
Article Appears on Myarmylifetoo.
Introducing MT to Military Spouses
The outreach to military spouses is just one workforce development initiative that AHDI and MTIA are embracing.
By Kim Buchanan, CMT, FAAMT
The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), formerly the American Association for Medical Transcription, and the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA), the two associations that represent the medical transcription industry, have collaborated with the Department of Labor and the Department of Defense to introduce the medical transcription profession to military spouses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a shortage of qualified workers in this field through the year 2014 and projects a growth rate of new jobs in the health care professions of 28.8 percent until 2010. This is twice the rate of job growth in non-health care professions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also predicts a need for 5.3 million health care workers to fill job openings created by departures and new positions. Data further indicates increases in some of the allied health professions as follows:
cardiovascular technology: 34.9 percent
clinical laboratory technology: 17 percent
health information technician: 49 percent
radiologic technicians and technologists: 23.1 percent
radiation therapists: 22.8 percent
respiratory therapy technicians: 34.6 percent.
The supply of allied health professionals is not keeping up with demand, with overall enrollment in allied health educational programs declining over the last 10 years. To that end, AHDI and MTIA have put into place a career ladder that will contribute to the success of individuals seeking entry to practice in health care documentation.
The remote nature of the industry's workforce coupled with the ability to sustain work in the industry from anywhere in the world makes medical transcription a perfect fit for military spouses, whose role in supporting their enlisted spouses through relocation and deployment has made it challenging for them to find and retain gainful employment without significant loss of income and between-job downtime.
Many MTs already working in the profession have found the career to be a wonderful compliment to their chaotic military lifestyle. "I have really found my place in the world with medical transcription. I have a career ahead of me that I love and is all my own," said Debbie Kean, an MT and military wife stationed in Okinawa. "It will not suffer or be affected by my military lifestyle, and it is sensitive to this unpredictable way of life. I have been able to remain in school and will be able to remain employed no matter where the military sends us or how often they move us."
The outreach to military spouses is just one workforce development initiative that AHDI and MTIA are embracing to prepare for the workforce shortage and documentation demands that lie ahead. As baby boomers enter retirement and transition toward long-term care, the need for a technology-enabled workforce to manage the documentation demands of a burdened health care delivery system will increase exponentially. Shaping a postgraduate apprenticeship model that helps to bridge the gap between the classroom and survivability in the industry is another important goal of both organizations.
"While technology may automate and streamline some redundant transcription functions in the EHR future, the harsh reality is that health care delivery is bracing itself for a tremendous resource shortage across all allied health professions," said Lea Sims, CMT, FAAMT, AHDI's communications director. "Whatever welcome relief technology might be able to bring to health care's documentation backlog could well be eclipsed by the sheer volume of health care workers retiring from care provision and the number of baby boomer patients who are about to descend on the system. HIT is going to need not only automating solutions, but a deep bench of new professionals ready to be part of the health care team and equipped with the skills this new model is going to demand."
Under standards established by this apprenticeship program, the graduate MT will transition from student to an employee. Based on the availability of approved training programs, the predictability of hiring practices and the projected future growth of the industry, the Department of Defense and Department of Labor together will be working with AHDI to promote the profession to military spouses who are well suited to step into the critical shortage gap—an outcome that is a win-win-win for the industry, the Department of Defense and the military spouse.
For more information about AHDI's Military Spouse initiative, visit us online at http://www.aamt.org/scriptcontent/MilSpouses.cfm.
Kim Buchanan is director of education and credentialing, AHDI.
Edited by ArmyWifeMT (07/07/08 09:14 PM)
_________________________
~Sarah~
Army wife, mom to four kids and a snake, MT student.
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