Life on Demand: Working from Home
by Jody Kerzman KFYR-TV
Posted on 4/21/2009
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Carey Weiand`s work day starts at 6:00 am. It`s an early start, but her commute takes just seconds. Weiand works from home, as a hospital coder for St. Alexius Medical Center.
“I’ve been working from home for three and a half years,” she says.
Over the years, she managed to perfect her work schedule. “I work from 6 until 7, then get the girls up and off to school between 7 to 8,” Weiand says. “Then I work from 8 to 3:30. I`m done with my work day by the time they get home from school.”
With a husband who`s full time National Guard, and two busy daughters, working from home is the perfect solution for this busy mom. “I just have more relaxing evenings,” says Weiand.
She`s one of four coders who work from home. It`s an idea St. Alexius first tried out more than a decade ago, with medical transcriptionists. Five years ago, they expanded their work-from-home program to include coders, like Weiand. It`s an idea that has worked out well for both the hospital, and the workers.
“It`s an idea that has worked out well for both the hospital, and the workers,” says Tamara Darling from St. Alexius Medical Center. “We get improved productivity out of our staff. They are less distracted in their homes, not answering phones, getting interrupted as much as you are in an office setting. Reduced space needs. Space is at a premium in the medical center, it`s space that can be used for more critical patient care functions. We have more satisfied employees – they don`t want to leave, so our turnover is less.”
But working from home isn`t for everyone. In fact, that`s the biggest, and possibly, only downside for Weiand. “I miss people. I don`t see or talk to a lot of people,” she says.
But, Weiand says the benefits of working from home, and having more family time, make up for the lack of social interaction during her work day.
St. Alexius requires home workers to declare a schedule so they know what hours people like Weiand will be working. That helps them determine if they have enough people on staff. The hospital also requires home workers to spend three to six months in the office before working from home. They are also required to attend monthly meetings on-site.
But the work-from-home program has been a huge success. Many of the employees who work from home have relocated, and been able to keep their jobs. The hospital employs coders and transcriptionists in Tuttle, Napoleon and even Minnesota.
“Allowing some employees to work from home results in improved productivity,” Darling says. “People are often more focused at home than in an office setting. And employees who are able to work from home are more satisfied, so they are less likely to leave their position. That means turnover for the hospital is less, and eliminates the expense of recruiting, hiring and training new workers.