McKesson Job Opportunity

Trauma Columnist · Sep 16, 2006

McKesson is a large corporation with many irons in the fire. My experience with them was as a case manager in a large hospital. They were the ones that matched our patients with a prospective nursing home. However, the program and service were way too slow and we ended up not renewing the contract.

Maybe someone else has had other experiences.

CaseManager1947 · Sep 17, 2006

My experience with McKesson product lines is only with their Interqual product (Level of care appropriateness). In other words, do they meet criteria ??? I find this product much easier to navigate than Milliman.

The folks I met from McKesson were good nurses with skill sets perfect for what they were selling and teaching. Good luck.

Morghan ARNP, MSN, BC, CARN. (Istill trying ACM test)

Ms. RN'02 · Sep 17, 2006

Thanks for your input you guys. Does anyone have any info on HIPAA comliance and home offices?

kssk · Sep 20, 2006

I am very interested in this thread also as I just submitted my resume to them for a disease management position a few days ago. Any info about this company (good or bad) would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance! :)

emrrn915 · Sep 20, 2006

Hi

I worked in their field case management division but for a subcontractor. When they initially began their disease management program they subcontracted out the field portion but I worked in their system and within their guidelines. I had heard that they cut out the subcontractors and now do the whole thing themselves. If this is the same disease management program that I worked for you will be responsible for assessing and teaching diabetes, heart failure and asthma to medicaid patients? While the theory is a good one.. it was a horrible job (in my experience). I had 180 people on my "list" to find, contact and try to help. The problems that I experiences were that MANY of these people do not have phones, they move around a lot and I could not find them and the MAJORITY have no interest in what you have to say. I would say out of the 180, I possibly made a difference with 10 and that may be a little rose colored. The other issue was that you put info as to what they are on etc etc in the system and that generates form letters to their physicians which essentially tell the MDs how they are not treating their patients based on current ADA, AHA or ALA standards. I dealt with many many many irrate MDs over these letters. NOW... the system was in the new stages so it may be that things have changed. But I found it to be a frustrating and unrewarding job. We had numbers that we HAD to meet ie: 40 contacts per week documented. Good luck... I drove around and looked and looked for people. I would find the address and I was expected to go up and knock on their door...I was in some pretty bad neighborhoods. I lasted a year as did the first 4 of us that started here in Washington and we all left for the same reason... the patients did not want help.... think of the demographic that you are dealing with. Again, the majority do not want anything to do with you and then you have the company telling you that you have to meet the quota and MOST doctors highly annoyed with a company telling them that they are not prescribing and following up the way they should. I hate to sound negative but this was my experience.

I now do workers comp case management from home... love that!! I am still part of the health care team and I accomplish something every day.

As far as the home office.. locked file cabinet and a shredder....

As I said, they may have changed what they do or maybe this is working with private insurance patients? That may be different. Working with the medicaid population was a nightmare... again not all but definately most. Even those that I was able to educate did not follow through with the receommendations for the most part. I really felt as if I did not do anything for anyone and I do not like that.

Good luck

Erin

Ms. RN'02 · Sep 20, 2006

Hi Erin. I really appreciate your honesty. I'm working with an agency, and haven't even had an interview yet. According to the agency, they still work with medicaid/medicare patients and are sizing out the number of patients and regions they are located in. After the agency told me that I got a little nervous and thinking it was going to be a huge number of patients. When I do get my interview I'll be sure to find out about those things you have mentioned. At this time I'm going to start sending my resume out to some workers comp companies. I'm not working right now and would love to work from home if possible. Thanks for the home office info, I just wanted to be sure there wasn't anything else I needed.

kssk · Sep 20, 2006

Erin,

Thank you so much for your reply. I am also looking into a company here in Richmond, VA that does worker's comp but they stated on their ad that they had a 60 mile radius driving range. Do you have to go to MD appts with the patients? I was curious as to the details of that job - can you give me any info on that as well? Sorry to be such a pain but I am in desperate need of a 'work from home' job and am trying to find the best position for my needs - I have a 10 year old daughter who has medical issues.. She is in school full time but I need to be home in the afternoon when she is home.

Thank you SOOO much! :)

emrrn915 · Sep 27, 2006

Hi

Sorry it took me so long to respond to your question. Although I do work from home, I am out a fair amount of the time. If I had to guess I would say out of office 60%, in office 40%. Yes, I go to MD appts with the claimants. I also meet with MDs one on one, go to meet with therapies, meet with attys and meet with employers to work to modify jobs so that the injured worker can go back to work. The job is really different every day so it is hard to describe it. Emails, phone calls, records review, correspondence and faxing are part of my life pretty much every day.

I will try to outline (briefly) the pros and cons I have found,

Cons:

At times things can get a little crazy just depending on your caseload or the intensity of your cases.

Dealing with medical providers that have no clue as to the WC laws in your state

Malingering/ manipulative claimants from time to time

The WC system itself can be a little harrowing at times

Pros:

A sense of accomplishment pretty much every day

Helping injured workers navigate the system

Working with really great people

Getting to know many of the specialists in my area

Having complete control over my own time (mostly).

The only thing you are required to do during hours is to go to appts and update adjustors employers etc. All of the paperwork etc can really be done when you want.. ie: crack of dawn or stroke of midnight. In this way, you can coordinate work around life v. the other way around. The other nice thing is that if you have nothing to do.. don't work. Mow the lawn or go shopping. I frequently get dinner going/ do laundry while I am working. This allows for the weekend to be the weekend unless you choose to do some paperwork then.

I did work for a large company and now I work for a small ind firm that is well respected in this area. I have good benefits and I have chosen to work on the billable hour meaning that I get a % of all of the billing I generate. I am making nearly double what I made working in the ER and the stress is miniscule compared to it...

I have been doing this nearly 5 years and eventually I will most likely go part time. My caseload is usually around 30 which is not too bad but keeps me hopping.

The only thing that you need is to be very self motivated. No one looks over your shoulder, youa re essentially your own boss. If you do not do the work the adjustor or employer will not refer cases to you anymore and word seems to get out. So basically you have to stay on track or you cut your own throat.

Hope this helps and I apologize for any typos... I am in a hurry this AM

Thanks E

nightingale, RN · Sep 27, 2006

Thanks Erin, fine synopsis.

kssk · Sep 28, 2006

Erin,

Thank you so much for your response. Gives me a much clearer picture. The company that is hiring here is Genex. Don't know if you have heard of them or not - let me know if you have heard anything please.

I don't have a wonker's comp background but I do have a lot of Home health care and staff nurse experience so I think I would be ok. I may go ahead and submit a resume - you never know what will happen.

-Karen

emrrn915 · Sep 28, 2006

Hi Kim

I worked for Genex before I went to work with the small local company. It is a good company to work for. Good luck to you!!

Erin