MSOC Members in Charge

Med Staff On-Call members are in charge of their own schedules. Our members will not receive unwanted calls in the middle of the night or pushy calls begging them to take shifts they do not want. When you become a member, you simply set your preferences on the web site, choose your preferred health centers, manage your availability, and accept the shifts you want to work. It’s that simple. It feels like shopping online. Availability can be managed on a home computer or even from a cell phone. If it seems complicated at first we are here to help.

Our community is open to all qualified health care professionals. To become a member you simply register at www.medstaffoncall.com and complete the self-service, on-boarding process. There are some steps that have to be completed before being able to start work at a health center. Some are mandatory by law, like drug testing; others are health center specific, like onsite orientation. Our thorough on-boarding process is the best way for us to guarantee that only professionals with the right qualifications become Med Staff On-Call members. The on-boarding process can be completed from home at your own pace. The sooner completed, the faster you will start receiving shift offers at the highest rates, guaranteed. The process can be completed in just a few days, with the help of our online instructions, training videos and materials, and access to our online support team by chat, email or toll-free phone number.

Med Staff On-Call Principles

The intermediary model that traditional agencies continue to use is out-dated, bureaucratic and inefficient. The result is high operational costs that cut into medical staff pay rates. Just look at the financial results of Medical Staffing Network., the largest per diem staffing agency in the US. Med Staff On-Call is bringing innovation to the industry that makes us completely different from any other agency. We rely heavily on our patent pending web and communication technology platform to fully automate the operations of our community of medical staff.

Med Staff On-Call’s web based platform in highly scalable and allows us to minimize the impact on our expenses and maximize our hourly pay rates. We do not compare to traditional agencies in terms of numbers of employees, multiple regional offices or any of the traditional infrastructure elements that require high operational costs. Our model implies that at a certain level of volume our cost-per-shift will go to half the operational cost of traditional agencies. Our efficiency increases with volume and we will pass the savings on to those that do the real work; our MSOC members.

We Want to Hear From You!

Over the years we've learned that some of the best recommendations for Med Staff On-Call comes from you, our community members who use it every day. I want to make sure everyone knows about the ‘Send Feedback’ link located right on our website under the ‘My Preferences’ tab. We designed this feedback link to be an easy way for you to let us know how we are doing and what needs to be improved. The more feedback we get the better, so please take a moment to check it out and let us know what’s on your mind. As always you can send us an e-mail or give us a call as well.

We'll be keeping a close eye on all of the responses and we’ll try to always keep you informed as to what we are working on, so stay tuned!

From All of Us at Med Staff On-Call, Thank-you!

Safety Tips for Medical Professionals

As medical professionals we frequently travel to hospitals in cities and neighborhoods we may not be familiar with. With daylights savings time it is getting darker earlier so you may be starting your shift or leaving your shift when it is dark outside. Here are some basic tips to help keep you safe:

1. Walk with a group of people into or out of the hospital. At standard shift times many people should be entering and leaving the hospital. At non standard times ask for hospital security to escort you to and from your car.
2. Park in a parking structure if available. They are monitored by security.
3. Be alert to your surroundings. Don’t be distracted with your phone.
4. Drive or walk on well trafficked streets and roads. Try to avoid as much as possible streets which tend to be deserted or have few travelers.
5. As soon as you get into your car lock the doors.

More Opportunity: South Shore and ER

MSOC is happy to announce a new partnership with South Shore Hospital. MSOC will continue to partner with hospitals that share our vision to offer patients the highest possible care to patients. Since 1912, South Shore has built up its reputation based on their dedication of caring to the South Shore community. MSOC hopes to contribute to South Shore’s reputation and add to the hospital’s atmosphere of camaraderie and compassion.

With a new hospital joining MSOC comes more opportunities for you. If you wish to work at South Shore Hospital, make sure that you add the hospital to your list of preferred hospitals on your preferences page on our website www.medstaffoncall.com. In addition, ER per diem and contract needs have picked up recently. These positions are available in the city and in the West and Northwest Suburbs. If this isn’t convenient for you, you can still earn money by referring a fellow nurse to these positions.

We are working hard to provide MSOC nurses with every opportunity to show off their compassion and quality care at various hospitals. Together, we will continue to spread quality patient care throughout Chicagoland!

Have a Great Nurse Week!

Everyone at MSOC would like to wish all our nurses a happy nurses week! Nurses are deserving of not just a day, but an entire week that recognizes their contribution to society. Their skills are greatly appreciated and needed in the healthcare industry. Nurses are and will always be in demand!
For this reason, sometimes nurses may feel complacent and not worry about making a small mistake at one hospital because there are several other opportunities as a healthcare provider- whether it be another hospital, hospice or home health. However, it is vital for healthcare professionals to maintain a good reputation in order to continue working at their preferred hospitals and to earn the respect of their peers and employers.

As a provider of nurses and CNAs to hospitals, MSOC realizes how important it is to have reliable medical staff on our team. Unfortunately, MSOC had to let a few nurses go because their actions didn’t fit with the MSOC Community’s commitment to quality. Late calls and no-shows to shifts are two things our community cannot tolerate. Hospitals also take a strong stance on no-shows and late calls – they automatically mark those nurses as DNR (Do Not Return) for their facility. In fact, after each shift you work, the hospital’s staffing personnel grades you based on the charge nurse’s feedback. Based on the scores you receive, you may become a preferred nurse for that hospital (with a high score) and be requested back time and time again. Your reputation is with you at all times and carries from hospital to hospital.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “it takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” Keeping this in mind will provide you countless opportunities to earn the highest rates in all of Chicago, making every week a happy one for nurses!

Training Videos to Maximize Your Earning Potential

You might have noticed new training videos recently added to MSOC’s website, www.medstaffoncall.com. After you log in, you will see a small box with the title “Training Video” on the left-hand side of the screen on each page. Simply click anywhere in the small box to launch the training video. These videos were posted in case you needed a refresher on the functionality of each page. The videos are anywhere from 1 to 4 minutes long and go in detail about the content and usage of each page.

The video on the “Calendar” tab explains how you can edit your preferred availability or unavailability on certain days and how you can view the calendar on a weekly basis. The video under the “Availability” explains how to post preferred availability and unavailability. This video also shows you how to post recurring availability, which can be useful and time-saving. Under the “Pending Shifts” tab, you will find the video that explains a different way by which you can accept shifts.

There are more training videos on the way to help you use MSOC’s technology to maximize your earning potential. The videos are there to remind you that you are in control of your schedule with MSOC and that you possess all the tools required to manage when you receive shifts and for which hospitals and you receive them.

MSOC: Your Contact for Contracts

Contracts give agency nurses many benefits while still maintaining high pay rates. The greatest benefit associated with contracts is having a set schedule at the same health center on the same unit for a specified period of time. Unlike per diem work, shifts associated with contracts are guaranteed – no cancellations. Nearly all of the contracts MSOC offers are $2/hour less than MSOC’s per diem rate. Contracts last anywhere from 4 to 13 weeks and many are renewed for several more weeks or months.

MSOC has offers almost every day for contract opportunities and they are highly sought after by nurses. Since contracts become available and are filled quickly, MSOC must know if you are interested in accepting a contract. This way we can recommend you for long-term work immediately when we receive notice of a contract that matches your qualifications and your needs. Please make sure we have your résumé on file and which contracts you would be interested in. For example, what specialties you would like to have a contracts and what shift. Currently, MSOC has opportunities for contracts in the South Suburbs, the North Suburbs and the city of Chicago.

If you’re interested in working a contract, please send us an e-mail at info@medstaffoncall.com and make sure we have a copy of your résumé on file.

Have You Considered 1099/Independent Contractor Status?

MSOC would like to inform our nurses and CNAs about the benefits associated with working as an independent contractor (1099 filing status). The following sections describe what you need to be eligible to work as an independent contractor, the benefits in doing so, the difference between an independent contractor and a regular employee, and a brief testimonial from one of our nurses who is an independent contractor.

Criteria- There are three main criteria that need to be satisfied to be considered for 1099 status and work as an independent contractor:

1. Do we determine your schedule?
   No. We give you options and you choose when and where you want to work.
2. Do you work for MSOC exclusively or for others as well?
   Many of you also work for hospitals or other agencies. If so this criteria is met as well.
3. Are you incorporated?
   In order to take advantage of the tax benefits you must be incorporated. Many RN's are not but could easily be if they knew how.
   

Benefits- If you spend money to run your business you can deduct it from your taxes. Here are some examples of things you can deduct as business expense:

• Cell phone
• Your home office if you use it as your primary office
• Your car or car mileage
• Your cost for meals and entertainment if your business was to meet clients at a restaurant and you discussed business
• License or education requirements for your "business"
• Laptop or computer equipments
• Office supplies
  
• Travel related to your business

Take this example: Say you travel 30 miles each way to a hospital and work 3 shifts per week and 48 weeks per year. Your tax deductions would add up to $5,054!

What's Different?

1. You must make quarterly tax payments based on the tax rates that apply to your income: http://www.moneychimp.com/features/tax_brackets.htm
2. In addition to your normal taxes you must pay self employment tax of 15.3%: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98846,00.html
3. You must register and incorporate your business. There are two options:

• Doing Business As (DBA) - This is the cheapest way to get started. Fees are less than $100. http://mycorporation.intuit.com/business-formations/dba.jsp
• Corporation (Inc, LLC) - This option removes the liability from you and places it on the corporation. Fees are approximately $350.

Testimonial

Lynn Mitchell is one of the nurses we work with that works as an independent contractor. Here is what Lynn has to say about working as a 1099:

"I've been incorporated for 6 years. Believe me, businesses get the tax breaks and many other benefits that individuals don't. I have many business credit accounts, lines of credit, special offers, etc. I even bought a new car in the business name. With all the deductions available my taxes have been oh so low it's wonderful. This is a win-win situation."