Reading through the reviews, I see a clump of negative but brutally honest reviews, followed by glowingly positive ones. This is a typical ZoomCare tactic. The same as associates are required to ask patients at checkout to "Yelp about the great service," management will bring in ringers to write shining testament to the glorious land that is ZoomCare.
When interviewing, as part of the interview process, I was required to go to the clinic and shadow a rep for a few hours (unpaid) to determine if I could do the job, so I thought I understood what I was getting into. It was as the role continued that I really understood why the person I replaced walked out mid shift.
Performance reviews are basically a joke. Even though the primary focus of the job is to "support the provider," the provider's feedback counts for 20% of your overall monthly performance evaluation. Because the feedback is anonymous, the manager can add "provider comments." You work daily with the same provider, typically exclusively. You can be present when they fill out the review, yet magically, new negative comments will end up on your "scorecard" while the positive ones disappear. The remainder of said review is highly subjective and can be bent to the whim of the "manager." Things like only having one (full) roll of toilet paper in the restroom at a time can be enough to prevent you from receiving a raise after 6 months, even with 5 consecutive months of "A" performance.
The low-level manager has ultimate control, telling providers how to control their schedule. Ultimate focus is really on timely patient turnover, yet this middle manager will prevent providers from proactively placing the breaks needed in the daily schedule, even if the patient's reason for scheduling makes it obvious they will need more than the allotted 15 minutes. If they place them, this same manager has gone in and removed them, saying they can be added again later if still needed, but by then, the provider is 45 minutes behind, and booked for the next 2 hours solid with no opportunity to get back on track, other than rushing patients, potentially mis-diagnosing or getting in trouble for being on time (thankfully, again because of the quality providers, who have now left, we would just stayed behind and hear about it later, rather than risking a patients health). Rarely did I leave earlier than an hour after closing time, even if we only saw patients until our last scheduled time slot. We were however, required by the handbook, to take up to 2 additional patients after closing if they walked in.
Work-life balance is a joke. Yes the schedule allows for 3.5 days off, but whatever happens, don't have an emergency when you're scheduled. I was told (even with no attendance problems) when I received an emergency call from the school that by having to pick my child up, I could be terminated for abandoning my post. It took about 4 calls to managers and HR to actually be "allowed" to leave without being fired. Other employees have been required to work for hours with diagnosed pneumonia, so as to avoid termination. Company picnics are planned on religious fasting-holidays, and even celebratory dinners are dutch.
Employees are required to dial in monthly for an hour long call, at 7 am, even on your day off. These call ins are rarely used for anything other than self-congratulating the founders and medical directors on their successes.
Issues brought to management are dismissed. Patients are given the option of an electronic medical chart. If they decline this, they are not provided with a notice of HIPAA practices, leaving providers open to future problems, but management is unconcerned with this. Reactions are responsive, only when there is potential ramifications for their actions do they act.
As the company continues to grow, they get even stranger. Associates are forbidden from telling patients at check in if there was an issue verifying benefits, but instead get the patient into the exam room as quickly as possible. At check out, if there was a problem with this verification, patients are required to pay out of pocket 100% of the cost of the visit, or their medications are withheld (again putting providers at a liability, knowing a patient has an illness but not allowing them to give the necessary medication.)
As an associate, you put up with all this for $13/hour. Once you're drawing blood, you receive $1/bonus per patient seen, but certainly not a wage supportive of the demands. The CEO has even told the call center manager directly he's basically a "volunteer" recognizing the pay standards are subpar.
If you are considering this role, all I can say is run, don't walk, so long as the current Seattle regime is in command. There is plenty of other opportunity for a company with integrity, who will value the contributions you can bring.
