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Changes Afoot at Nuance
By Lee DeOrio

Through industry sources, it's become apparent Nuance is reshaping its business model in the transcription sector. I've reached out to Nuance to confirm the reports and was promised I would hear something soon. No luck yet.

The apparent changes are taking effect just as new CEO Mark Benjamin takes over the reins on April 23.

Several transcriptionists have told me they have been laid off while a few others say they have been offered positions with far fewer hours. Industry sources say Nuance plans to "farm out" their work to other US medical transcription service organizations, thus some transcriptionists will still be employed. It also appears that the laid-off transcriptionists will be offered a severance package.

It seems apparent last summer's Petya-NotPetya attack has had far-reaching ramifications on Nuance's transcription business.

For medical transcriptionists, it's another blow to their prospects. Just last week, Mayo Clinic announced the layoffs of 400 transcriptionists.

Stay tuned for comments (hopefully) from Nuance. We'll be sharing updates through social media and our website as warranted. We'll also be reaching out to HIM experts for their thoughts on how these moves affect the industry landscape.