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Vitas

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I haven't heard of this company, but Hospice is big business. You will call on physician offices and ask them to refer patients to your company. Also hospitals and nursing homes. It's a growing industry that needs really compassionate sales. I've been trying to get into it for the past year, but because I'm a "pharma rep", I keep losing out.
 




Pearl said:
I haven't heard of this company, but Hospice is big business. You will call on physician offices and ask them to refer patients to your company. Also hospitals and nursing homes. It's a growing industry that needs really compassionate sales. I've been trying to get into it for the past year, but because I'm a "pharma rep", I keep losing out.
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Where are you located? There are openings everywhere for Home Health Care or do you only want to do Hospice?
 




Anonymous said:
any idea as far as salary goes? it sounds like an inside sales job am I correct on that one?
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I came from big pharma. The salary I receive at VITAS is about the same as my old Specialist job in pharma.

Differences for you

You have to pay over half of your benefits (medical)
Car allowance is $.43 per mile
commission is tough to achieve. goals are made so that only the best makes it to 100% payout, then they raise it the month after.

Physicians enjoy speaking to you.
Nurses love you for what you are doing.
No dinners
No big lunches, only a few small ones
no samples.
in charge of your own territory - including hospitals.
VITAS looks down on the sales force
Most Sales managers are displaced Pharma Manager
This is a Medical Sales Level position - if you are only a sample dropper or lunch delivery person, you will not make it in this sales organization.
Must be aggressive and a closer.
Computer program - salesforce
Strangers on the street will stop you if they see your nametag and thank you and tell you about what VITAS did for their loved one.

Take the position if you are primary care sales, this is considered HOspital sales. Just keep in mind - this isn't pharma, and should only be used as a stepping stone to further your career.
 








Anonymous said:
I came from big pharma. The salary I receive at VITAS is about the same as my old Specialist job in pharma.

Differences for you

You have to pay over half of your benefits (medical)
Car allowance is $.43 per mile
commission is tough to achieve. goals are made so that only the best makes it to 100% payout, then they raise it the month after.

Physicians enjoy speaking to you.
Nurses love you for what you are doing.
No dinners
No big lunches, only a few small ones
no samples.
in charge of your own territory - including hospitals.
VITAS looks down on the sales force
Most Sales managers are displaced Pharma Manager
This is a Medical Sales Level position - if you are only a sample dropper or lunch delivery person, you will not make it in this sales organization.
Must be aggressive and a closer.
Computer program - salesforce
Strangers on the street will stop you if they see your nametag and thank you and tell you about what VITAS did for their loved one.

Take the position if you are primary care sales, this is considered HOspital sales. Just keep in mind - this isn't pharma, and should only be used as a stepping stone to further your career.
Click to expand...

The above is correct. Also keep in mind that the sales management are former pharma throw a ways. Lots of competition. Remember that all hospitals have a hospice program that they are tied to. This includes the physicians that are on staff at these hospitals. The hospice I worked at made us also do the sign up paper work with the families. Hope you can handle that aspect. Also your mileage reimbursement starts after you get to your first call. Don't think they won't fire you if you do not make the number of referrals. Just remember that the idea is to get a referral at the beginning of their terminal illness. Not sign up the poor sole and pass on four days latter. Vitas is one of the better companies. Generally the base pay is around 65K
 




I am considering a position in Healthcare sales after being laid off from Merck .
What constitutes a "good" healthcare company to work for? is there a difference between a company that deals with medicare/medicaid Vs a company that deals only with "private pay" customers (patients)? How would I compete?? It doesn't seem like the same competition as pharma sales with all the clinical studies etc,
ALSO: do healthcare reps have to deal with "Pharma" guidelines of any sort??
Thanks.
I need a job and I am willing to get into another type of sales.
 




Anonymous said:
The above is correct. Also keep in mind that the sales management are former pharma throw a ways. Lots of competition. Remember that all hospitals have a hospice program that they are tied to. This includes the physicians that are on staff at these hospitals. The hospice I worked at made us also do the sign up paper work with the families. Hope you can handle that aspect. Also your mileage reimbursement starts after you get to your first call. Don't think they won't fire you if you do not make the number of referrals. Just remember that the idea is to get a referral at the beginning of their terminal illness. Not sign up the poor sole and pass on four days latter. Vitas is one of the better companies. Generally the base pay is around 65K
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I disagree..the sales managers are not pharma throw aways! Hospice is close to a billion dollar industry! Also most hospitals do not have a hospice or home health. The majority of them have Palliative Care programs as a bridge to hospice. Over 90% of the physicians you call on do not have any affiliated with hospice programs. The simple fact is that the majority of physicians are truely open to meeting with you and in some cases looking to partner with a hospice. The majority hospices do not allow their marketing reps to sign patients and families up for hospice as they are compensated for their monthly goals.
 




Anonymous said:
I came from big pharma. The salary I receive at VITAS is about the same as my old Specialist job in pharma.

Differences for you

You have to pay over half of your benefits (medical)
Car allowance is $.43 per mile
commission is tough to achieve. goals are made so that only the best makes it to 100% payout, then they raise it the month after.

Physicians enjoy speaking to you.
Nurses love you for what you are doing.
No dinners
No big lunches, only a few small ones
no samples.
in charge of your own territory - including hospitals.
VITAS looks down on the sales force
Most Sales managers are displaced Pharma Manager
This is a Medical Sales Level position - if you are only a sample dropper or lunch delivery person, you will not make it in this sales organization.
Must be aggressive and a closer.
Computer program - salesforce
Strangers on the street will stop you if they see your nametag and thank you and tell you about what VITAS did for their loved one.

Take the position if you are primary care sales, this is considered HOspital sales. Just keep in mind - this isn't pharma, and should only be used as a stepping stone to further your career.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for this post. It is one of the more informative and professional posts I've read on CP for...EVER. Thank you.
 




Re: to Merch rep

Vitas is a national compnay that is growing in ither geographic areas.
Hospice is big money and medicare is a great payer. You dont compete with private pay because that is a different area where the family pays for help that is not covered by insurance.

I am not sure how Vitas is set up with accepted plans and if you are paid on all referrals or on just high payers or on all referrals. I came from phama and sold homecare and hospice briefly for different company.

You will target physician, nursing homes, and hospitals. The way hospice works is that the benefit is paid to the provider (Vitas) and they provide patient care whereever the patient is residing. That can be their home, a nusrising hi=ome(tempoaray or perm resident) and sometimes in -patient hospital care.

1. I think Vitas is decent with the lunch budget. Really lunch is more about access if some offices will only see you then-tha depends on your geography.

2. Expect your boss too work with you often. Itis not like the pharma ride along but they will be with you a lot.

3. If you like technically selling then you may be bored. It is big on relaionships with the referrs and following up on service issues.

4. A lot of docs reer to freind that are involved in agencies.
5. The marketing materials, communication and knowledge skills required are pretty simple.
6. You wont have big brother on your back regarding testing and compliance but the daily push and count for referrals becaomes the monkey on your back.

If you are unemployed I say take it and give it a whirl.

Ask at the interview-
How the goals are determined
About cold calling vs targets
Specifics regarding pay outs for bonuses and frequency
How often the manager rides with you and the pupose of the ride along
Expense reimbursement-miles, internet, phone, lunch and supplies
Key competitors
 




I had to comment of the above poster that said the majority of sales & marketing reps in hospice don't do the "sign up" paperwork for a new referral, unfortunately I work for a hospice company that requires the marketing rep to handle all of this.....the paperwork etc. is a royal pain. I come from the pharma industry too and you will have your manager with you a lot but with us it's just for the major appointments or lunches to have greater impact. Hospice is an extremely competitve field just like pharma, so don't think it's a piece of cake to get lots of new business quickly it truly is all about building relationships and if you have a huge territory like I do that can be a challenge! By the way, the base salaries are closer to 50-55K in the SW region.
 




Anonymous said:
I had to comment of the above poster that said the majority of sales & marketing reps in hospice don't do the "sign up" paperwork for a new referral, unfortunately I work for a hospice company that requires the marketing rep to handle all of this.....the paperwork etc. is a royal pain. I come from the pharma industry too and you will have your manager with you a lot but with us it's just for the major appointments or lunches to have greater impact. Hospice is an extremely competitve field just like pharma, so don't think it's a piece of cake to get lots of new business quickly it truly is all about building relationships and if you have a huge territory like I do that can be a challenge! By the way, the base salaries are closer to 50-55K in the SW region.
Click to expand...

Where do you do the sign-ups? In the patients home, nursing home, wherever? Is it with the patient and the families?

What percentage of the time do you HAVE to be there? Thanks.
 




Pearl said:
I haven't heard of this company, but Hospice is big business. You will call on physician offices and ask them to refer patients to your company. Also hospitals and nursing homes. It's a growing industry that needs really compassionate sales. I've been trying to get into it for the past year, but because I'm a "pharma rep", I keep losing out.
Click to expand...

Never heard??Vitas is the oldest and largest network. Trouble is you only as good as the nurses they hire. Lots of turnover. Plus nurses discipline is polar opposite of what he rep is trying to do. Get use to us vs them mentality.
 




I am a former pharma rep interviewing for a home care rep position. I honestly don't know much about this field, but times are tough and I've been out of a job for a while so I will most likely take the job if offered. Couple of questions:

What is the average salary for home care reps?

Car allowance or just mileage reimbursement?

Bonus potential?

What is a typical day? 9 - 5, or more flexible like pharma sales, 10 - 3 or something close to that?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!
 




















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