OK, I found a pretty cool way to fix all of these problems. It's a slight workaround so it isn't perfect, but it does help with two things.
First, it depends what version of Word you have. 2003 or 2007. With 2007, the ribbon thing is kind of annoying so I bought this VERY cool add-in that allows you to customize it just the way you want it. So, I put spell-check, select-all and copy all in one heading on the top left. So, I open the letter writer, but then I open the Word on the desktop which has my letterhead and the date and complimentary closing already filled in. This is all optional.
I then type the body of the letter that I would have typed in the letter writer. When done, I click spell check, select all, and copy. I then click CTRL - V, and it is in the note writer, nicely formatted and spell checked, etc. I only copy the body of the letter. I then print it, and it saves to the chart for legal purposes and a reference. But, now you have the copy in Word, which you can now save with the Save As button and save anywhere on your server such as in a folder called Patient Letters. Now, the template is ready for the next patient. If you need to redo the letter, it is right there on your server.
