Occupational Health Services 

 
Workers' Compensation Management

NowCare Health and Safety, with three locations, is a panel provider for hundreds of local companies and municipalities. NowCare was the first medical facility in the area to provide full time, full service (Workers' Comp, Drug and Alcohol Testing and Management as well as a complete menu of physical exams) to local industry. Our goal is to return each employee back to work safely and healthy as soon as possible. All of our physicians and staff are committed to that goal. Communication with the employer, the employee and all medical providers is the key to quick recovery. Both Dr. Cetrone and Dr. Sack are often asked to speak to groups about the NowCare's successful return to work program. Below is an outline of both the presentation and the philosophy of NowCare. Please call us 757-424-4300 or come by to see us if you are interested in a presentation or have questions about out process.


How to Control Workers' Compensation Cost
By Anthony Cetrone, MD

The cost of doing business just seems to gets higher and higher. Keeping your employees safe and healthy can be one of the highest costs. Unlike some of the other cost of doing business such as gasoline, there is something you can do about your cost of medical expenses, especially your workers' comp cost. Getting the injured worker quickly on the road to recovery and back to productivity is a win-win for both the employer and the employee. 

The most important and most basic is communicating to the injured employee that you are concerned and that the company will stand behind them until their problem is resolved.

The second important step is to create a partnership between yourself, your health care provider, the insurance company and /or TPA (third party administrator) and the injured worker. Some of the ways to accomplish this include the following:

Communications: Communications between the partners should be timely and continuous. The physician and/or other health care provider, such as a nurse case manager, must talk with the employer and the employee to clarify the prognosis for the recovery and to communicate the injured worker's work capacity when he is ready to return to work.

Positive Attitude: All communications with the injured worker must be positive. You must present a positive attitude and you must insure that your staff and the health care provider(s) also represent your positive attitude. This will influence the mindset and attitude that the injured worker will have about returning to work quickly and safely.

Be Involved: Do not just turn the case over to your insurance carrier. If you do not utilize a case manager then you, the employer, must become involved from the start. This includes constant communication with the partners on the team.

Know Your Employees: Be concerned for their welfare and show it at all times. Call your employee if they are out of work. Ask about their welfare; let them know you are concerned for them. Make accommodations for them. Get their coworkers involved in encouraging them to succeed in their recovery.

Choose an experienced workers' comp panel:
Keep your panel small (minimum of 3 for the state of Virginia) this allows the employer time to build a relationship with each of the providers.
Your panel should be made up of 3 physicians who are either board certified in Occupational medicine and/or Emergency medicine with experience in workers' comp. Allow the panel physicians to be your “gatekeepers” and facilitate specialist when needed.

• The knowledgeable gatekeeper will have a list of specialist, with whom they have created a relationship. Working together as a team will help facilitate return to work quickly.

• If the specialist that your providers recommend is not on your insurance companies list of providers, you should facilitate having them added to their list.

• Meet and create a relationship with the physician and with the office manager, charge nurse, occupational health nurse, etc.

• Make sure the initial provider has convenient hours and locations and are willing to see you injured worker quickly.

• Make sure your panel of physicians have a system to adequately communicate with you regarding each case in a timely manner. This can include a report via a secured fax, electronically, or by a phone call. Will your physician take your call in a timely manner?

• Discuss with your provider your expectations about return to work documentations. Make sure the provider is willing to give you, in writing, details outlining the work abilities of the injured employee.

• Restricted Duty: Use of the word “restricted duty” or “modified duty” creates a mindset that the employee is expected to return to work with restriction that will promote healing and /or prevent further injury to a body part. Use of the words “light duty” has the potential to create a mindset that the employee is not to do any work.
  a. Make sure you have, or can create, a “temporary modified duty” job that will accommodate the restrictions given to the employee by the physician.
  b. The physician will allow an employee to go back to restricted duty quicker if you demonstrate to the physician your ability to accommodate the restrictions.
  c. The physician should not give the employee “time off” unless he/she feels total bed rest is absolutely required or the employer has demonstrated he/she is not willing to make accommodations. The panel physician should clearly write the limitations/restriction of the injured employee and allow the employer to make the decision on accommodations or time off.
  
  Be aware when choosing your occupational health provider. Not all physicians who advertise they can do workers' comp understand the needs of the employer, the documentation needed or the psychology of dealing with the injured worker.