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The cost to industry of ill and injured workers, and the cost to workers of disability and lost time is both daunting and escalating. A carefully planned approach to injury management has been repeatedly demonstrated to lower costs and to improve functional outcome. It is an essential part of your risk reduction strategy.
CHA provides the tools you need to restore your injured and ill workers to optimal function as quickly as possible.
TREAT QUICKLY
During our normal business hours, we encourage you to send injured workers to our Troy office. No appointment is necessary. We will establish a triage protocol by which your managers, in conjunction with our office, can assess the severity of the injury and make the appropriate disposition.
Workers with injuries requiring emergency room care, or workers who are injured when our office is closed are referred to a nearby emergency or urgent care center. CHA has established procedures with Samaritan, St. Mary’s and Albany Memorial emergency rooms by which injured employees are treated and are referred to our office the next business day. All relevant clinical information is faxed promptly to our office by the emergency department.
TREAT CORRECTLY
The right treatment, at the right time, in the right amount characterizes our approach to injury management. We implement clinical guidelines recommended by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine for most common injuries. We educate injured employees about their diagnosis and treatment and we encourage them to play an active role in their own recovery.
If diagnostic tests or subspecialty referrals are indicated, we expedite the process. We have excellent working relationships with many physicians, therapists and diagnostic testing facilities and we communicate with them regularly. We integrate each element of diagnosis and treatment so that care is rational, organized and efficient.
TREAT ACTIVELY
Treatment of injuries and illnesses involves both healing and functional restoration. Avoidance of unnecessary disability is a critical element of any treatment plan. We will clearly delineate, with each visit, the employee’s limitations and capabilities. We encourage work accommodations during the convalescent period.
KEEP TRACK
The progress of each employee is monitored until their injury is resolved. Office visits, referral visits, therapy sessions and appointments for diagnostic testing are tracked so that the treatment plan is implemented without interruption. At each office visit a physical ability and limitation report is completed and a copy given to employee and to employer.
We utilize a computer based system to manage injuries and illnesses. C4 forms are submitted within 48 hours of each visit. We will also regularly notify third party carriers regarding diagnosis, treatment, clinical status and limitations. Periodically, or upon request, we will submit a cumulative report of employees who have been treated. The report describes each employee, their injury, their work status, and their treatment plan. Additional data analysis is available upon request and includes analysis of injuries by diagnosis, by department, by location or by time period.
To make an appointment with an Occupational Medicine specialist at
Capital Healthcare Associates, please contact us.
Ronald Musto MD, MPH, CIME, is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Preventive Medicine in Occupational Health and by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners.
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