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Business Health Services

Workers' Compensation Case Management

An early, safe return to work for the injured/ill employee helps businesses and industries reduce Workers' Compensation and worker replacement costs. Palo Alto County Health System's (PACHS) Business Health Service offers a Workers' Compensation Case Management plan that assists the employer in navigating the health care maze, while insuring the employee receives the most appropriate medical care.

The purpose of our plan is to:

1. Obtain timely, optimal treatment for the injured/ill worker.
   
2. Provide an axis for communication between the injured worker, the health care provider, the employer, and the insurance carrier.
   
3. Insure that efficient service is provided to all parties involved.
   
4. Facilitate the employee's treatment and rehabilitation program.
   
5. Maximize savings for the employer and insurance carrier by minimizing lost time and maintaining productivity.

This program will be implemented in the following manner:

1. If an injured/ill worker is admitted through our Injury Treatment Program, the Business Health Nurse (BHN) will either accompany the worker to the health care provider, or receive a Work Status Report and progress notes from the provider. The BHN then contacts the company and the employee as a follow-up.
2. The initial communication between the ill/injured employee and the BHN allows the employee to ask questions they have regarding the diagnosis and instructions given to them by the health care provider.
3. To insure appropriate follow-up and verify improvement of the ill/injured worker, the BHN Case Manager will continue to contact the employee and employer with updates as long as the case remains active. After each follow-up visit, a report of the employee's progress will be given to the employer. Additional follow-up visits will be made until the employee is returned to full duty.
4. Follow-up calls to the employer will provide information regarding the worker's prognosis, treatment, and work status. Recommendations by the health care provider pertaining to modified work duty and/or projected return to work will be shared with the employer. This will allow for the most appropriate decisions relating to the worker's job assignment.
5. PACH's BHN case manager will maintain open communication with the Workers' Compensation insurance carrier, providing them with any data that will assist in closure of a given case.

Our goal is to offer timely, reliable information to employers and their insurance carriers, while providing the best care available to employees. Please call PACHS's Business Health Services at 712.852.5469 for more information on Workers' Comp Case Management.