WorkPro

10095 Brick Church Road • Cambridge, Ohio 43725 • 740-439-8191

"Providing Health Care for the Prevention of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses"

Providing Health Care for the Prevention of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

November 1999

Survey Results:

In our last newsletter, a survey was sent out - a big THANK YOU goes out to all of you who responded. As always, we enjoy hearing from our customers and if there are any services that you would like to see added or expanded upon, we are all ears! After all, we turn complaints or problems into opportunities.

Don't forget:

Yearly training and re-training of CPR, First Aid and Blood Borne Pathogens.
If you have delegated an employee to be a first responder, you are also required to offer Blood Borne pathogens training and the Hepatitis B vaccine. Now, that employee may decline the vaccine. In that case, a declination form must be signed.

Blood borne pathogens training must be reviewed annually. For the employee who signed a declination form previously, he/she must be offered another opportunity to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine. If the employee again refuses the vaccine, another declination form must be signed. One can obviously see the pattern that is developing, however, compliance will be met by completing this process.

For more information concerning Blood borne pathogens training and the Hepatitis B vaccine, contact Tina Nicolozakes, RN at 439-8189.

FYI on Drugs and Alcohol:

Employees who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol tend to send up a red flag. According to Drug Test Coordinators, Inc., several signs to look for:

    Ø Increase in accidents - 3 times more likely to injure themselves or others on the job and 5 times more likely to be injured off the job, which would affect attendance and performance on the job.
    Ø Increase medical claims - 5 times more likely to file a Workers' Compensation claim.
    Ø Increase absenteeism - 2.5 times more likely to have absences of 8 days or more
    Ø Excessive tardiness - returning from lunch or Monday mornings.
    Ø Increase product defects - more likely to have difficulty concentrating and recalling instructions
    Ø Increase employee theft
    Ø Increase health insurance premiums
    Ø Decrease productivity

New CT Scan at SEORMC:

SEORMC will be installing a new GE Light Speed CT Scan before the end of the year. The new CT Scanner will dramatically speed up testing and resulting time from 20 minutes to 20 seconds. Transition will be relatively smooth because a mobile unit will be utilized during installation of the new scanner.
New Physicians:

Carmencita Slabinski M.D. - WorkPro - Occupational Medicine
Courtney DeSelm- Bonner D.O. - Medical Associates, Internal Medical - Adults

Tools for Return to Work Success:

Focus on two of the return to work team members: the employer and the medical provider. Its all in the planning and communication. If you wait until an injury occurs to begin planing, many things can go wrong, such as delays on determining physical capabilities, problems in developing transitional duties and coordination with the medical staff.

    Successful tools for an employer to plan a return to work program consist of:
        Ø Create a transitional work program that includes employees.
        Ø Create a time limit for the transitional work program.
        Ø Create the network.
        Ø Make everyone accountable for their roles and the success of the program.
        Ø Review, measure and adapt the program.

Another important aspect for the employer is communication with the medical provider. Communication occurs: before the injury happens, when the injury happens, throughout the recovery process and after the injury is resolved.

As far as the medical provider is concerned, the essential aspects of planning are for us to know the environment and know the policy. The medical provider is to communicate the medical condition, the restrictions and the worker's abilities.

Points to remember about injured employees and return to work is:
ü An attitude change needs to occur from an attitude of disability to and attitude of ability.
ü Out of work is the employers decision , the physician is to describe the restrictions.

For any questions concerning return to work policies or guidelines call our Case Managers, Sue McKenzie, LPN or Darla Carpenter, LPN at 439-8191.

Message from the Doctor:

Getting an injured employee back to work can be good for the employers' bottom line - and even better for the health of the employee. Working maintains aerobic fitness and tones non-injured muscles. This benefits us not only in our jobs, but also in our daily lives.

Once it is felt to be medically safe, returning to work is also a natural step in the rehabilitation of the injured part. This may require some period of transitional - or restricted duty. At WorkPro, we realize that important information about some injuries and work restrictions cannot be conveyed through the use of a standard form. That is why we invite you to call us to discuss individual cases, so that we can work together to find solutions.

Returning injured employees' to work as early - and as safely - as benefits everyone. And that is the bottom line.