Workers’ Compensation Care Delivery – Thinking Out Of The Box

A strategic approach is essential for employers who want to ensure the health and safety of their workforce. This includes both traditional and non-traditional models of healthcare delivery. This session at WCI’s 2019 Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference explored best practices for addressing workers’ compensation injuries.

Moderator: Arlene Guzik – Director of Occupational Medicine at BayCare Health System

Panelists included:

Nathan Waldrep, MD – Director of Physician Services at Baycare Health System

Warren Sponsler – Attorney and Founding Partner at Sponsler, Bishop, Karen & Hammer, PA

Workplace health and safety standards have come a long way since the industrial revolution. Both regulations and benefits have become much more comprehensive in the workers’ compensation system. Leveraging options like telemedicine, wellness specialists and medical specialists for co-management can continue to push care forward in the future.

Telemedicine

Evaluating an injury as soon as it happens is an important part of workers’ compensation care. The use of telemedicine providers can help in this regard. It can also be useful for follow-up appointments and pre-operative evaluations. While there are some injuries that will always require in-person evaluation, telemedicine can help bridge the gap for smaller, less severe injuries.

Wellness Specialists

A multidisciplinary, holistic approach is preferable in most health situations. Injuries and illnesses do not happen in a vacuum. There are usually environmental, social, mental and emotional factors that play into a successful recovery. This is where wellness programs and specialists can help improve outcomes.

Medical Specialists for Co-Management

Medical specialists, like those with expertise in wound care, can work in tandem with primary providers and claims specialists to help ensure the best outcome possible.