48-HOUR RETURN-TO-WORK PROGRAM

As an exclusive part of our Occupational Athlete Program, our 48-Hour Return to Work Program offers a hotline number for immediate access to our physicians. SportsMedicine Grant & Orthopaedic associates offers this program to employers who are committed to efficient and safe return to work and are willing to set up a plan to achieve their goals. Lost time claims are the primary factor effecting your Bureau of Worker's Compensation premiums. A lost time claim only takes 7 consecutive days absent from work. Preventing lost time claims requires a plan of action which will get the injured worker first to the appropriate physician. Much time is lost when the worker has to see multiple physicians to get the right diagnosis and plan of treatment. Without a plan in place, lost time claims are inevitable.

Our 48-hour Return to Work Program fits perfectly in Transitional Duty Programs. Bureau of Worker's Compensation currently offers grants to employers to put transitional duty programs in place. One of the advantages of the program is the provision of job descriptions of the physical demands of many, if not all, of the jobs available. With a bank of jobs described and a plan in place, lost time claims can be minimized. If a claim becomes lost time, the employer costs can further be minimized by the use of vocational services, transitional duty and on-site physical therapy.

• An appointment will be scheduled with a specialist likely within 24 hours but at least within 48 hours.
• The physician will determine safe level of return to work and appropriate plan of care. If the physician cannot determine work capabilities, an FCE may be scheduled for the next day. So long as a safe level of return to work can be established and a job can be matched at the company, the injured worker will return to work and never become a lost-time claim.
• Meanwhile, the physician has immediate in-house access to x-ray, MRI, and physical therapy. If needed, surgery can be scheduled immediately.
• When appropriate, a physical therapist comes to the work site to set up a plan to safely transition the injured worker from the reentry job to the target job.
• By working closely with a company, often injury trends can be identified and suggestions can be made in order to decrease injury rate in the future.
• The goal of the program is to provide timely, top-quality medical care for the injured worker and safe return to work as soon as possible.
• The benefit to the injured worker is comprehensive, VIP care from a highly respected physician practice all under one roof. The injured worker is offered the best possible opportunity to return to their current level of work.
• The employer will reap the following benefits:
  • Assurance that they are providing top-quality care for their employees.
  • Avoidance of lost time claims.
  • Productive work from employees who would otherwise be at home getting used to collecting an easy check.
  • Employees continue to have interaction with peers and supervisors, which reinforces their responsibilities.
  • With transitional duty, employees do not get caught in the bottomless pit of light duty work.
  • By working with one physician group, injury patterns may be identified, which can open the door for prevention and overall decrease of claims.