Industrial Rehabilitation / Rehabilitation
- Target Highest Attainable Level for all Workers
- Custom Tailored Work Programs for Employees
- Comprehensive Assessments
- Cost-Effective Path to Getting Employees Back to Work
Industrial Rehabilitation Services are a comprehensive branch of clinical medicine most active in the field of Occupational Health. Its principal role is the provision of health information and advice to organizations and individuals to ensure that the highest standards of health and safety at work can be achieved and maintained.
CAM’s Workers’ Compensation/ Rehabilitation Services programs focus on the promotion and maintenance to the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations. We deliver a results oriented program designed to return employees to their jobs as quickly and safely as possible.
Programs offered in our Workers’ Compensation/Rehabilitation Services include:
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Transportation
We are excited to announce we are now offering transportation to the workers compensation community. Providing transportation lowers stress for the injured workers and insurance carriers. It will increase patient compliance allowing them to receive maximum benefits from our industrial rehabilitation services, to include Functional Capacities Evaluations and Work Hardening/Work Conditioning. Our transportation service promotes and supports injured workers commitment to their rehabilitation programs and helps facilitate a safe and expeditious return to work.
* Transportation outside of our service area will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis *
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Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs)
- For Workers’ Compensation or Disability Determination
- Nationally Standardized Testing Protocol
- Assess Recovery Progress
- Determine Appropriate Job Placements
- Reduce Risk in the Workplace
A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) by definition is “a systematic method of measuring an individual’s ability to perform meaningful tasks on a safe and dependable basis.”
The purpose of the FCE is to collect information about the functional limitations of a person with medical impairments. It is a valuable tool to assess a patient’s recovery, determine treatment goals and assist in returning an injured worker back to gainful employment. It provides objectivity to subjective reports and combines assessments to assess behavior as related to function.
The functional capacity evaluation consists of an intake screening session, a musculoskeletal screen, multiple validity test, non-material and material handling tolerances and endurance testing. When a job description is provided the final results of the FCE are compared to all required job demands.
After recovery or maximal recovery from an injury it is important to determine appropriate job placements for workers. CAM’s FCE is a nationally recognized test, which objectively measures work related functional limitations to assist health professionals with making return to work decisions.
An FCE is only covered by workers’ compensation as they are not part of the benefits package provided by private insurance carriers. If you are not a workers’ compensation patient and need a FCE, please contact us for additional details and payment options.
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Work Hardening Programs
- For Employees Who Have Experienced Extended Periods of Time Away From Work
- Assess and Improve Functional Work Status
- Educates in Proper Body Mechanics and Work Place Safety
- Structured Work Simulation Program that Assists in Improving Employee’s Behavior
This program is a systematic series of gradually progressive, work-related activities performed with proper body mechanics to physically and psychologically recondition the employee in order to facilitate return to full employment. This program’s focus is on improving the person’s musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems to prepare for return to work.
An employee can qualify for this program if within 30-180 days post-accident or injury, they may or may not have a position to return to, and they are motivated to return to their job. Employees in this program often have experienced an extended period of time away from work due to chronic pain or loss of function, generally from an injury on the job.
Work Hardening Programs generally range from 3-5 days per week for 4-8 hours per treatment depending on the severity of the injury, the time lapsed since the injury onset, and the physical demand requirements of the job. The ultimate goal is to help the employee build up enough flexibility, strength and endurance to tolerate a full work schedule with an emphasis on simulating job tasks and establishing a routine “workday” with regular “work” hours.
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Work Conditioning Programs
- Half Day Program Used to Return Employees to Full Employment
- Improve Worker’s Functional Status Though Strength, Cardiovascular Endurance and Flexibility
- Structured Independent Program or Can Be Used Cooperatively with Work Hardening
Work Conditioning Programs are appropriate for employees that are at 30-180 days post-accident or injury and still have not returned to full duty. In order to qualify for these programs, the employee must have a job to return to and are working half days/ light duty. This program, which is different than Work Hardening Program, is a series of systematic, gradually progressive, strengthening and conditioning exercises with a minor emphasis on work-related activities performed with proper body mechanics to physically and psychologically recondition the employee in order to facilitate a return to full employment.
Work Conditioning Programs generally range from 3-5 days per week for 2-4 hours per treatment depending on the severity of the injury; the time elapsed since the injury onset and the physical demand requirements of the job. The ultimate goal is to help employees build up enough flexibility, strength and endurance to tolerate a full work schedule.
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Ergonomic/Job Site Assessment
- Cost Effective Safety Assessment that Benefits the Employer and Employee
- Solution Oriented
- Scalable to Save Time and Money
CAM offers on-site ergonomic assessments designed to determine and assess the fit between the employee and their work site or space. These assessments can be basic desk/cubical assessments or full job site description assessments. All are done onsite at the employee’s work location with the employee usually present. The time involved to perform the assessments can be in as little as 20 minutes making it a cost-effective service benefit for the employer.
The assessment will consider a variety of areas including items such as the employee’s size, strength, abilities or deficits, the tools they utilize, and their work environment. CAM will offer feasible solutions and suggestions in both a written and verbal format with many suggestions implemented at the time of the assessment. These all help to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of the employee. Research continues to show that ergonomic assessments help to reduce work injuries and thereby cost while they improve employee morale by sending a message that the employer cares about them.
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Post Offer Employee Testing / Lift Assessments
- Determines if the Employee can Perform Critical Job Demands
- Based on Job Description
- Most Effective When Used in Conjunction with an Ergonomic/ Job Site Analysis
CAM offers Post Offer of Employee Testing Services as part of our Workers’ Compensation/Rehabilitation Program. Post offer testing is performed after a job offer and is designed to determine if the employee can physically perform the critical job demands prior to starting in the actual position. Post offer testing is individually designed based on each job description/position.
Some components of our testing include Musculoskeletal evaluations, cardiovascular status, static and dynamic strength evaluations, risk profiling, and job-specific components. Our employment tests are not only used for determining an employee’s ability to perform his/her job safely but also used as baselines for rehabilitation and recovery should an injury occur. These tests can also identify potential ergonomic risks that could lead to future injuries and provide information to allow the employer to place the potential employee in the physically appropriate job thereby minimizing the potential risk for injury.
In addition to reducing new injuries and their related costs, employers who utilize CAM’s employment testing experience reductions in lost time, increased worker productivity, decreased turnover, and diminished incidences of fraud and abuse. It is estimated that for every $1 spent on a post-offer test an employer realizes a $22 savings in workers’ compensation costs. Thereby making post-offer testing a cost-effective tool for the employer.
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Fit for Duty Exam
- Determines if an Employee Who is Returning to His/Her Previous Position After an Extended Absence Can Perform Critical Job Demands
- Based on Job Description
- Most Effective When Used in Conjunction With an Ergonomic / Job Site Analysis
CAM offers Post Offer of Employee Testing Services as part of our Workers’ Compensation / Rehabilitation Program. A Fit for Duty evaluation is used to determine if a current employee is or is not able to perform the essential functions of his/her job with or without reasonable accommodations. The evaluation is performed by an impartial, independent health care professional with appropriate expertise. Professionals conducting fitness-for-duty evaluations are required to maintain a position of neutrality and advocate for neither the employer nor the employee. The evaluator will make an assessment as to the employee’s ability to perform his/her work duties, the existence of any material or non-material handling task deficits, for assessment of risk for self-harm, harm to others, dangerousness, and/or the probability of recurrence of incidents related to work performance.
Some components of our testing include Musculoskeletal evaluations, cardiovascular status, static and dynamic strength evaluations, risk profiling, and job-specific components. Our employment tests are not only used for determining an employee’s ability to perform his/her job safely but also used as baselines for rehabilitation and recovery should an injury occur. These tests can also identify potential ergonomic risks that could lead to future injuries and provide information to allow the employer to place the potential employee in the physically appropriate job thereby minimizing the potential risk for injury.
In addition to reducing new injuries and their related costs, employers who utilize CAM’s fitness for duty testing experience reductions in lost time, increased worker productivity, decreased turnover, and diminished incidences of fraud and abuse.
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Home Assessments
CAM offers Home Assessments, in order to ensure whether your home is safe for you after an injury or based on your current level of function. We will send a health professional to your home to perform a thorough evaluation. This evaluation might also be appropriate for those individuals who are fall risks and at a greater risk of injury.
A CAM healthcare professional will evaluate and make any home modifications that can make your home safer. It uses an interview and observation of the patient participating in-home activities, which all contribute to a detailed report with recommendations.
