Occupational medicine: More than just physicals
Employers want a health partner
The way to succeed in an occupational medi cine program is to do more than just pro vide a service, advises Cindy Kress, MS, director of business health services at St. Francis Hospital in Greenville, SC. "It's not just to do physicals but to work with employers as a partner," she says.
St. Francis faces stiff competition in Greenville from other providers who offer occupational rehab services such as health screenings and tests. "The key is to take it up a notch - find a way to partner with the employer instead of just providing a service. They want you to manage and advise the full spectrum of services and to look out for their best interests," Kress says.
For instance, the St. Francis rehab team works with employers to identify issues, look at trends in illness and injuries, and develop prevention programs.
"Your job is to assist them in increasing their productivity and their bottom line," she explains.
Take service to the customer
Providing on-site screening and treatment is one way St. Francis provides the kind of extra service that employers want. "For an employer, having on-site coverage increases productivity and decreases down time. It's a way for them to maximize their efficiency and control what is happening when an employee is injured," she says.
If a worker has to go off site for a screening or a physical therapy treatment, he is likely to stay off work the rest of the day. Or an injured worker may spend four or five hours in an emergency department for a minor injury, then be sent home. A physician with experience in occupational medi cine understands the needs of the employer and will work to get the worker back on the job as soon as possible, she says.
Communication is the most important part of any successful occupational medicine program, Kress says. "The employer wants to know what is going on, and you have to be able to provide that."
Here are a few other components of a successful occupational medicine program:
· accessibility;
· convenience;
· high quality care;
· strong case management.
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