Hospital finds success combining EAP and OH
Employers get seamless drug and alcohol program
One-stop shopping has always been a selling point for occupational health programs courting the employer who wants to deal with as few providers as possible, and a New York hospital has found another way to capitalize on that idea.
Park Ridge Hospital, a 300-bed facility in Rochester, has combined its occupational health program with the Park Ridge Health System’s employee assistance program (EAP) so employers can have access to a seamless drug and alcohol testing program. Employers love it, and the continuity of care even makes life easier for the program’s employees.
The programs were combined in January 1997, when hospital leaders realized that the Park Ridge Health System already had all the elements needed to provide seamless care. All that was required was to actually combine the existing occupational health program with the EAP that was run and marketed separately. The programs were moved together so they are physically combined in the same location in the hospital, and they are considered a single business entity known as the Park Ridge Health Connection.
DOT regs prompt seamless care
Much of the impetus for the change came from the drug and alcohol testing requirements imposed by the federal Department of Transportation, explains Caroline Parks, BSN, director of sales and marketing for the combined program. Local employers could use the occupational health program for the testing and much of the planning, but positive test results would require referring the patient and employer to an EAP that could provide the services of a substance abuse professional (SAP) and ongoing assessment of the employee.
With the combined program at Park Ridge, the employee who tests positive need not be referred elsewhere. All of the necessary services can be provided right down the hall, including the oversight of a medical review officer and SAP. That keeps the revenue stream within Park Ridge Hospital and greatly simplifies the employer’s work.
"They have one less bill, one less phone call to make, and fewer lines to cross in getting the care they need," Parks explains. "It allows the client to send an employee over and know that we will take care of everything from A to Z. There is no need to hand it [over] to the client and say, OK, now you have to go find an EAP for the rest of what you need.’"
Parks notes there is a client crossover of about 85% with the program’s occupational health offerings and EAP services. Previously, only about 10% of the hospital’s occupational health clients also used the separate Park Ridge EAP. A single program director, Bob Carlson, oversees the combined occupational health program and EAP.
Quality of care better with one program
The entire staff of the combined program meets regularly, but because the occupational health and EAP staffs still have separate concerns, Carlson also meets with the two staffs separately. Even then, a representative from the other side sits in on the other group’s meeting to ensure good communication.
In addition to simplifying matters for patients and employers, the program’s staff finds it easier to provide service and comply with the complex DOT requirements. Since the patient’s care remains within the single program even after testing positive and undergoing substance abuse counseling, there is less need to obtain permission for providers to speak with each other and less difficulty in communicating and coordinating care.
The combined program also can help improve the quality of care. "Without this seamless relationship, things can fall through the cracks," Parks notes. "There are so many steps, and the DOT regulations are so specific. With everyone in the same organization, you improve the chances that things will be done right."
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