-
Consider yourself a member of the "workers' compensation team" as a strategy to reduce costs, says Mary (Penny) B. Nicholls, RN, CCM, COHN-S, a disability consultant with Alabama Power Company in Birmingham and a member of the advisory board for the Deep South Center for Occupational Health & Safety at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
-
Have you learned that back injuries are the top cost drivers in workers' compensation cases at your workplace? Imagine the impact of giving incentives to various departments if zero injuries are reported within a certain time period. Or then again, maybe not.
-
Imagine showing higher-ups statistics indicating that thousands of dollars were spent on a weight loss program you implemented recently, but unfortunately, none of the participants actually lost any pounds. Or would you be eager to spread the news that only two employees attended a diabetes lunch-and-learn?
-
At DuBois (PA) Regional Medical Center, employees were failing N95 fit tests in alarming numbers. In the cardiology department, about 46% of employees failed fit-tests even after trying a variety of models and sizes. Things weren't much better in anesthesia (35%), cardiovascular ICU (34%), or the emergency department (26%).
-
Senior citizens are living independently longer and staying out of the hospital and emergency department thanks to client-centered care coordination through two programs developed by UPMC, a large integrated health care delivery system with headquarters in Pittsburgh.
-
Often, getting results from wellness programs requires a lot of money and time sometimes more than you have to give. Why not capitalize on a resource that is completely free that of positive peer pressure from co-workers? Some approaches:
-
To manage chronic headaches, the sufferer must play a key role.
-
When patients don't follow their discharge instructions and end up back in the hospital, it may be that they simply don't understand what they were supposed to do at home.
-
WellPoint Inc.'s disease management program, designed to improve care for members with bipolar disorder, reported a 22% increase in medication compliance and a 14% decrease in behavioral inpatient services for members during a recent outcomes revaluation.
-
When you are developing a post-discharge care plan for patients who will need some assistance at home, make sure the patient and family understand what is required of them and that they are aware of all their options, including paying for private home care services.
