Occupational Medicine at Healthline Medical Group
Healthline Medical Group is a multi- specialty medical group that has been providing occupational medical services to the San Fernando Valley community since 1985. Healthline Medical Group’s providers are listed on most Medical Provider Networks (MPN’s) in Southern California as preferred providers for injured workers. Our Occupational Medical Practice is open 7 days per week, 365 days per year with extended hours of service. Our professional staff evaluates patients with both new acute injuries, as well as with patients who have chronic medical problems related to prior occupational medical injuries. Our entire medical staff provides a full array of Occupational Medical Services dedicated to treating the injured worker in a professional manner and provide the patient with the treatment that they need to return to work in the most expeditious manner.
Healthline’s professional staff works diligently with employers to provide modified work duty assignments in order to facilitate the injured worker returning to the work place as soon as possible following an injury. Healthline’s physicians carefully assess the underlying injury findings and communicate the necessary information to the worker’s compensation adjuster, nurse case manager, HR director, safety manager and/or occupational health nurses in order to ensure that the patient’s well-being is kept at the forefront of the care. This complex reporting system is also most important in order for the injured worker to obtain the necessary medical referrals to specialists and also to provide the patient with disability payments if modified duty is not appropriate.
Healthline’s occupational medicine physicians and physician assistants guide the patient through this process, which in many cases can be very stressful and overwhelming to the injured worker. Our goal is to help the injured worker get well in the most expeditious manner, providing appropriate medical care. We work diligently to return the injured worker to their normal function both at home and at work in the shortest period of time, when medically appropriate to do so.
Worker’s compensation coordinators
Healthline Medical Group employs two full time occupational liaison associates who provide the workers compensation carriers, adjusters, nurse case managers and employers with all of the information inclusive of the DFR, PR-2, narrative reports and Requests for Authorization (RFA’s) that they require to process each injury. Procedures such as MRIs, CT scans, referrals to consultants and approval for physical therapy must all be pre-authorized before HMG can schedule these appointments. Insurers need to know the disability status on every injured worker and failure to provide this information in a timely manner can delay payment of those disability benefits to the patient. Utilizing HMG’s computerized electronic medical record has greatly improved our ability to quickly process this data and assist the workers compensation insurer’s staff in completing their tasks.
Free transportation on initial evaluations of injured employees, to and from the worksite.
Healthline Medical Group provides transportation services free of charge to its existing client base for patients with new occupational injuries to our facility. This reduces the number of hours spent by supervisors or co-workers in transporting the injured worker to our office. The van service is currently provided 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
Alternative Duty Assignments
In many instances Healthline Medical Group can reduce or eliminate lost time cases for the employer. When appropriate to do so, our professional staff will return an injured worker to their normal work duties and report the claim as First Aid in accordance with the State of California regulations. Labor Code 4600 , section 5401 (a) defines First Aid as follows:
Labor Code Section 5401(a) Definition of First Aid: “First aid means any one-time treatment, and any follow-up visit for the purpose of observation of minor scratches, cuts, burns, splinters, or other minor industrial injury, which do not ordinarily require medical care. This one-time treatment, and follow-up visit for the purpose of observation, is considered first aid even though provided by a physician or registered professional personnel.”
For those injuries that don’t meet the criteria for First Aid, our staff will attempt to send the injured employee back to the appropriate modified/transitional duty work assignment with work restrictions (if necessary) which we feel will not aggravate the underlying injury. Whenever possible the physician will discuss the modified duty work restrictions with the employer representative, manager, supervisor, HR director, occupational health nurse or other designated employer contact person. If our professional staff are unable to communicate this information directly with the appropriate contact person, then the appropriate modified duty will be documented on a Status Report which will be either faxed or Emailed to the designated contact at the employer site. Of course all of these work restrictions will always be carefully discussed with the injured worker before the patient leaves Healthline and the patient will be provided with a copy of the status report.
Pre-placement Physical Exams, Return to Work Evaluations, Executive Physicals.
Healthline Medical Group provides a full array of Occupational Medical Examinations and Services:
- Post-offer pre-placement physicals
- DOT Examinations by certified health care professionals
- Return to Work Examinations
- Executive Physicals
- Medical Surveillance Examinations
- Functional Capacity Evaluations
- Urine Drug Screens
- Evidential Breath Tests
Functional Capacity Evaluations
During a functional capacity evaluation Healthline’s professional staff simulate the lifting, turning and twisting activities that an employee’s job description entails. We can document a prospective candidate’s ability to safely perform the work tasks of the job that the applicant is applying for.
Urine Drug Screening and Evidential Breath Testing
Our staff of medical assistants have been fully certified in the process of proper urine drug screen collection, as well as breath alcohol testing. Strict adherence to procedures and policy is necessary in this department in order to maintain 100 % accuracy with specimen collection and processing. Healthline performs both NIDA and non NIDA urine drug testing in compliance with the Federal Registrar’s policies and procedures: 49 CFR part 40. Dr. Berg, Dr. Rosenblum and Dr. Reyzin are all certified MRO’s (Medical Review Officers).
Streamlined paperwork to the employer/ insurance carriers/nurse case managers/adjusters
Healthline Medical Group has devised a reporting system that will keep you informed in a timely manner on the status of the injured employee. Information such as the date of injury, diagnosis, treatment, modified duty restrictions and disability are all clearly defined and documented on Healthline’s status reports. Healthline’s electronic health records (EHR) system produces the status report in a typewritten format that is easy to read and will either be faxed or e-mailed to the employer, or employer representative in a secure manner, as soon as the patient is ready to leave our office.
Communication For Greater Control
Healthline Medical Group keeps you informed about your employees who have incurred an occupational injury. The designated contact will receive a phone call after the initial evaluation has been completed in our office, or if there is any change in the patient’s work status on a follow up visit. Upon the injured worker returning to work we will include the medical diagnosis and description of the patient’s restrictions, if any. Communication is the key to a successful, timely resolution of the medical condition afflicting the injured worker.
Reports For Management
Monthly reports are available upon request that can provide you with detailed information on all your employees’ health care activity. In these reports you will find a description of injury occurrence, volume of pre-placement and annual exams.
