The Old College Try

Risk & Insurance, Nov, 1999 by Denise Myshko

"It wasn't unusual for some groups to have more than one person out at a time," Crawford says. "We told these departments that they could start helping themselves by working with us to get people back to work. A lot of times it's just a matter of sitting down and saying here are the restrictions, what can we do to modify the job."

Communication with supervisors in the field was critical, says Fenner. "We wanted to make sure that we made immediate contact (with the injured worker). We immediately bring in PMA, making sure that the injured part is taken care of in a very professional manner, doing everything we can to get the person back to work as soon as possible. And that takes support from the top."

Crawford also says that the university is thankful for legislative changes that have occurred in the last six years, which have generally given employers great ability to enforce the rules and requirements of the workers' comp law in the state.

On the Horizon

Crawford says that in the future the university plans to revise and expand job descriptions to include detailed information about the physical aspects of each job, such as, for example, the number of hours of standing a job requires. The job descriptions will then be centralized so that nurse case managers and workers' comp physicians can have access to them.

This information, Crawford says, will provide physicians with accurate information to better treat injured workers and to make more informed decisions about returning these workers to the job.

"In trying to bring somebody back to work, I think it's essential that you have a good, accurate, and reliable job description," Crawford says. "If the treating physician knows that a person has to lift 100 pounds, it may be legitimate for that person not to be released. If they're lifting five pounds for the majority of the day, that doctor is going to be more liberal in allowing them to come back sooner. If you can cut off a couple of weeks of disability, you save lost time, save money, and generally save productivity."

"The supervisor, the insurance company, and the benefits department have to work as a team, treating that injured person and making that person feel that we're in this together," Hollinger says. "We're in this to help them get better and back to work so they can be a viable part of the business that we're in."