FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I inquire about an employee's ability to return to work?

Employers are always welcome to call PRIME Occupational Medicine (225.408.5902) with questions related to a patient’s ability to return to work.  Our staff will be compliant and accessible with any information that will allow the employer to better manage the recovery process of injured workers.

How do I inquire about an employee's treatment plan?

Employers are always welcome to call PRIME Occupational Medicine (225.408.5902) with questions related to a patient’s treatment or work restrictions.  Our staff will be compliant and accessible with any information that will allow the employer to better manage the recovery process of injured workers.

Know the difference: First Aid vs. A recordable event?

First aid is defined as emergency medical treatment for somebody who is ill or injured. First aid care is given before the patient can find more complete medical attention.  The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) defines a range of first-aid services (or first aid level of care).  Medical care that requires more than these first-aid services can be a recordable event.

OSHA 1904.7 States that a recordable event is usually defined as death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness.

What is Fit-For-Duty Testing? Why would you choose Fit-For-Duty Testing?

Fit-for-duty testing is an employer initiated test that is used to determine the job applicant’s or current employee’s physical suitability for the job at hand.  Tests can be custom-designed for the specific job function and can be used to identify pre-existing injuries.

What is Workers' Compensation?

Workers’ compensation benefits are designed to provide workers who have been injured at work with medical treatment and supplemental payment as they rehabilitate for a return to work.

Did you know that the cost of absence is more than four times the medical payments?

The 2011 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index states that the most disabling workplace injuries cost the industry $50 billion a year in direct workers compensation costs.

According to the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), a national, non-profit organization based in San Francisco, CA, the full costs of absence are more than four times total medical payments for employers in IBI’s Full-Cost Study when the productivity lost from absence is added to wage replacement payments.

In fact, IBI states that on average, employers leave an equivalent of 85 percent of net income on the table in excess benefit costs compared to companies with best-in-group performance in industry comparison groups.

How much training do occupational medicine physicians have?

In addition to graduating from medical school, our occupational medicine physicians have completed a 3-year residency training program. After training is completed, an occupational medicine physician takes an exam in order to become “board certified.” This distinguishes the physician as a true specialist in his or her field. Continued certification is achieved through periodic exams and specialized classes throughout the physician’s career.

All of the physicians in our Occupational Health Department are board certified in occupational medicine or a related field (i.e. family practice, internal medicine, physical medicine, or emergency medicine) or are in the process of achieving this designation.

How can an Occupational Health Program help your company's bottom line?

Healthy workers are more productive! To help your workers be healthier, you should develop a preventive health program that includes:

  • Health Risk Assessments
  • Nutrition Coaching
  • Fitness Programs
  • Weight Loss Coaching
  • Health Coaching
  • Classes

Work-related injuries can also be very expensive. The direct costs of injuries that are easy to measure, like the cost of medical care and insurance costs, are small when compared to indirect costs associated with workplace disruption, retraining, lost productivity, and the like.

RETURN YOUR EMPLOYEES TO WORK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

When injuries do occur, they need to be managed well to return the injured worker to a state of health and productivity as soon as possible. A skilled occupational medicine specialist will work with the worker, employer, workers compensation insurer, and the medical system to help the injured worker regain his or her functional abilities and return to work.

Why am I being seen in the Occupational Health Department for my injury and employment examinations and not by my primary care physician?

Occupational health physicians have expertise that helps them determine the ability of employees to perform work. They are knowledgeable about how work can be arranged to accommodate injuries, the physical, chemical, biological, and social environments of the workplace, the health outcomes of environmental exposures, and the reporting regulations under workers compensation and employment examinations. Your occupational health physician may refer you to specialists if needed, and will help coordinate your care.

What do I need to bring for my visit?

If you are being seen for a work-related injury or illness, please bring your employers’ contact information and a photo ID.

If you are being seen for an employment related clearance exam, please bring any paperwork provided to you by your employer and a photo ID.

Our clinics also provide employment-related physicals and exams, such as:

  • Pre Placement physical
  • Firefighter exam
  • Police exam
  • HazMat exam
  • Merchant Mariner physical
  • Commercial driver exam
  • Fitness for duty exam
  • Lead surveillance
  • Hearing surveillance
  • Drug and alcohol testing

If you need a physical or exam that is not listed above, please call our clinic and we will be happy to discuss what you need. All other needs can be accommodated on a walk-in basis during regular business hours.

What services are available through the occupational health department?

All of our clinics provide care for workers that were injured on the job. If you are injured on the job, you must first report the injury to your supervisor.