What the decision means for occupational health
The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act carried significant implications for occupational health providers. Beyond its primary goal of extending health insurance coverage to 30 million previously uninsured Americans, the legislation sought to revolutionize reimbursement structures by tying payments to provider quality and performance.
VISIONS recently caught up with the presidents of the leading occupational health member organizations. They sat down to talk about their vision for occupational health. Participants were Dr. Karl Auerbach, president of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM); Dr. Steven Crawford, president of the National Association of Occupational Health Professionals (NAOHP); and Ms. Catherine Pepler, president of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN). The conversation took place on Sept. 7, 2012.
Except where absolute criteria exist (i.e., a current clinical diagnosis of alcoholism), as a medical examiner, you make the final determination as to whether the driver meets the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) medical standards for driver certification. Use whatever tools or additional assessments you feel are necessary. If the driver shows signs of alcoholism, have the driver consult a specialist for further evaluation.
These posts on a popular review site emphasize why it’s important to monitor what patients are saying about you on these and other social media sites. This can be done easily by setting up google alerts for your center’s name, and doctor’s names, and by using any number of software products or services that will monitor this for you.
Here’s a question about diabetes exemption in DOT Commercial driver from one of our NRCME training program students:
It began rather innocuously in 1988:
Frank Leone, then in his third year as president of RYAN Associates, and Ken Mack, then-president of Cleveland-based DMI, met at a healthcare marketing conference in New Orleans. Ken knew all about healthcare sales, and Frank knew about occupational health marketing. A new concept was born: a three-day course in occupational health sales and marketing.
There’s potential synergy between occupational health and urgent care, Mr. Gerber said. Employees can be treated for on-the-job injuries and illnesses and can return for their urgent care needs. In addition, urgent care can create a steady stream of business because occupational health centers are typically busier during warmer months – when the construction industry is in full swing – while urgent care centers tend to see more traffic during cold and flu seasons, Mr. Gerber said.
Excerpted from the book “Marketing Healthcare Services to Employers” by Frank H. Leone (Sea Hill Press, 2012)
When it comes to sales and marketing, occupational medicine physicians most usually are used sporadically for in-person calls with major clients and prospects. At times, this is an effective strategy, but in other cases, it can have a minimal impact or even be counter-productive.
More hospitals are reaping substantial savings by interfacing employee health with occupational health. That’s because hospitals and health systems are in a prime position to better serve their employees through wellness programs, injury treatment, and prevention screenings. Many of these services already exist on-site, experts said. If these programs prove successful with internal workers, there is ample opportunity to roll them out to local employers, creating a new and fast-growing revenue stream.
Members of the National Association of Occupational Health Professionals (NAOHP) often use the association as a resource for research, performance comparisons, and peer networking, which helps us fulfill our mission:
“The NAOHP supports provider-based occupational health programs and professionals in the achievement of the highest quality services, thereby advancing the association to the benefit of the national workforce and the public health of the country. The NAOHP will seek to assist providers in establishing partnership relationships with employers and their workforces to ensure genuine health care cost management and individual health maintenance.”