Urgent message: One of the occupational medicine provider’s most difficult challenges is when a patient with a work-related injury or illness is judged ready to return to full duty, but the patient resists going back to work. Max Lebow, MD, MPH, FACEP, FACPM INTRODUCTION This article will address the problem of difficult-to-discharge patients who resist returning to full duty when their work-related injury/illness has resolved. We will discuss the process of early identification of work-reluctant …
Read MoreThe Top 15 Occ Med Key Performance Indicators for Your Urgent Care Center
Max Lebow, MD, MPH, FACEP, FACPM Urgent message: Every medical practice follows certain key performance indicators. Here, we offer 15 that are essential to running a profitable occupational medicine business within an urgent care operation. There are a number of important key performance indicators (KPIs) that every urgent care, or any medical practice, follows—the most important being the bank balance at the end of the month. Most also follow basic practice measures such …
Read MoreKeeping Occ Med Clients Happy—While Keeping Patients Safe
Urgent message: It’s the aim of every occupational medicine sales and marketing team to get prospective clients’ attention, and ultimately to secure the business. It’s what happens after that, however, that keeps clients happy (and encourages them to remain clients). Max Lebow, MD, MPH, FACEP, FACPM Preparation Before the First Employee Visit Employers come to select a particular occupational medicine practice through a number of different routes. Whether businesses hear about your services through …
Read MoreTaking the Occupational Medicine History
Max Lebow, MD, MPH, FACEP, FACPM Urgent message: A thorough, occupational medicine-specific history is essential to identifying and resolving work-related injuries and illnesses quickly and safely—for the benefit of the patient and the employer. Like any medical history, the occupational medicine history is meant to guide the clinician to the proper diagnosis and treatment for the patient. However, it is set apart from the “typical” history in that several other goals must be …
Read MoreMisunderstanding Occupational Medicine Services ‘Protocols’
Misunderstanding Occupational Medicine Services ‘Protocols’ Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Urgent message: Urgent care owners should be aware of the misuse of the term “protocol” and the scope of employers’ directions concerning the processing of employees in their centers. In addition, urgent care owners need to be diligent when they believe that one of their …
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Feds Expand Pool of Mandatory Drug Tests for Government Workers
Urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services should be aware that new guidelines for federal workplaces include mandatory screening for four relatively common opioid pain medications. As of October 1, employee drug tests must include screens for oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) says this will mainly affect some 400,000 federal employees with public health, public safety, and national security responsibilities. Positive results that are not …
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The ‘Educate and Vaccinate’ Angle Could Boost Occ Med Business in Flu Season
Local business owners should be made aware that occupational medicine providers may be able to prevent more than the flu this season. With more than 11 million workdays—and $7 billion—lost annually to the flu according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthy employees mean a healthy bottom line in very real terms. Small businesses, especially those engaged in manufacturing where having a worker down with the flu could significantly diminish production for days …
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Understanding the Landscape of Occupational Medicine
Urgent message: Expanding into occupational medicine requires a long-term commitment and willingness to respond to employer and employee needs. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc, Experity Urgent care providers have conventionally defined their offering as “treatment of acutely rising episodic medical conditions.” However, widespread acceptance of the urgent care business model-retail-facing locations, extended hours, and walk-in service—has led many urgent care centers to expand into longitudinal primary care as well as occupational medicine. Specifically, when people …
Read MoreMarketing to Local Schools
Offering preparticipation physicals to student athletes is a win-win-win proposition. It can be lucrative. It renders an important service. And because of the exalted place of school sports in American society, ensuring that young athletes are healthy enough to participate spotlights your urgent care in your community and makes people aware of the many other services you offer. The key to profitability is effective marketing. Area school children who participate in sports are required to …
Read MoreUsing Workplace-based Education as a Marketing Tool
Offering a key decision-maker a tour of your facility is often helpful in signing a new client. But what about the scores of individuals who work for that company? They’re not likely to come traipsing through your clinic en masse, hungry to learn about your services. Remember what the infamous criminal Willie Sutton said when a reporter asked him why he robbed banks: “That’s where the money is.” Similarly, if you want to reach the …
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