2. Table of Contents
About Company Nurse 1
History 1
How Does it Work? 2
Benefits of the “Right Call” 2
Why Does Injury Triage Work? 3
Client Testimonial 3
Frequently Asked Questions 4–5
Sample Injury Reporting Flow Chart 6
Case Study: Arkansas McDonald’s Self-Insurance Trust 9 – 13
Client Testimonial: VITAS Healthcare Corporation 14 – 16
Client Testimonial: Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix 17 – 18
3. About Company Nurse
At Company Nurse, our Injury Hotline is staffed with triage nurses who work at the front end of the
workers’ compensation process to make the “right call” on each and every injury. The program is simple
and easy to use. When injuries occur on the job, employees and supervisors report them to the Injury
Hotline. Using medical expertise, treatment protocols, and sophisticated algorithms, the triage nurses
assess injuries over the phone and refer employees to the most appropriate, cost-effective level of care—
whether it’s an ER, clinic, or simple first aid. This approach consistently leverages the right time, right
care, and right results in workers’ compensation. As a result, employers reap optimal savings and a return
on investment, while employees benefit from a prompt, compassionate response to their workplace
injuries.
History
For years, Paul Binsfeld served as
consultant in the workers’
compensation industry. The chief
problems he encountered were that
injuries were reported too late to
impact medical costs and outcomes,
and supervisors erred on the side of
caution, sending most injured
workers to the emergency room.
One night, Paul’s one-year-old
daughter woke with a high fever.
He dialed the toll-free number on
the “Ask a Nurse” magnet he kept
on the family refrigerator. A nurse
gave him instructions on how to
cool his daughter’s temperature.
Rather than going to the ER, where
he would have waited several hours
to be seen and paid a $500
deductible—Paul received the same
medical advice over the phone.
It dawned on Paul—a nurse hotline would be the perfect solution for workplace injuries, a means to
foster an immediate, compassionate response. Nurses would assess injuries over the phone and channel
employees to most appropriate level of care or provide simple self-care guidelines.
Medical expertise at the point of injury—it would reduce claims, save costs, improve outcomes, and
enhance employee satisfaction. It was Paul’s eureka moment. And he was right—an Injury Hotline results
in the “right call” every time.
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4. How Does it Work?
The Role of Our Triage Nurses
Unlike nurse case managers, our triage nurses get involved at the front end of the workers’ compensation
process. When an injured worker calls, our triage nurses assess the injury over the phone. Based on
treatment protocols and sophisticated algorithms, nurses systematically identify the right course of
treatment and refer the employee to the most appropriate level of care—such as an ER or clinic—or they
provide simple first aid or self-care guidelines.
∗ A Win-Win Approach. Employers experience bottom-line savings and send a clear message to
their workforce—that they care about employee health and safety.
∗ Personalized & Compassionate. Our nurses listen closely to the nature of each injury and focus on
an employee’s unique medical needs.
∗ Medical Decisions by Medical Professionals. Our trained nurses, rather than your worksite
supervisors, make the medical decision on where to send injured employees for care
Our Injury Hotline
Dedicated to facilitating the highest quality of care, our Injury Hotline and our medical team leads the
industry in terms of defining the standards for occupational injury triage. We deliver significant value to
our customers:
∗ Simple & Easy. Pick up the phone and dial—it’s that easy.
∗ Always On Call. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—perfect for organizations with employees
working around the clock.
∗ Comprehensive Injury Report. We gather comprehensive injury information and forward injury
reports to your contacts. This initiates a proactive, streamlined and coordinated injury response.
∗ Savings & Results. Many customers have experienced a 200 percent return on investment within
the first year.
Benefits of the “Right Call”
The Right Time
When you use Company Nurse’s Injury Hotline, you make the “right call” with each and every
workplace injury. Company Nurse helps employers respond to workplace injuries on the “Day of Injury.”
This is the earliest, most critical point at which to influence medical care, claims costs, return-to-work
outcomes, and employee satisfaction.
The Right Care
In the past, supervisors may have erred on the side of caution sending all injured workers to the ER. In
other cases, employees may not have received the treatment they needed.
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5. “Our claims are handled professionally, courteously, timely, accurately, efficiently and for this we are
most pleased. We definitely feel that Company Nurse has had a key role in helping us control the cost
of workers’ compensation claims.”
– Jim Hadley, Chairman of the Board, Arkansas McDonald’s Self-Insurance Trust
“We feel confident that our employees are getting quick and accurate information at a stressful time for
them. Supervisors appreciate having professional advice on what should be done for the injured
employee.”
– Sally Lauro, Vice President Human Resources, Valley of the Sun YMCA
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6. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Should I call Company Nurse® after every workplace injury?
A. Yes, every injury should be called in to Company Nurse®. CALL COMPANY NURSE® BEFORE
THE EMPLOYEE LEAVES THE JOB SITE. This will immediately provide injury information to
Safety and Risk Management personnel
on every injury. This is a 24/7 service,
including all holidays.
Q. How can Company Nurse® diagnoses an
injury over the telephone?
A. We do not diagnose injuries. We
perform a triage process that will guide
the employee to the appropriate level of
care for treatment given the information
we are able to gather during the call.
Q. The employee and I do not think this
injury needs to be treated, should I send
him/her in anyway?
A. Yes. It is always best to follow the advice
of the RN and get treatment sooner
rather than later. Minor injuries are
often referred to seek treatment within 48-72 hours. If the employee refuses to seek treatment, that
will be documented in the incident report.
Q. The employee does not want to call Company Nurse®. Should I call it in myself?
A. Yes. Call with the information that you have; try to include where the employee was treated if that is
the case. The reports will be forwarded to your Risk Management and/or Human Resources
department and the claims adjuster for appropriate action.
Q. What about injuries that occurred before the
Q. What about obvious emergency Company Nurse® service started, or injuries to
situations for severe injuries? employees who no longer work there?
A. Call Company Nurse® with the information that
you have, including the date of injury.
A. In all life- or limb-threatening
situations, call 911 or transport directly Q. The Employee has already been treated by their
to the ER immediately. Call Company own physician. Should I call it in?
Nurse® with any information that you A. Yes. It is best to have the employee with you
have once the situation has stabilized. and get as much information as possible about where
the treatment took place so the Nurse can include that
information in the report.
Q. What about medical advice from the current treating physician?
A. Once a patient is under a physician’s care, we cannot contradict the treating physician’s advice; the
Nurse will remind the employee to follow the physician’s instructions and answer any questions they
may have.
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7. Q. I think this is a fraudulent claim. Should I tell the Nurse?
A. Yes, tell the Nurse that you think this claim should be questioned along with any information you
have that may support your opinion.
Q. Will I get a call confirmation number when I speak to the Nurse?
A. Yes, the protocol is to provide a call confirmation number and the Nurse’s name to each caller. This
is not the same as the claim number assigned by your insurance.
Q. Does Company Nurse report the claim?
A. No, but we can send injury data to your insurance. It is your responsibility to report claims.
Q. What will I hear when I call Company Nurse®?
A. After the 911 message, you will have the following options:
Option 1 for English or Option 2 for Spanish… Q. Will Company Nurse®
Then LISTEN carefully to all options that will then guide you to provide general health
the appropriate agent. care advice to my
employees?
Q. What happens if the Nurses are flooded with calls? I don’t
want to be on hold forever. ®
A. The protocol is to answer every call that comes in – there is no A. No. Company Nurse is
voicemail box on the line. Most calls are initially answered by a to be called for work-
medical clerk or health information assistant (HIA). During related injuries only.
unexpected high volume time periods, the clerk will take your
phone number and have a Nurse call you back within a few minutes.
Q. Is Company Nurse® my Workers Comp Insurance?
A. No. Company Nurse® provides the initial injury triage, offers care advice and initiates the injury
reporting process. Your employer is responsible for Workers’ Compensation claims processing and
administration
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8. Sample Injury Reporting Flow Chart
Injury Occurs
Employee reports Injury
to Supervisor
Call Company Nurse to
Emergency? Dial 9-1-1 report the injury after
treatment
IF medical situation worsens
or does not improve, call
Employee Calls back for referral
Company Nurse
after reporting to
Supervisor if Employer receives initial
available injury report and data for
FROI completion.
First Aid Advice Designated Medical Provider
employee follows nurse’s receives injury alert and clarifies
Medical Referral
recommendations work status to employer.
nurse refers employee
to a designated
medical provider
Insurer/TPA receives Injury
Report and/or FROI for notice
of claim.
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10. CASE STUDY: The “Right Call” for Workplace Injuries
Arkansas McDonald’s
Self-Insurance Trust
An Injury Hotline Ensures the Right Time, Right Care, and Right Results
Workers’ compensation (WC) insurance costs are highly volatile, dramatically increasing one year
and decreasing the next. Due to these conditions, McDonald’s restaurants in Arkansas found it
difficult to anticipate and budget for WC costs from year to year. In 1993, the Arkansas McDonald’s
Self-Insurance Trust (AMSIT) was founded as a means to provide competitive coverage at a stable
price.
“At first, the Arkansas McDonald’s were considering participation in a heterogeneous self-insurance
trust. In a heterogeneous group, McDonald’s would be grouped together with other restaurants,” said
Philip H. Merry, Jr., manager of AMSIT and president of BMB MERRY, an independent, privately
owned insurance agency that is also an affiliate of Houston-based Bowen, Miclette & Britt.
“However, when we performed a feasibility study, we realized McDonald’s had many safety protocols
in place,” continued Merry. “For example, they bought their meat pre-cut before it arrived at their
individual restaurants. They had installed heat controls on their fryers and various non-slip floor
treatments. Overall, they had a standard for safety in place that well exceeded the industry norm. Due
to these measures, we knew they could save money by establishing their own homogeneous self-
insurance trust. BMB MERRY helped create the trust, and since that time, we’ve been hired to
manage it.”
As the fund manager, Philip H. Merry, Jr. helps to select and oversee consultants and service
providers, who offer additional value to AMSIT members. In this case study, we spoke with Mr. Merry
about the benefits McDonald’s restaurants have received from Company Nurse’s Injury Hotline.
Company Nurse Injury Hotline: The “Right Call” for Workplace Injuries
In 2002, AMSIT implemented the Company Nurse Injury Hotline. Since that time, the trust has
experienced the following key benefits:
1. The Right Time: Prompt Reporting of Injuries
“In the past, the injury reporting process was slower and less efficient,” said Merry. “Many times there
would be two or three-day delays. With Company Nurse, reporting is so easy that there is really no
excuse for being late. The injured employee immediately notifies the supervisor, and together they
call Company Nurse to report the incident.”
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11. “Having injuries reported as soon as possible enables us to tighten up every phase of the claims-
handling process, and consequently, we’ve been able to reduce claims costs,” said Merry.
“Automation is another benefit. After the Injury Hotline receives a call, Company Nurse immediately
sends us an injury report—usually on the same day.”
“In addition, Company Nurse is electronically connected to our third-party administrator, Risk
Management Resources (RMR),” said Merry. “Since RMR receives injury reports electronically,
claims adjusters can immediately initiate investigation and claims management to facilitate the best-
possible outcomes.”
2. The Right Care: Nurse Triage Ensures the Most Appropriate Level of Care
“I liken Company Nurse to our initial injury response,” said Merry. “When employees are hurt on the
job, they may be worried about receiving the right care. Speaking with a triage nurse eases their
anxiety and also takes pressure off the supervisor. Triage nurses are trained medical professionals,
who properly assess an injury to determine the most appropriate level of care. In some cases, this
might be simple first aid. In most cases, it’s an occupational clinic.”
“We identified providers and clinics that perform well in treating occupational injuries,” said Merry.
“We then pre-loaded Company Nurse’s call center system with the providers located near each
McDonald’s restaurant. If someone calls from the Malvern location, Company Nurse can quickly
identify and refer injured employees to preferred providers in that area.”
“Triage nurses are able to reduce unnecessary ER visits,” said Merry. “The reduction in ER usage is
about 25 to 30 percent of the program’s overall benefit. Unless it’s truly an emergency, using the ER
doesn’t benefit anyone. When employees with minor injuries go to the ER, they often have to wait two
or three hours to be treated, as more critical patients are seen ahead of them. As a result, injured
employees often do not receive the best level of service, and AMSIT ends up paying $1,000 for the
visit.”
“With Company Nurse, we’re now able to refer injured employees to an appropriate level of care. For
example, an occupational clinic will provide employees with both quality care and service—and at a
lower cost, approximately $200-250 per visit,” said Merry. “From the employee’s perspective,
McDonald’s really cares, as it has implemented a program highly responsive and compassionate to
their injuries and medical needs.”
3. The Right Results: Savings & Employee Satisfaction
“We’ve reduced claims, achieved increased savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced our overall
understanding of claims activity,” said Merry. “The owners have achieved tremendous success, which
shows that they were extremely smart for having the foresight to invest in and implement Company
Nurse.”
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12. “For 2008, we received an ‘Outstanding Performance Award’ from the Arkansas Workers’
Compensation Commission,” said Merry. “The Commission tracks the timeliness in which notices,
contact points, and payments are made. We achieved a 100% perfect score in the timeliness with
which we facilitate these practices, such as the first notice of injury. This speaks volumes to the
dedication and professionalism the AMSIT team exhibits in each phase of the WC claims process.”
“Due to our success, AMSIT continues to grow. We started with 10 members; we now have 29. We
started with 33 stores; we now have 130 stores, which represent 93 percent of the AMSIT target
market for McDonalds in Arkansas. We started with a total of $326,389 in annual premiums; we now
collect approximately $1.1 million a year. When we started, the Arkansas chargeable WC rate for
restaurants was $3.88 per $100 of payroll, today after dividends, the AMSIT rate for its members is
less than a dollar,” said Merry.
In 2008, the AMSIT loss ratio—the ratio of incurred losses to paid premiums—was 39 percent. This
illustrates how effective AMSIT’s safety and loss control services are, as the overall property and
casualty industry experienced a 71 percent loss ratio for that same year.
“Due to this level of performance, we’ve been able to provide members with 40 to 50 percent in
dividends, which means they receive as much as half of their premiums back. At our March 2010
annual meeting, we returned $975,000 in dividends to trust members,” said Merry.
AMSIT Combined Strategies for Success
How did AMSIT achieve such phenomenal results? There are several strategies BMB MERRY
employed in combination with Company Nurse’s Injury Hotline. Integrated together, these programs
fostered an even higher level of success for AMSIT members.
“You can’t just sign up for Company Nurse and say, let’s see if this works. Our AMSIT members really
had to buy into the program. They had to commit to following the proper steps and procedures, and
as a result, they’ve seen tremendous results over the years.”
BMB MERRY has created a sophisticated system of oversight. “With an insurance company, you pay
a premium whether or not you receive quality service,” said Merry. “BMB MERRY strives to ensure
AMSIT members have a wealth of resources available, and each consultant and service provider is
accountable for their performance and must substantiate their results. This approach ensures the
trust gains significant value from its partners.”
“In the end, there’s no demarcation of responsibilities. Instead, all of us work together as a team,
contributing to the success of the trust. We don’t tolerate an attitude of ‘that’s not my job’ from a
vendor or service provider,” said Merry.
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13. “Company Nurse operates on the front end to ensure injuries are reported early. Their nurses triage
injuries to an appropriate level of care. Company Nurse then notifies all other stakeholders, so they
can initiate their respective roles in the claims process,” said Merry.
“From there, RMR performs claims management and ongoing communication with the injured
employee,” said Merry. “They have accumulated an extensive amount of injury information. With in-
depth statistics on member claims, we can see which stores have a high incidence of slip-and-falls,
cuts and burns, and back injuries. We can analyze the quality of care injured employees receive and
which providers offer the highest level of discounts.”
“When a critical accident occurs, BMB MERRY orders loss control and safety specialists to visit the
site to immediately investigate the claim,” said Merry. “We identify the root cause of the injury to
determine how it can be avoided in the future. We also perform an in-depth analysis of quarterly and
annual reports to identify new and emerging trends, which can be addressed with ongoing safety and
loss control initiatives. For example, we are soon to embark upon a safety program for forklift
operators at warehouse facilities.”
“Our approach has been very successful, and we hope to continue to grow and bring our combined
capabilities to other states,” said Merry.
Injury Management into the Future: Commitment and Customization
“Within the trust, McDonald’s owners have a strong sense of solidarity, in which they want to share
information and see all the restaurants benefit,” said Merry. “This dynamic also creates a healthy
level of peer pressure. Every loss becomes public knowledge among trust members. They know
who’s performing well and who’s not. If a member starts accumulating a lot of claims, it will
proactively take action to address the problem. Even when owners sell their stores, they think highly
enough of the trust to refer the new owners to AMSIT.”
“When Paul Binsfeld first founded Company Nurse, he was a visionary,” said Merry. “No one else
offered an injury hotline and nurse triage program. Throughout the years, Paul and his team have
served as an engaged partner, truly invested in AMSIT success.”
“Although cost drivers are pretty much the same, every organization has a unique dynamic, and
Company Nurse can help to build a custom-tailored program to meet your unique needs and address
your specific WC challenges. A lot of customization can be done, so the Injury Hotline is responsive
to the ways in which your organization operates,” said Merry.
“BMB MERRY ensures McDonald’s employees and supervisors step up to the plate and immediately
report injuries to Company Nurse,” said Merry. “From this one simple step, all of our results have
significantly improved. Our members have reduced their claims, and the claims they do experience
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14. are handled much more quickly. If I sound like a commercial, it’s because the Company Nurse
system works, our members benefited greatly from it, and I believe in it.”
For more information about BMB MERRY, visit www.bmbmerry.com or contact Philip H. Merry, Jr. at
479-494-1721 or pmerry@bmbinc.com.
About Company Nurse
The Company Nurse Injury Hotline enables organizations to make the “Right Call” for workplace
injuries. As an independent facility, our triage nurses are compassionate and objective when
assessing employee injuries and medical needs. Our injury-triage process is founded on three
important elements for workers’ compensation success: 1) Right Time, we respond on the Day of
Injury, the earliest point at which to influence costs, outcomes, and employee satisfaction; 2) Right
Care, our nurses refer employees to an appropriate level of care, whether ER, clinic or first aid; 3)
Right Results, clients experience dramatic savings and a 200% return on investment.
For more information, go to www.companynurse.com or call (888) 817-9282.
13
15. CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
VITAS HEALTHCARE CORPORATION
In February 2009, the Company Nurse Injury Hotline was implemented at VITAS Healthcare
Corporation. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 46 hospice
programs in 15 states and the District of Columbia.
VITAS has enjoyed dynamic growth since it was founded as a volunteer organization by a United
Methodist minister and an oncology nurse. Today, VITAS employs over 10,000 professionals who
care for terminally ill patients daily—primarily in the patients’ homes, but also in the company’s
inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities /
residential care facilities. VITAS team members include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses,
home health aides, physicians, social workers, chaplains and other care-giving professionals.
We spoke with Rafael Diaz, LHRM, LCWC, CCA, ACA, CWC, Director of Risk Management at
VITAS, about the benefits the Company Nurse Injury Hotline provides to their workers’ compensation
program.
“As an organization, VITAS has been around for more than 30 years,” said Rafael Diaz. “We’re the
largest and oldest company specializing in hospice care, and as such, we’re considered pioneers in
the field. We’re unique because with our extensive staff of medical professionals and social workers,
we’re not only able to provide patients with the best possible care, but also assist the immediate
family through a time of transition and the possible loss of a loved one.”
The Right Time
“In terms of our workers’ compensation program, we manage safety and claims for both employees
and volunteers,” said Diaz. “When I took over as Director of Risk Management, there was a
significant lag time in reporting injuries. The average was about 16 or 17 days between the time of
the injury and the actual date we received the first injury report. Since our medical staff, social
workers, and volunteers often work in the field, this added to our challenge in reporting injuries on a
timely basis.”
“Needless to say, the process wasn’t functioning well. Previously, employees were required to notify
their immediate supervisor of injuries. The supervisor would then call risk management, and we would
report the injury to the insurance carrier. The entire injury-reporting process was cumbersome and
inefficient,” said Diaz.
“It also created a lot of anxiety for injured employees because they feared the unknown. Where would
they obtain care? Who would pay for it? What if they couldn’t immediately return to work? How would
they support their families? These were all questions that ran through their minds,” said Diaz. “If we
14
16. could reduce delays, we could reduce any stress and anguish on the part of the injured employee,
and in the process, we would tremendously improve our workers’ compensation results.”
“This was the reason we decided to work with Company Nurse. If we could immediately receive the
injury report, we could intercept the injured employee and get that person to the right level of care,”
said Diaz. “Before we implemented Company Nurse, business managers directed injured workers to
one of three clinics. The clinics were near our offices. However, since many of our staff worked out in
the field, these sites weren’t conveniently located to them. Often, workers were 30 to 40 miles away.”
The Right Care
“After selecting Company Nurse, we established a list of preferred providers and furnished this
information to their Injury Hotline,” said Diaz. “Now, when injured employees call, they are routed to
an appropriate level of care at one of our approved locations. In some cases, the best care is simple
first aid. If employees need to see a physician, Company Nurse will channel them to a provider near
their current location.”
“Some of our employees are medical professionals. When they’re injured, it’s a completely different
scenario. They’re not familiar with the workers’ compensation system. For example, they may not
understand why they need to get a drug test or why they have to visit an occupational clinic. They rely
on our risk management department and Company Nurse to help them understand and navigate this
complex process,” said Diaz.
The Right Results
“Since implementing Company Nurse, the lag time has decreased from 17 days to two days on
average. Litigation is down by almost 40 percent. Our claims frequency has decreased, but more
importantly, claims severity has been reduced. That’s critical because that’s where high medical costs
come in,” said Diaz. “The sooner we can get an employee’s injury triaged to the right level of care, the
quicker they can be treated, recover, and return to work.”
“Employees have found Company Nurse easy to use,” said Diaz. “In addition, reporting an injury is
now the sole responsibility of the injured worker. Previously, employees may have claimed that they
reported the injury to their manager, but we’d go to the manager, and he’d say, this is the first time
I’m hearing about it. Today, employees understand that they must pick up the phone and call
Company Nurse in order to report an injury. In this way, they have complete control over their claim.”
“Through training, we’ve provided our employees with a wealth of information about Company
Nurse,” said Diaz “In monthly meetings, we re-enforce the benefits of the program, and using wallet
cards and our monthly periodicals, we remind employees to use the Injury Hotline. We also use
official documentation, so employees acknowledge their responsibility as far as reporting injuries to
15
17. Company Nurse. In essence, we’ve taken all the necessary steps to make employees aware of the
new injury-reporting process and to give them the knowledge and know-how to use the program.”
“Company Nurse provides a great platform, and it’s very adaptable. The Injury Hotline is the key
concept, but the system is flexible enough to meet the needs of any particular business. For example,
hospice is very different from most other organizations, and Company Nurse was able to
accommodate our specific needs and processes.”
“Overall, Company Nurse is a great tool. A risk manager should consider implementing this type of
nurse triage program. You can significantly reduce your lag time, litigation, claims frequency and
severity, as well as overall claims costs. It’s a win-win situation, and most importantly, your
employees feel like they’re being taken care of. They see that you’ve hired an outside resource to
look after their health and safety. When they’re injured, they can speak with a nurse who serves as
an impartial third-party and who’ll look out for their best interests.”
About Company Nurse
The Company Nurse Injury Hotline enables organizations to make the “Right Call” for workplace
injuries. As an independent facility, our triage nurses are compassionate and objective when
assessing employee injuries and medical needs. Our injury-triage process is founded on three
important elements for workers’ compensation success: 1) Right Time, we respond on the Day of
Injury, the earliest point at which to influence costs, outcomes, and employee satisfaction; 2) Right
Care, our nurses refer employees to an appropriate level of care, whether ER, clinic or first aid; 3)
Right Results, clients experience dramatic savings and a 200% return on investment.
For more information, go to www.companynurse.com or call (888) 817-9282.
16
18. CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix
Carol S. Sterling, Human Resources Manager of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, was
an early adopter using the Company Nurse Injury Hotline since 2000. Sterling manages 13 work sites
across the state of Arizona and was concerned about receiving notification about employee injuries in
a reasonable timeframe.
Prompt Reporting of Injuries
Delays in the injury reporting process is a common industry-wide problem, which often creates a
chain reaction of setbacks in optimally managing medical and return-to-work (RTW) outcomes—a
situation that hinders employers from achieving best-possible workers’ compensation program
performance.
“At first, I was skeptical about the value of using an intermediary service between our organization
and our workers’ compensation carrier,” said Sterling. “I thought it would create additional work. But
once it was in place, I realized that Company Nurse actually helps to streamline the injury reporting
process. Now I’m able to receive immediate notification when an injury occurs—often within hours of
an incident.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix prominently displays posters of Company Nurse,
which serves as ready reminders of its Injury Hotline. When an injury occurs, the employee and
supervisor call Company Nurse together. The hotline gathers all the necessary claims information,
fills out the required forms, and sends the first report of injury via email or fax to all the appropriate
stakeholders, including the employer, physician, claims adjuster, HR manager, and RTW coordinator.
Each stakeholder is then able to initiate their role in the workers’ compensation process, helping to
ensure optimal results.
Appropriate, Cost-Effective Medical Care
Beyond timely reporting, another key benefit is ensuring that every injury receives the care and
treatment appropriate to its level of medical severity. Although an employer may train supervisors on
how to respond to worksite injuries, managers are not medical professionals and should not be
expected to make treatment decisions.
Using treatment protocols and sophisticated algorithms, Company Nurse systematically identifies the
right course of treatment. In severe cases, a triage nurse will advise emergency care. With minor
injuries, however, the nurse may provide simple first aid or self care guidelines, or send the patient to
an occupational clinic.
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19. “It is comforting for our employees to speak to a nurse about their injuries and to know that their
cases are being referred to appropriate medical providers,” said Sterling. “As knowledgeable medical
experts, the nurses pay close attention to the employee’s symptoms, and expedite the medical
referral process, eliminating any confusion or delays in seeking treatment.”
Many employers, like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, have selected a network of
medical providers, who are best qualified to treat occupational injuries and who understand workers’
compensation objectives. However, the rate of referrals to this list of providers is often less than
optimal.
“Company Nurse is extremely flexible,” said Sterling. “We were able to include our local network of
preferred providers, including urgent care and occupational clinics, into the medical referral process.
In this way, the call center also helps to control medical expenses. For example, a nurse may refer an
injured worker to an urgent care clinic, rather than an emergency room, which saves significant costs
and still ensures quality care.”
About Company Nurse
The Company Nurse Injury Hotline enables organizations to make the “Right Call” for workplace
injuries. As an independent facility, our triage nurses are compassionate and objective when
assessing employee injuries and medical needs. Our injury-triage process is founded on three
important elements for workers’ compensation success: 1) Right Time, we respond on the Day of
Injury, the earliest point at which to influence costs, outcomes, and employee satisfaction; 2) Right
Care, our nurses refer employees to an appropriate level of care, whether ER, clinic or first aid; 3)
Right Results, clients experience dramatic savings and a 200% return on investment.
For more information, go to www.companynurse.com or call (888) 817-9282.
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