FOJP Services Corporation

Injured Employees Return to Work 23 Days Sooner

Case Synopsis

A 46-year-old female Registered Nurse experienced a shoulder injury while working for FOJP Service Corporation. After the initial period of treatment, there was no return to work date and no documentation of restrictions. As soon as CorVel received the physician’s report, CorVel coordinated with the physician to take action.

Putting the Pieces Together

Upon discussion with the physician, the RTW Coordinator obtained specific restrictions including that she would not be able to lift the injured arm above her head or lift more than 10 pounds. Sedentary work was recommended until the employee’s condition could be re-evaluated in a month.

There’s a 50% chance an injured worker will return to work after six months of lost time, and only a 5% chance they will return to work after one year of lost time.

CorVel had worked with FOJP to develop a formalized return to work program and facilitated communication with the human resources department and the injured worker’s manager to accommodate the restrictions.

Using a task bank that was developed by CorVel and FOJP, the Coordinator had access to all tasks that were associated with each job role, and therefore was able to match the injured worker’s current capabilities with the employer’s needs. The employee would fill a temporary special projects position.

Transitional task assignments were reviewed by the physician. Once approved, and submitted to the human resources department, the RTW Coordinator monitored the injured worker for assignment.

The RTW Coordinator supported the injured worker until she was able to complete her pre-injury tasks, and communicated with all parties to ensure her successful return to work.

Utilizing a transitional task bank, the employee was able to return to work in 5 weeks.

Conclusion

With CorVel’s program, the injured worker was able to return in a temporary role. This facilitated her ability to successfully stay at work, rather than be at home, away from her co-workers, isolated and out of her daily routine. After working in the transitional position for 60 days and a re-evaluation by her physician, the employee was released to full duty, returning to her pre-injury role as a Registered Nurse.