[MCOH-EH] info re: Fit for Duty related to WC costs

[Cunha, Bruce E.]

The biggest issue these types of physicals run into is the Americans with Disabilities Act.   Performing the essential functions with or without accommodations could be a minefield to travel through.  You would have to enter into an interactive process to determine if there are accommodations that could be made to allow the employee to do the essential functions of the job.  The larger the facility you are, the harder it is to say that an accommodation is a hardship.  With the new ADA regulations, it is very unclear just what is a disability.


Bruce E. Cunha RN MS COHN-S
Manager, Employee Health and Safety
Marshfield Clinic
Marshfield WI.

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From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces at mylist.net] On Behalf Of Spivey, Christine
Sent: Friday, May 02, 2014 2:03 PM
To: mcoh-eh at mylist.net
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] info re: Fit for Duty related to WC costs

Kim,
I would be very interested in this information as well.  I have the same issues as I'm sure many of us if not all of us who are not currently performing pre-employment Fit for Duty testing.
Christine

Christine Spivey RN, BSN
Employee Health/Worker's Compensation Nurse
Carteret General Hospital
Morehead City, NC 28557
P-252 808-6480
F-252 808-6676
cspivey at ccgh.org<mailto:cspivey at ccgh.org>
From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces at mylist.net] On Behalf Of Kim.Thompson at hcahealthcare.com<mailto:Kim.Thompson at hcahealthcare.com>
Sent: Friday, May 02, 2014 2:42 PM
To: mcoh-eh at mylist.net<mailto:mcoh-eh at mylist.net>
Subject: [MCOH-EH] info re: Fit for Duty related to WC costs

Does anyone have any studies and/or anecdotes re: pre-employment Fit for Duty (the basic 15" kind where the employee picks up boxes, etc according to job desc, ensures they can squat, etc) and the potential for reducing WC injuries by doing these pre-employment? As most clinics/hospitals do, our employee population is aging and getting heavier. It seems that many of them can't bend to empty a Foley never mind the risk of running to codes, getting down on floor to do CPR, lifting/transferring/repositioning patients all day long, etc. It also seems that once I begin treatment of the injuries, there have been more pre-existing issues to deal with than in the past. I am trying to justify a $40 Fit for Duty exam as part of our pre-employment process.

Any thoughts on the matter, studies, or personal experiences would be appreciated.

Kim Thompson RN, BSN
Employee Health Nurse Manager
Medical Center of McKinney
4500 Medical Center Drive - MOB, Suite 105
McKinney, TX     75069

972- 540- 4218 (phone)
469 - 713- 8660 (fax)

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