Dear Dr. Galaid:

We employ approx. 8000 employees across 3 hospitals and clinics and we have used a case managing process with a COVID Hot Line with RNs who do daily call backs using CDC guidelines and our own algorithms based on such guidelines. Once the RN feels they are ready to RTW they are then handed over to our OM department to do Provider interviews on the phone and document recovery and testing status and to truly determine if they are meeting CDC guidelines. If they do and are recovering normally they we clear them to work with universal masking and self-monitoring.

Some of the cases do take longer due to prolong symptoms. The biggest problems seems to be fatigue.

I do not know of any severity index that predicts RTW for COVID-19.

Bill

William Scott, MD, MPH, FACOEM

Clinical Associate Professor, Carle Illinois College of Medicine,

Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign

Head, Occupational & Envionmental Medicine & Employee Health

Carle Foundation Hospital, Carle Physician Group.

O 217-383-5383

M 217-372-4819

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net> On Behalf Of Galaid Edward I
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2020 4:36 PM
To: Occ-Env-Med-L@listserv.unc.edu; mcoh-eh@mylist.net
Subject: [EXT] [MCOH-EH] Projecting RTW dates for employees with COVID-19

_______________________________
*****EXTERNAL EMAIL SOURCE*****

I’ve cross posted OEM and MCOH.

We are an integrated healthcare system, 4 hospitals, many outpatient sites, 5800+ employees…dealing with staffing shortages because of COVID-19.  Trying to provide the managers with projections as to when  individuals, post COVID-19,  could be fit to RTW.  Fortunately, we have top-shelf in-house resources to keep close tabs on these folks.  Right now, we have roughly a couple hundred out…as you may have seen on the news, Charleston’s become quite the hot spot, after a relatively quiet Spring.

Questions for the list are 1) if you are case managing, how often are you checking in on your folks and 2) have you heard of a severity index that could help predict how long someone might be out of work…beyond that 10 day minimum.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.  Will summarize for the lists.

Ed Galaid

Edward I. Galaid, MD, MPH, FACOEM

ABIM, ABPM (OM)

Medical Director, Occupational Medicine

Roper Saint Francis Healthcare

Charleston, SC 29401

Member, ACOEM Task Group on Law Enforcement Officer Health

Special Expert, NFPA Fire Service Occupational Safety & Health (FIX-AAA) Committee

843-402-5053

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