Cheryl's Blogspot

Whether you know the song from the Madagascar movie or Apollo and Julianne's performance on Dancing with the Stars, this is such a catchy tune! And it came to mind when I read an email update from Stacy Mathis, RN just now.   Stacy's client just completed a progress evaluation with her surgeon, and is doing well, but additional healing and therapy time are needed before medical release.   One principle we adhere to at JMS is regular and timely intervals for physician follow up. Providers that don't understand WComp may suggest a 6 or 8 week follow up appointment.  Our CMs request monthly return visits, as too much can change for the better or worse during that time frame in the recovery process.  In this case, Stacy assured the return appointment was scheduled appropriately. Additional healing time may still be indicated, but work restrictions could likely be relaxed, helping out the employer, and actually contribute to the client's strengthening in prep...

I have done presentations on The Benefits of Case Management to carriers, peers, and other health care professionals.  Sometimes it sounds dry and philosophical to list benefits: access to care, best practice recovery, lowered cost expenditures. But who is the one that benefits?  In our practice, is it the injured worker? the employer? the insurance carrier? From the Case Management Society of America, "It is the philosophy of case management that when health care is appropriately and efficiently provided, all parties benefit." Allow me to demonstrate for you the heart of case management from two of our case managers this week. One of our CM Team has a patient that was "swimming" amidst a work injury and numerous mis-diagnoses and was fearful this CM's job was to just "write him off." Our RN worked to find a physician that would clarify his diagnoses, even collaborating between his group health carrier and Work Comp carrier.  At the conclusion of a...