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REWARD Report A new game plan for "return-to-work" in Tennessee.

RTW Coordinator Team Leader

Michael Jordan entered the NBA in 1984 and quickly became a superstar. When Phil Jackson became his head coach, he and his teammates became champions. Historians argue whether either would have had such success without the other, but they agree that the Zen Master (Jackson) and the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time, Jordan) helped each other become better. Together, they contributed to the development of a team that won six NBA championships.

Applying a similar team model can help return-to-work (RTW) programs benefit employers and injured workers. The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) estimates return-to-work programs reduce average claim costs by almost $16,000 per claim. These programs reduce the time it takes injured workers to recover, decrease the number of doctor visits and reduce workers’ impairments. A successful return to work program also means workers get back to work and their full paycheck and back to their pre-injury life sooner. Employers with successful programs enjoy reduced workers’ compensation insurance premiums. Just like winning NBA titles, successful return-to-work programs result in great rewards for all “players”, and they require teamwork.

It takes a coach, or company leader, to establish program goals, assemble the right team members, and clarify tasks. The coach must provide the vision for successfully returning injured employees to work.

Return-to-work teams also need members who are not employees of the company. To reach success, teams need physicians, nurses, therapists, case managers, and insurance adjusters. It is equally important that these persons are on the same page as the employer about the goals of the return-to-work program.

Success also requires having the right person, with the right mind set on the ground - a Jordan-esque leader to hold team members accountable to each other for effort, training, messaging, and direction. This person is known as a return-to-work coordinator. Just like Jordan, a return-to-work coordinator motivates. He or she sets the example and leads without the title of being the head coach.

If you are ready to have a championship-quality return-to-work program in your company, the Bureau is here to help. We have developed a free training program for Return-to-Work Coordinators that consists of a series of 90-minute sessions, offered online, that help return-to-work coordinators learn how to build successful return-to-work teams. The inaugural training launched on July 15, 2021 with thirty-nine students from twenty-nine different employers. The first series will continue until the end of September 2021. The series will be repeated several times during the next twelve months.

Class 1: The Basics

The first class in the series covers the basics of workers’ compensation. The class reviews the laws and regulations regarding documenting and reporting injuries. It covers how to begin medical care with the right panel of physicians and the importance of educating injured workers on what workers’ compensation includes and does not include.

The logic behind this first class is that getting a claim started on the right foot is key to successfully returning an injured employee back to work. It starts trust and rapport building amongst the return-to-work team and the injured worker. These easy first steps build a foundation for a strong program.

Class 2: Your Role

The second class breaks down each of the team members’ roles and the coordinator’s role in making them a winning team. For example, a coordinator ensures that the company uses physicians who prioritize return-to-work as part of the recovery process.

Class 3: The Physician's Role

The role of the panel physician is so significant that the third class is devoted to this topic. It covers the studies that show the effectiveness of return-to-work programs, looks at the role of the appropriate approach to medical care, and offers a physician’s view on how to best work with physicians.

One of barriers to effective medical care is unnecessary delays. Timely approval of tests, medicine, physical therapy, and surgery requested by the treating physicians is an important issue for a return-to-work program. The smooth delivery of medical treatment makes it easier for injured workers to return-to-work and participate in modified duty programs. From the beginning of a claim, the team must emphasize to the employee that work is a part of the treatment process and that it is in the injured worker’s best interests to return to work when modified duty assignments that have physical demands that match the worker’s condition are offered.

Class 4: Job Demand Analysis

A Job demand analysis (JDA) is a great way to understand the physical demands of a job. A JDA is often used in work injury prevention and can plan an important role in injury recovery. This is why JDAs are the topic of the fourth class in the Return-to-Work Coordinator Series.

This class provides examples of useful job demand analyses and compares them to those that are overly complicated or lack sufficient details. In addition, the fourth class covers the use of JDA to make appropriate business decisions to avoid ADA or FMLA violations, and introduces those laws, other than workers’ compensation, that impact return-to-work programs.

Class 5: Related Legal Issues

The fifth session explores other employment laws from a legal perspective. Licensed attorneys explain how they interact with workers’ compensation laws because the right legal approach combined with the right personal touch strengthens a return-to-work program.

Class 6: Effective Communication

The sixth and final class helps return-to-work coordinators become better communicators. This class teaches communication strategies that will help coordinators build and maintain important relationships with members of the RTW team including the injured worker. Establishing credibility, building trust, dealing with strong emotions, and choosing the best approaches to achieve change are introduced.

The Return-to-Work Coordinator Training Series provides the framework to develop a better return-to-work team and establish the leadership to create and maintain a successful return-to-work program.

Two common results of these programs are reduced workers’ compensation costs and increased productivity. These two benefits can improve your company’s competitive position and can possibly lead to you winning six championships in your industry.

Everybody has talent, but ability takes hard work.” - Michael Jordan
For more information about Return-to-Work Coordinator Training, contact Marion.White@tn.gov.
Created By
Brian Holmes
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