Company Nurse Expands Its Injury Hotline for Workers’ Compensation

SCOTTSDALE, AZ–(Marketwire – December 13, 2010) – In striving to help a growing number of public and private employers control workers’ compensation costs and foster occupational health and safety, Company Nurse, the premier nurse hotline for workplace injuries, today announced that it has expanded its Scottsdale-based nurse triage call center.

When a workplace injury occurs, client employees and supervisors call Company Nurse to report injuries and to speak with a triage nurse. Unlike nurse case managers, triage nurses get involved at the front end of the claims process, essentially on the day of injury — which is the earliest, most critical point at which to influence medical care, claims costs, return-to-work (RTW) outcomes, and employee satisfaction. Many organizations view nurse injury triage as a vital part of their corporate wellness, employee wellness, and employee health programs.

“Our nurses assess injuries over the phone and refer employees to the most appropriate level of care — whether it’s an urgent care facility, occupational clinic, or simple first aid,” said Paul Binsfeld, CEO of Company Nurse. “As a result, our Injury Hotline facilitates immediate, critical medical decisions that positively impact an employee’s medical care, as well as overall claims’ costs and outcomes.”

The expanded Scottsdale-based call center works in sync with Company Nurse’s second call center in Tennessee. Due to growing nationwide demand for nurse injury triage for workers’ compensation, Company Nurse has grown 200 percent over the last four years and has recently moved into office space double its previous size to accommodate growing call center operations.

“During today’s difficult economy, employers need to minimize the financial impact of rising medical and indemnity costs on their workers’ compensation programs and bottom lines,” said Binsfeld. “Our program provides an effective solution to today’s most pressing workers’ compensation challenges: injuries are often reported late, sometimes five to 10 days after an incident has occurred; supervisors frequently err on the side of caution, sending employees, even those with minor injuries, to the ER for care; and many organizations are not optimally leveraging cost-effective preferred provider networks.”

Company Nurse’s Injury Hotline offers employers a proactive and structured response to each and every workplace injuries — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Triage nurses are highly compassionate and listen closely to each employee’s unique medical needs. Recognizing that organizations have specific workers’ compensation requirements, Company Nurse can customize its injury response and workflow to meet the client’s occupational health and safety needs.

Carol S. Sterling is the Human Resources Manager of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix. As an early adopter of the Company Nurse program, her organization experienced several key benefits. “First, we receive instant notification of injuries, so we can immediately file our first report of injury forms,” said Sterling. “Second, Company Nurse is extremely flexible. We were able to include our local network of preferred providers in their referral process. Third, Company Nurse helps to control medical expenses, as triage nurses often refer injured workers to urgent care clinics, rather than the ER, which saves costs and still ensures quality care. Fourth, supervisors experience ‘peace of mind’ in knowing injured employees are immediately assessed and referred for appropriate treatment, and we also experience smooth processing of claims and medical bills among the provider, insurance company, and employer.”

Company Nurse’s Injury Hotline delivers proven value. By providing injured workers with first aid and self-care guidelines, 20 to 40 percent of incoming calls are “report only” incidents and do not result in compensable claims. With appropriate care and optimal injury management, employers reduce unnecessary ER visits by as much as 300 percent. By integrating RTW coordination, many employers have reduced lost time and temporary labor costs. And with prompt, open communication, injured employees have an overwhelmingly positive experience, resulting in reduced litigation. Due to these benefits, many clients have experienced as much as a 200 percent return on investment within the first year of program implementation. These benefits have driven Company Nurse’s continued success and growth in the workers’ compensation market.

About Company Nurse
The Company Nurse Injury Hotline enables organizations to make the “Right Call” for workplace injuries. As an independent facility, our triage nurses are compassionate and objective when assessing employee injuries and medical needs. Our injury-triage process is founded on three important elements for workers’ compensation success: 1) Right Time — we respond on the Day of Injury, the earliest point at which to influence costs, outcomes, and employee satisfaction; 2) Right Care — our nurses refer employees to an appropriate level of care, whether ER, clinic or first aid; 3) Right Results — clients reap optimal savings and a return on investment, while employees benefit from a prompt, compassionate response to their workplace injuries. For more information, go to www.companynurse.com or call (888) 817-9282.