WORKSITE WELLNESS

Employee morale, overall profitability, and productivity are the primary motivations for corporate America to ensure their workforce remains healthy.  Steps are being taken by industry to prevent on the job injuries via interventions such as educational seminars, ergonomic assessments, job analysis, and post-offer/pre-placement testing.  If injuries have occurred on the job, Functional Capacity Evaluations can help determine return to work status or the need for further intervention.

Worksite Medicine is dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of workers through preventive services, treatment of injuries, and educational services.  At Northern Michigan Sports Medicine Center, we focus on health-related issues that affect productivity and profitability of local businesses.  We also address the well being of management and employees.

Many hidden costs are associated with poor employee health and on the job injuries.  The impact of lost productivity of these employees will only increase this expenditure.  Research has connected the status of poor health with:

• Higher direct health care cost
• Lower work output (e.g., presenteeism *)
• Higher rates of disability
• Higher absenteeism
• Higher worker’s compensation
• Higher rates of injury

The Effectiveness of Safety Programs

Creating and maintaining a safe work environment requires the collaborative team effort between management, employees, and worksite medical experts.

The management team is responsible for creating a safety culture.  Management must investigate and address safety incidents quickly and provide support and follow-up.

The employee team is not only responsible for adhering to safety rules, but should also be involved in developing the program.  Their input is essential to providing information about existing work hazards.

The worksite medical expert is responsible for placement screenings, ergonomic assessments, educational seminars, clearly documenting safety procedures and rules, and assessing safety performance.  They also apply job-hazard analyses to identify potential accidents.

Northern Michigan Sports Medicine Center offers a full spectrum of services, from injury prevention to injury treatment.       

Educational Seminars- Our seminars are tailored to an individual employer’s needs.  Past seminars have included back schools, body mechanic instruction sessions, and education to prevent repetitive strain injuries.

Job Analysis- This service consists of quantifying the physical demands of a job, such as lifting requirements or repetition requirements.  This information can be used to write job descriptions, provide information for ergonomic assessments, and screen job applicants. 

Post-offer/Pre-placement Screenings- Using an existing job description, we are able to develop a physical capability screening to help an employer match a prospective or current employee with a given job. 

Ergonomic Assessment- This tool entails analyzing a given job position or work area to identify activities which have a higher probability of leading to injury.  Once this information is obtained, recommendations can be made to increase the safety of a higher-risk activity. 

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE)- An FCE is a standardized test of physical capability.  The purpose of this evaluation is to objectively quantify which activities an individual can and cannot safely perform.  FCE’s are commonly requested to assess individuals applying for disability and employees with long term worker’s compensation claims. 

Return to Work Evaluations- A member of our team can evaluate and modify the work environment of an employee who is returning to work after an injury.  The intent of this type of evaluation is to allow the employee to return to work sooner and to prevent future injuries. 

Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services- Northern Michigan Sports Medicine Center has been a leader in physical rehabilitation in our region for over 18 years. Our physical therapists are experts in examining and identifying the underlying cause of injury rather than merely treating the symptoms. Our philosophy focuses on a detailed biomechanical analysis, which allows us to determine the faulty movement pattern and identify the mechanism of injury. We also provide extensive patient education, which encourages patient  involvement and promotes injury prevention.

Health/Wellness Program Development- Many businesses are recognizing the advantage of having an on-site exercise facility which is available to employees. Our professional staff is available to make recommendations regarding utilization of space, equipment selection, and program design.