Occupational Medicine
Occupational Medicine involves treatment and rehabilitation of environmental exposure, work-related injuries, return to work programs for injured workers, and compliance with government and regulatory needs, as well as the implementation of workforce training to prevent injury and illness.
Occupational Medicine programs are services that require distinct areas of medical and corporate expertise. Kevin Trangle & Associates determines a comprehensive course of action by using our experience to evaluate the economic and health impact of a particular case.
Our services include comprehensive reviews of programs and cases involving, but not limited to, the following:
- OSHA compliance
- Environmental medical, health & safety services
- Preventative care and wellness management
- Healthcare cost containment
- Disability and absentee management
- Causation Analysis
- Biomechanical Evaluations
Disability & Absenteeism Management
Disability and Absenteeism Management is a service provided in an effort to help employers reduce lost workdays due to injury as well as reducing non-work-related absenteeism. Kevin Trangle & Associates can deliver a measurement mechanism that affords health and productivity management cost-savings tracking, making it possible to calculate the value of the organization’s health and productivity management programs.
KTA works with human resources and management to implement a more extensive integrated absenteeism, disability and workplace productivity management system including maximizing ‘presenteeism’ with an understanding of Workers’ Compensation, HIPAA, vocational assessment and rehabilitation and return to work programs.
Consulting Medical Director
Dr. Trangle and the experienced healthcare team at Kevin Trangle & Associates provide medical director services for companies whose goals are to improve safety and productivity while reducing environmental exposures, absenteeism and disability management. KTA occupational physician specialists work closely with management, certified safety professionals and industrial hygienists to enhance value to the organization.
KTA has developed an extensive network of physicians and nurses who can be called upon for their expertise. KTA is a member of several leading health and medical organizations, and Dr. Trangle is Acting President of the Corporate Medical Section for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), which comprises over 4,000 physicians providing occupational and environmental medical services.
Some of the areas of focus include (but are not limited to):
- Medical services oversight to ensure adherence to policies, procedures and protocols, addressing the needs of the workforce
- Incorporation of all of the relevant material: safety data sheets, exposure data, physical examination and compliance strategy
- Appropriate return to work programs, injury-care and related policies and procedures
- Lost-time injuries, return to work programs and modified duty/transitional duty programs
- Overall disability and absenteeism management
- Executive wellness programs
- Employee wellness programs
- Employee assistance programs
Return-to-Work and Fitness-for-Duty Programs
Return to work Programs
The aim of return to work programs is to reduce costs associated with injuries and illnesses, while concurrently promoting the best interests and health of the employee. A properly designed return-to-work program can provide suitable alternate employment or make reasonable accommodations to an employee who is unable to perform his/her normal job duties as a consequence of accident, injury or illness, whether work related or not. Kevin Trangle & Associates experienced healthcare team are familiar with ADA and 2nd and 3rd opinions, and will work with the organization’s management team to address any related concerns.
Benefits of Return to work Programs and Transitional Work Programs:
- Main factor enabling employer to reduce Workers' Compensation and disability cost
- Reduces and sometimes eliminates lost-time days
- Worker returns to work at 100% of wage as opposed to reduced wages from compensation for the first 90 days of TW
- The union benefits from employment of a contributing member
- The employer will have adequate staff to perform services
- Lessens retraining and hiring costs
- Enhances productivity
- Everyone benefits from safety recommendations
- Vehicle for ADA Compliance
- Enhances a positive corporate culture
Fitness for Duty Evaluation
From pre-placement through to injury/illness and return to work, fitness for duty evaluates a patient’s ability to physically or psychologically perform required job tasks. Sometimes, fitness-for-duty exams are required when an employee is ready to return to work after taking time off for a serious illness or injury. For example, an employee with a serious back injury might have to take a fitness-for-duty exam before coming back to work, to make sure the employee is capable of meeting the physical requirements of the job. KTA can be contracted to evaluate medical records, a patient and documentation for a particular case.
Our services are based on objective data and under contract include:
- Conduct a directed medical records review
- Evaluate the patient in person, if necessary
- Conduct Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE)
- Analyze applicable information including test results, imaging studies, etc.
- Review any relevant literature pertaining to the diagnosis and condition of the individual
- Develop a comprehensive written report outlining the projected course of medical treatment and its associated costs and/or a medical certification of fitness for duty including any limitations or restrictions
Healthcare Cost Containment
Healthcare Cost Containment includes wellness programs geared to the promotion of health and productivity with early disease identification and intervention. Such efforts frequently entail annual flu shots, tetanus boosters, pre-employment health screening, screening for chronic disease, and health coaching for stress management, nutrition and weight management.
Kevin Trangle & Associates can deliver a measurement mechanism that affords health and productivity management cost-savings tracking, making it possible to calculate the value of the organization’s health and productivity management programs.
OSHA Compliance Training & Standards
Kevin Trangle & Associates works closely with certified safety professionals and industrial hygienists to provide a number of programs for organizations aimed at promoting a healthy and safe work environment. By working closely with the organizations safety professionals and management team, program outcomes will be enhanced to maximize value. The OSHA Compliance Training and Standards programs offered by KTA include education and awareness to ensure Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance with government and regulatory bodies including OSHA, FMLA and ADA. KTA also offers proper certification to work as well as ergonomic instruction to avoid injury. A consultation in this area could also lead to safety programs, reviews of job descriptions and the introduction of job modification, if needed.
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Medical Environmental Exposure
Kevin Trangle & Associates has decades of medical experience in consulting, researching and reviewing a wide variety of environmental exposure and occupational exposure cases involving issues with indoor air quality, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, pesticides, PCBs and other exposures.
KTA has an in-depth understanding of chemical and environmental health implications and has made Environmental Exposure Medical cases an area of specialty. Experts at KTA are well suited to offer opinions and health commissions to non-work-related exposures that require litigation.
Some of the more common practice areas include:
- Chemical exposure
- Multiple chemical sensitivity
- Organic-chemical-induced disease
- Solvent-induced toxicity
- Indoor air quality
- Occupational exposure respiratory illness including Reactive Airway Disease and Occupational Asthma
KTA can provide consultation and medical evaluation of various elements for potential exposures to chemical or physical agents. Medical evaluations can include a medical and work history with special emphasis on symptoms related to the handling of hazardous substances and health hazards, and to fitness for duty including the ability to wear any required personal protective equipment (PPE) under conditions (i.e., temperature extremes) that may be expected at the work site.