Serious Lessons Learned from Occupational Medicine Leaders

Profitability in Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine: Provide Procedures at Your Clinic

Procedures are the lifeblood of any urgent care and occupational medicine clinic. Procedures can include injections, casting, splinting, laceration repairs, I&D’s, and foreign body removals. Historically companies have sent their employees to the emergency department for treatment for many injuries that requires a procedure. Today urgent care and occupational medicine clinics provide an economic and client friendly alternative. While procedures may initially seem daunting, you will find that they are actually quite simple once you have performed a few. The key is to obtain the knowledge and experience to accomplish them confidently. Employers will seek out your urgent care for occupational medicine services because of the savings urgent care clinics provide compared to the cost of an emergency department visit. Additional benefits for the employer and employee include saving valuable time away from work, knowledgeable return to work directives and medications dispensed at the clinic. Employers crave the true one-stop shop.
	Routine injections in an occupational medicine clinic include: subacromial, epicondylar, bursal, trigger points, tendon sheaths, carpal tunnel, along with aspirations of joints or cysts. While you may initially be uncomfortable with these injections, our experience with new providers has proven that after practice you will quickly become proficient with this skill.
	Casting and splinting aptitude is required for the proper application of casts and splints. Many providers have experience with these procedures from their private practice or emergency department roles.
	Laceration repair is typically the most common occupational medicine procedure performed. With experience and training more complex repairs, digit amputation repairs and extensor tendon repairs can be performed. Even performing simple repairs result in stronger employer relationships with your clinic as well as referrals. For more information about learning procedures NMN offers a video training series found at www.nationalmednetwork.com UCAOA is also offering a Procedure Clinic at the National Convention. Information about the convention can be found at www.ucaoa.org/convention.

Wishing you success.
January 2009