A national chain of veterinary clinics has partnered with GroupHEALTH to provide their employee benefits. As part of their disability benefits the client also has access to DMI’s disability management services. This includes Early Intervention and Long-Term Disability to provide support to employees throughout the duration of their medical absence.
One of the organization’s employees, a veterinary technician, had been struggling at work for several months due to ongoing musculoskeletal concerns that led to pain and limitations in her mobility. She had been working closely with her employer to try to cope with the impact of her condition, however, her condition continued to deteriorate, and she was forced to stop working completely.
Thankfully, her employer referred her to DMI after she had missed 5 days of work so that she could access the support of the Early Intervention Program. DMI’s Early Intervention Specialist phoned the employee as soon as they received the notification from the employer. The specialist found out that while she was very motivated to return to work, she was struggling with the impacts of her condition. She had maxed out the physiotherapy benefits offered through her employer’s extended health plan with 4 months until coverage re-set in the New Year and was waiting on a specialist’s appointment in the coming weeks. While she was diligently keeping up with a home exercise regimen, she was beginning to show signs of depression and looking for additional supports to progress her recovery.
Recognizing that without additional assistance the employee was likely to deteriorate further, the Early Intervention Specialist engaged a DMI Work Health Consultant (WHC) to determine what additional resources could be provided. After the employee had her specialist appointment and it was determined that she was not a candidate for surgery the WHC immediately mobilized to coordinate a formal assessment with a physiotherapist. The physiotherapist recommended an ongoing treatment plan, and the employee immediately began weekly sessions.
The employee made considerable progress over the course of her treatment, but there were ongoing concerns about whether this would be enough to sustain a successful return to work. Of particular concern was the number of stairs in the building the employee worked in, which she was required to climb several times a day. The building did not have an elevator so traversing the stairs was unavoidable. The WHC reached out to the employer to determine if there were alternate worksites that might be available for the employee. Working collaboratively, they found a position for the employee in a ground floor clinic that had the added bonus of being closer to the employee’s home, reducing the demands of her commute.
The employee started a gradual return to work plan shortly thereafter and successfully returned to full hours and duties in the new clinic 5 months after she had stopped work, avoiding a potentially costly Long Term Disability (LTD) claim. Thanks to DMI’s support, she has successfully remained in the workplace and both she and the employer are grateful for the resources they were provided.
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DMI is committed to providing timely support and information to our clients. We have been working with employees and employers nationwide to provide comprehensive end-to-end solutions for their absence and disability management needs.
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