The employee is responsible for providing sufficient medical documentation to support absence due to disability. Work Connections provides assistance by identifying what medical documentation is needed. As a courtesy, with authorization from the employee, Work Connections will request it from providers on your employee’s behalf. If a treatment provider is non-cooperative, Work Connections will notify you and your employer that our efforts to obtain medical documentation on the employee’s behalf have been unsuccessful.
HIPAA is a federal law developed to improve the portability of health care coverage for people who lose or change employment, promote administrative simplification through the use of electronic transactions, and ensure the security and privacy of personal health information.
- For work-related illness and injuries, medical documentation can be provided pursuant to the Workers’ Disability Compensation Act. It’s best, however, for employees to sign the Authorization to Release Patient Information Form since medical conditions may overlap and the absence of complete medical information could result in a delay of services.
- For non-work-related illnesses and injuries, the Authorization to Release Patient Information Form is required.
An employee may voluntarily choose at any time to discuss a medical situation with anyone. This is a personal choice and is not required but, in many cases, sharing this information may lead to a great deal of support and encouragement.
Yes. Authorization may be revoked in writing at any time.
Our primary objective is to provide assistance and support during recovery in order to facilitate a safe return to work. If there is a disagreement, discuss your concerns with your employee’s Case Manager or the Work Connections supervisor. We will work with you to understand your concerns and find a solution.
Work Connections’ objective is to facilitate a safe and lasting return to work. Our staff will work with you, your employee, and your physician to:
- Help evaluate essential functions of the job and anticipate needs for accommodations, if required
- Discuss and develop a return-to-work plan
- Maintain regular contact with you and your employee to coordinate the return-to-work plan
- Follow up on medical progress and assist with any medical issues after your employee has returned to work
A return-to-work plan is developed—with assistance from Work Connections—by you, your employee, and his or her treatment team. Among other things, it includes information about any physical restrictions such as lifting or sitting for protracted periods of time along with a target date on which your employee will be fully recovered and able to assume his or her regular duties.
Work Connections acts as a liaison with other programs and services at the University to ensure that you, your patient, and the supervisor have convenient and centralized access to a wide variety of resources. These resources include everything from coordinating the services of nurses, vocational rehabilitation counselors, therapists, and other professionals interested in your patient’s recovery to providing return-to-work support such as job analysis and ergonomic consultations.
There is no cost to the employee or his or her department to use the services offered by Work Connections.
