Concentra Health Services, Inc. a division of Concentra Inc., works closely with employers and insurance companies to contain and minimize workplace health costs by offering an extensive range of services, from pre-placement assessments to employee wellness programs to workplace injury prevention and treatment. “Working with Concentra, employers can create a healthy and productive workplace for employees, and payors can expect efficient and cost-effective healthcare,” said Ben Breier, vice president of Concentra’s Western Operations. Concentra offers: treatment of job-related injuries through its medical centers; physical exams; drug screening; workplace injury prevention programs; on-site services; mobile services; and occupational health consulting.
Concentra Health Services, founded in 1979, has the nation’s largest group of medical providers specializing in the field of occupational healthcare. It employs 5,000 people in 233 medical centers in 33 states. Concentra serves some of the best-known Fortune 500 companies. In 2000, Concentra treated 500,000 people across the country for workplace-related injuries, about 6 percent of all such injuries reported. With corporate headquarters in Dallas, Concentra operates three clinics in Reno and three in Las Vegas, seeing an average of 150 patients per day per clinic. All patients are seen on a walk-in basis, and work-related injuries receive immediate triage assessment. The medical centers also provide pre-placement physical exams and drug testing.
“There’s a big difference between a facility dedicated to treating workplace injuries and just an ordinary clinic,” said Breier. “We have the expertise, the testing equipment and physical therapy equipment to get people healthy and safely back to work. Statistics show the national average for lost days due to injuries is 22 days, whereas the patients we treat are back to work in an average of 14 days.” Out of the total cost of workers’ compensation claims – a $130 billion figure nationwide – less than 20 percent goes to medical costs, and a whopping 57 percent is spent on replacement wages. Reducing the days lost to injury can therefore have a major impact on a company’s bottom line.
Breier compared Concentra’s treatment programs to sports medicine, in which the emphasis is on prompt and effective treatment to get injured athletes back into competition as soon as possible. “We treat injured employees as ‘industrial athletes,’” he said. “We help them return to work quickly and safely and reduce the risk of re-injury, while helping our clients achieve a reasonable cost per case.”
Prevention also factors into reducing costs. Concentra partners with employers to provide a variety of consulting services and on-site workplace healthcare programs, to help create a safe and healthy workplace and increase employee productivity and performance. Large employers can set up an on-site health facility to assist with occupational health, worker’s compensation, minor illnesses in the workplace and disability management. “Our on-site health program assists the employer with regulatory compliance, enhances employee productivity, controls costs associated with occupational healthcare and promotes good will,” said Breier.