“We have faced some difficult challenges in reviewing candidate physical abilities and limitations over the years. In those rare instances when we faced legal challenges to disqualifications decisions, we have been confident in our ability to defend our position as a result of the thorough review, analysis and recommendations provided by Occu-Med.”

Valerie Ruxton
Administrative
Services Officer
for the City of Napa

“As a result of our association with Occu-Med, the City of Whittier has been assured that our job applicants and employees can safely perform their essential job functions. This service is a key component of our Risk Management Program and has helped us control the City’s workers’ compensation costs”

Fred M. Weiner
Director of
Human Resources
for the City of Whittier

Significant Case Studies
of the Occu-Med System.

Case Study

A Network Administrator in Kuwait elected to return stateside due to chest pain associated with coronary artery disease; reportedly received treatment while stateside; and, was subsequently reported to be ready to return to work. Occu-Med posed questions to the injured employee's treating cardiologist that would permit an informed and appropriate placement decision to be made. The information provided by this physician indicated that the employee was able to safely perform the job, "as described to him." Occu-Med provided the employee's physician with the appropriate Job Profile, who then responded that the employee's medical condition precluded him from working in the extreme environmental factors documented. The employee was terminated.

Case Study

An employee was airlifted to a German Hospital due to what appeared to be respiratory problems. This employee was reported to be ready to return to work after several months of treatment and recovery. Occu-Med evaluated several hundred pages of medical records and determined that, in addition to the known respiratory problems, several other medical conditions appeared to jeopardize the appropriateness of this employee returning to work overseas. Occu-Med posed questions to the medical specialists treating each of the relevant (job-related and consistent with business necessity) medical conditions and, upon receipt and review of each specialist's response, concluded that: a) the employee should not be returned to work; and, b) the employee was previously placed, in light of a fitness for duty assessment performed by another vendor, with several medical conditions that clearly caused the injury resulting in the employee's leave.

Case Studies

An Administrative Assistant had taken time off work for medical reasons for an extended period of time. Occu-Med was requested to perform a fitness-for-duty evaluation due to the employee's on-going leave of absence without explanation nor medical documentation from a treating physician. Occu-Med sent the employee a letter to request information (from the treating physician) that would enable an informed determination of the appropriateness and projected timing of the employee's return. The information received in response to our letter was determined to be unreliable (with the exception of the leave being attributed a psychiatric issue) for a number of reasons including conflicting and incomplete information. Pursuant to Occu-Med's recommendation, the employee underwent an Independent Psychiatric Evaluation (scheduled to occur the day after the employer's request). This evaluation concluded that the employee could not safely perform the essential duties of the Administrative Assistant job and that the prognosis indicated that the employee would not likely ever be able to return to work.