Workers Compensation Services and Work Injury Care
If one of your employees is injured on the job, you have multiple goals.
You want them feeling better quickly and back to work as soon as they’re healthy enough to return. You also want your company’s workers’ compensation cases handled as efficiently as possible.
That’s where University of Iowa Health Care excels.
Our Work Injury Recovery Center (WIRC) coordinates timely care while providing streamlined workers’ comp case coordination.
This means your injured employees receive some of the best medical care Iowa has to offer. And your organization benefits from WIRC’s administrative expertise.
Comprehensive care for common and complex injuries
Even the most robust workplace safety programs and protocols can’t fully prevent work-related injuries. Accidents can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Fortunately, UI Health Care providers have experience treating even the most serious workplace injuries. We offer all the nonsurgical and surgical treatments your employees may need to recover.
Outstanding orthopedic care and more
Most of the work injuries we treat are musculoskeletal. In other words, they affect bones, muscles, joints, nerves, and other tissues.
If your employee has a musculoskeletal injury, they’ll see one of our orthopedic specialists. Their areas of expertise include:
Back pain and injury caused by lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying
Conditions caused by frequent repetitive motions (such as carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger)
Muscle strains, ligament sprains, and tendon tears caused by slips, trips, or falls
Orthopedic trauma and fractures caused by accidents involving machinery or equipment
UI Health Care also treats workplace injuries that affect other parts of the body. For example, our team includes:
- The Burn Clinic can treat burns caused by exposure to harmful chemicals
- Dermatologists can treat complex wounds or skin problems
- Neurologists and neurosurgeons who care for problems such as nerve damage and spinal cord injuries
- Ophthalmologists who treat eye injuries
- Physiatrists who guide physical rehabilitation plans and can help restore any loss of function caused by an injury
How your employees benefit from WIRC
Your employees can count on our team for prompt care and a positive experience. We offer:
- Expedited consultations for acute (sudden and serious) injuries
- Timely scheduling of diagnostic tests, including same-day CT or MRI scans when needed
- Coordination of care across specialties for employees who need evaluations or treatments from multiple providers
- Prompt access to surgery if surgical treatment is necessary
We have a multispecialty team of providers that reviews all complex cases. This includes cases for employees who:
- Have a history of failed conservative (nonsurgical) treatments
- Have had previous surgery for their injury
- Have had prior consultations with (or treatments performed by) another health care provider
In these situations, our team reviews the case, makes treatment recommendations, and provides a formal report.
Extensive experience with workers’ compensation cases
No two workplace injuries or conditions are alike. And factors like long-term complications, treatment history, and recovery time make each case different.
Employers across Iowa partner with UI Health Care—and WIRC—because we offer a unique combination of medical and administrative expertise.
Workers’ comp services we offer
Our team can help your organization manage all the details (and complexities) associated with workers’ comp administration. This includes:
- Performing a complete review of your employee’s health history
- Obtaining pre-authorization for any necessary tests or procedures
- Performing independent medical exams (IMEs)
- Providing prompt, ongoing communication to your company’s human resources department, case managers, insurers, and attorneys
- Providing prompt case resolution, so you’re not left with lingering or unanswered questions
The WIRC referral process
To initiate medical care related to a workers’ compensation case, you’ll need to send us a completed referral form and other documentation.
Submit a referral form
The first step is to download and fill out our referral form. You’ll need to include your employee’s contact information, injury details, and all records and imaging associated with the injured body part. You’ll also need to gather and include contact information for your company’s:
Workers’ compensation insurance provider
Workers’ compensation case manager
Attorney
When the form is completed:
- Fax it to 1-319-356-1193 or
- Email it to [email protected]
In addition to sending us the referral form, you’ll need to provide:
- Any previous, relevant medical records in chronological order (including clinic notes, radiology reports, and op reports)
- Your employee’s functional job description (so we can address any restricted work abilities)
Please note that we address acute referrals within 24-48 hours, and all other referrals within five to seven business days.
Work injury tests and treatments
- CT scan
- Lab tests
- Medication
- MRI scan
- Occupational therapy
- Orthotics
- Physical therapy (PT)
- Surgery
- Ultrasound
- X-ray
Work injury conditions treated
- Back pain and injury
- Burns
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Concussion
- Elbow pain and injury
- Eye injury
- Facial injury
- Foot and ankle pain and injury
- Hand and wrist pain and injury
- Herniated disc
- Hip pain and injury
- Knee pain and injury
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Neck pain
- Orthopedic trauma and fractures
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Radiculopathy
- Shoulder pain and injury
- Skin injury
- Sprains
- Strains
- Tendonitis
- Tendon tears
- Trigger finger
Our Care Team
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- Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
Refer your employee for work injury care
Locations and Offices
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Related Health Topics
Patient Stories
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