Occupational Medicine and Job Function Matching : An interview with Dr Van Balen

Background: Clayton Van Balen MD is the Medical Director of Sanford Clinic Occupational Medicine and Walk-In Clinic Sioux Falls SD. He is also consulting occupational medicine physician for surrounding communities of the Sanford group in regions of South Dakota and Iowa. He works closely with Raven Industries, a large manufacturing firm in Sioux Falls that has chosen to implement DSI Job Function Matching for injury prevention and return to work processes, The DSI provider is Sanford Hospital Rehab Dept. This interview explores his perspective on having the objective testing/job matching tools available for his medical direction role.

Question: How does the DSI JFM process assist you in your work?
Answer: Objective job testing results for early return to work (RTW), allow me to assist Raven in improving RTW through an accurate description of what their worker can do on their specific job.

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New DSI providers have been trained and are performing DSI Job Function Matching and Functional Capacity Assessment

All new and current DSI providers can be accessed with the following link: View DSI providers

• Door County Memorial Hospital, Sturgeon Bay, WI.
• Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage, CA.
• Enfield Health and Wellness, Enfield, CT.
• Crescent City Physical Therapy, New Orleans, LA.
• WorkFit Solutions, Orlando FL
• SERC of Belton/Raymore, Belton, MO
• SERC of Harrisonville, Harrisonville, MO
• SERC of Lee's Summit, Lee's Summit, MO
• SERC of Olathe, Olathe, KS
• SERC of Overland Park, Overland Park, KS
• SERC of Odessa, Odessa, MO
• SERC of Liberty, Liberty, MO
• SERC of Riverside, Riverside, MO
• SERC of Lansing, Lansing, KS

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Legal update: lifting restriction is not a disability under ADA

DSI scans court findings and new developments to add meaning to the job function matching process. This ruling clarifies work comp vs federal definitions.

In Weigand v Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority NY 2-16-10, identified that a “lifting restriction” precluding an employee from doing some of his job, is not enough for a “disability” to be present. A bus mechanic was given a 50 lb lifting restriction which subsequently precluded overtime, and other benefits. When restrictions were lifted he sued for previous benefits under the disability laws. The court ruled that a lifting restriction is not a disability and he was not covered under ADA for that restriction. Again, state awards are not the same as ADA definitions.

Source: Disability Compliance Bulletin

Working in Industry: Onsite Work Injury Management & Prevention

DSI Work Solutions is pleased to announce DSI’s latest consultation offering titled Onsite Injury Management and Prevention. This onsite consultation is provided to DSI-trained therapists interested in starting onsite services as a primary practice or to complement their job function matching clinical work. This one day consultation is available now. The highlights of the consultation day include:

• Working relationships with employers, safety professional, human resources and workers plus onsite or offsite medical team
• OSHA issues and recordability of interventions
• First aid
• Early treatment intervention
• Stretching programs
• Basic ergonomics with individual workers and work methods
• Forms and format samples

Contributors to the onsite consultation are primary developer Scott Ege PT with assistance from Nancy Bellendorf OTR, Curt DeWeese PT, Ginnie Halling PT, Dennis Isernhagen PT and Sue Isernhagen PT.

For more information on the onsite consultation, contact Sue at sisernhagen@dsiworksolutions.com