Aurora Occupational Rehabilitation offers personalized, quality and
cost effective services, from prevention and wellness to rehabilitation
of injured workers with the goal of returning the employee to work.
Sites throughout southeastern Wisconsin can provide injury prevention
education, from back schools to cumulative trauma prevention or
customized topics.
Our experienced, skilled clinicians can also provide on-site
ergonomic assessments to assist with injury prevention, to develop
pre-placement, post-offer functional tests, or to provide
recommendations regarding reasonable accommodation for ADA compliance.
Our work programs are designed to address the physical, psycho-social
and cultural needs of the individual to achieve maximum independent
functioning in a vocation.
Our interdisciplinary teams provide highly structured, goal oriented
and individualized treatment programs to transition workers through the
process from acute care to return to work.
Experienced staff
An interdisciplinary team including occupational and physical
therapists and licensed athletic trainers work with the medical
physician on specialized programs for the injured worker. Many of
Aurora's therapists have completed advanced training in occupational
topics such as ergonomics, functional capacity evaluations, and
evaluation and treatment of the injured worker.
Individualized treatment
Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE's)
Five Aurora Rehabilitation Center locations in the Milwaukee area and
Washington County are offering the Physical Work Performance Evaluation
(PWPE) by ErgoScience. The PWPE is a 3-4 hour performance-based test
that reports client abilities in terms of safe maximal levels, as well
as a client's ability to tolerate an 8-hour workday. The test is divided
into 7 sections:
Dynamic strength
Fine motor
Coordination
Position tolerance
Balance
Endurance
Mobility continued
The reliability and validity of the PWPE is supported through
peer reviewed, published research. A functional capacity evaluation
can provide a physician with information to:
Determine return to work status
Determine residual functional capacity
Determine disability
Work hardening/work conditioning program
Work hardening/work conditioning is a 2-6 week
personalized return-to-work program designed for each injured
worker. Included in this program are an evaluation of each
person's work environment, simulated work activities, exercise
and education, all focusing on the goal of returning employees
to work. The work hardening evaluation and program consists of:
Vocational assessment
Program functional capacity evaluation
On-site job analysis
Psychological assessment
Musculoskeletal evaluation
Vocational rehabilitation counseling
Work-simulation activities
Injury-prevention education
Physical reconditioning/exercise
Psychological assistance
The work conditioning evaluation and program include:
On-site job analysis
Program functional capacity evaluation
Musculoskeletal evaluation
Physical reconditioning/exercise
Injury-prevention education
Work-simulation activities
Benefits of the work hardening/work conditioning
program:
Injured workers increase their overall muscle
strength and cardiovascular endurance, and learn how
to prevent re-injury.
Employers reduce medical costs, replacement
labor costs and lost work days.
Insurers reduce costs and avoid unsuccessful
long-term rehabilitation through early referral to
an Aurora Rehabilitation Center.
Physicians have assurance that their patients
receive high-quality treatment in a timely manner.
Comprehensive care provided
Prevention
Back School - An educational group
session, usually available on-site, which
instructs employees in back care, prevention of
injuries, and proper body mechanics, often
inclusive of materials handling practice. Can
also provide individual instruction usually in
conjunction with a post-offer physical
examination.
Cumulative Trauma Education - An
educational group session, usually on-site,
which instructs employees in prevention and
management of cumulative trauma injuries.
Educational sessions can be tailored to specific
needs identified, for example, office
ergonomics, fitness, stress management, etc.
Pre-Placement, Post-Offer Functional
Testing - This tests a post-offer
candidate's ability to perform the essential
physical components of a job. This can assist
employers in complying with the Americans with
Disabilities Act. This is usually provided as
part of a pre-employment physical examination.
These tests are job-related and give objective
and reliable information about the candidate's
ability to do the job.
Worker Exercise Program - Exercises
designed for employees which are meant to be
performed on the job as a warm-up and stretching
program. A “train the trainer” approach may be
used.
Rehabilitation
Back Rehabilitation Program - A
treatment program, usually consisting of
education, stretches, strengthening and home
exercises, designed to restore function of
an injured back, empower the injured
employee to manage back problems and prevent
re-injury.
Hand Rehabilitation Program - A
specialized area of therapy that treats
injuries and problems of the hand. Hand
therapists are often certified and have had
additional training focusing on the
intricate structures and functions of the
hand.
On-site Rehabilitation -
Rehabilitation services offered at the job
site, particularly post-injury treatment.
With on-site service accessibility,
employers can reduce costs associated with
travel time for treatment and the costs of
lost productivity. Clinicians can provide
assessment for job readiness using real job
activities and make recommendations for the
removal of ergonomic hazards. These services
contribute to improved employee morale and
job satisfaction, as well as injury
prevention and loss control.
Orthopedic Rehabilitation -
Evaluation and treatment of injuries to the
skeleton, muscles, tendons and supporting
soft tissue structures. Includes fractures,
strains and sprains as well as other
injuries.
Rehabilitation Case Management -
The coordination of rehabilitation services
for an injured employee involves managing
communication and intervention between
rehabilitation services and the physician,
employer, employee, rehabilitation nurse and
insurance adjusters, to ensure quality, cost
effective outcomes.
Additional services
ADA Consulting - Guidance
regarding ADA issues, particularly in
regards to reasonable accommodations and
workplace modifications.
OSHA Consulting - In
conjunction with Aurora occupational
health, guidance regarding OSHA issues.
ADA Job Descriptions -
Clinicians can assist employers in
writing job descriptions by
quantitatively and qualitatively
evaluating essential physical demands of
a job and providing tools to assist in
identifying other qualifications.
Body Fat/Composition Testing
- A measurement performed, via calipers,
water displacement, or electrodes, which
determines the percentage of a person's
body fat.
Fitness Programs - Any number
of exercise or educational programs
aimed at promoting wellness and
preventing illness and injuries.
Ergonomic Assessment - An
analysis of a work station to identify
areas of injury risk and to make
recommendations for remediation, or to
provide recommendations regarding
reasonable accommodation for ADA
compliance.
Vocational Services -
Services which focus on the vocational
needs of employees such as vocational
evaluation, assessment, counseling and
job placement assistance.
Individualized treatment