The demand for reliable, accessible, and affordable health care services has never been greater, and the challenge of meeting it has forced the entire health care industry to reconsider its service model in recent years. Telemedicine, defined as the remote delivery of health care services over the Internet or other telecommunications infrastructure, has opened the door for providers to supply their patients with better, cheaper, and more personalized care no matter where they reside. As the need...

Opioids help people in the healing process, relaxing the body and relieving pain. But, like nearly any form of medication, they can also be abused. The prevalence of opioids has led to an epidemic in America. The CDC estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the U.S. is $78.5 billion a year and that 115 people die each day from overdoses. You can learn more about the crisis and how it can affect your business in our blog, “Opioids and Their Effect...

Employees injured at work are often prescribed powerful – and potentially dangerous – medication in the form of opioids to help relieve their pain. Opioids are a class of drugs found naturally in the opium poppy plant. Opioids are often used as medicines because they contain chemicals that relax the body and relieve pain. Prescription opioids are used mostly to treat moderate to severe pain. Common prescription opioids include: Hydrocodone (Vicodin®) and oxycodone (OxyContin®,...

As of July 13, 2018, 46 states and the District of Columbia had passed laws legalizing the use of marijuana in some form or another - and these are changing seemingly by the day. With the complexity of issues surrounding marijuana use continuing to evolve, so too, do the issues facing employers with regards to medical marijuana use, off-duty use, and workplace drug policies including drug testing. It’s more important than ever for employers across all industries to become familiar with...

As much as most people enjoy the warmth of the summer sun, extreme heat accompanied by high humidity can be dangerous, even deadly. Each year, the summer heat kills nearly 175 Americans and sickens thousands more. It’s important to remember that heat safety is not just something to be aware of while enjoying leisure activities on the weekends – it’s also a major risk exposure for your business on any given work day. Health care providers whose duties call for them to work...

The health club industry was worth 81 billion U.S. dollars worldwide in 2015, a figure not lost on the physical therapy industry looking to bulk up. More and more practices add cash-based fitness and wellness centers to their business models each year. However, with growth comes added risk. Proper planning and risk management is essential to ensuring the safety and security of all who use your facility. So, let’s start at the beginning. Gearing Up We all know the friend who “doesn’t...