United States Department of Veterans Affairs

ADVANCE

 

In keeping with the Secretary's goal to ADVANCE the VA workforce and transform the Department to better serve Veterans and their families, the Office of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) continues to provide new training opportunities and services which are listed below:

* First Script Program - A national Pharmacy Benefit Management Program became available for employees to use when filling workers' compensation prescriptions.  This prescription drug card program allows injured workers to receive services with no out-of-pocket costs and allows them easy access to over 62,000 pharmacies for filling prescriptions, which includes all the national chain drug stores and 98% of small non-chain pharmacies.  This Program now also offers durable medical equipment and medical imaging/testing related to your traumatic injury and physical therapy for the work related injury.  

To find out more information on the benefits the First Script Program offers click here.   

* 2012 All-Employee Safety Perception Re-Survey - The Department of Veterans Affairs contracted with the National Safety Council (NSC) in fiscal year (FY) 2010 to conduct an all-employee safety perception survey.  The purpose of this survey was to obtain a comprehensive and sensitive set of reliable lead metrics that will guide VA's Occupational Safety and Health programs for years to come.  Furthermore, this survey was to evaluate specific areas of improving the safety program.  Employees of VA at all organization levels were given the opportunity to have a voice and participate in a significant safety activity with far-reaching safety implications.  A re-survey was conducted from October 8-26, 2012, to determine if actions taken by VA previously had improved safety perception benchmarks set by the FY 2010 baseline survey.  To find out more about the Safety Perception Re-Survey click here.

To find out more about the National Safety Council's (NSC) involvement in employee safety perception surveys, please click here.  

* Medical Case Review (Medical Advisory) - This Initiative's purpose is to reduce costs related to WC cases, as well as enhancing the management of cases.  This pilot program has demonstrated the potential to save costs related to WC cases, primarily related to questionable treatment and diagnoses.  The medical advisor is a VA employee.  The medical advisor reviews and provides medical opinion on the credibility of the diagnosis and treatment of WC cases.

To find out more information about this medical advisory pilot program, please contact Danna Corbell at (202) 615-6893 or David Hull at (202) 461-5022.

* Workers' Compensation (WC) Courses and Safety Conference - This Initiative aims to improve WC case management and OSH performance, e.g., preventing injuries/illnesses, by training a cadre of VA employees in OSH program and WC case management.  In FY 2012, Basic, Intermediate, and Supervisory WC Courses were provided to VA WC case management personnel to assist them with improving their case management skills.  Currently, this Initiative is being updated to transform traditional conferences into blended hybrid courses.

Results from WC Courses held in FY 2012 are listed below:

* Office of OSH Workers' Compensation (WC) Video TeleConference Training - The Office of OSH WC Staff presented WC training video teleconference for facility directors and local union presidents from the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center/Philadelphia office.  This training was a useful pilot project for one new modality of delivering WC training in the future.   

To find out more information about the WC Video TeleConference training that was conducted, please click here.