Current and potential employee health is critical to the success of any business.
Knowing if an applicant can physically do job-specific tasks for the position they are being hired for or knowing if the applicant has any pre-existing conditions, are vital to any entity extending an offer of employment.
To that, it is paramount for any business to work to keep its existing workforce healthy and on task.
And…
Wouldn’t it be great to head the rising costs of health insurance or injury-related claims off at the pass?
Well…Rock Valley Physical Therapy has a solution.
Forever dedicated and passionate about bettering those it serves, Rock Valley Health, a division of Rock Valley Physical Therapy, features its Employer Services Program.
Aimed at being a full-service provider, Rock Valley’s Employer Services Program is a one-stop shop of employment screenings, designed to assure employers the candidate is ready to do the prescribed job. It is dedicated to decreasing job turnover, increasing worker productivity, reducing lost time and creating safer work environments.
Rock Valley’s Employer Health Services Division assists companies in:
- Hiring healthy employees
- Keeping their workforce healthy
- Minimizing the impact of any injury and helping to get their employees back to work quickly.
- Lowering healthcare costs being an employer’s first line of offense in creating a better overall working environment.
Rock Valley, with its 60-plus clinics across Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois, is there if pre-employment testing or workman’s compensation therapy is needed. Rock Valley can also schedule pre-employment testing within 24-to-48 hours of company request.
“Our goal is to be that ‘one-stop-shop’ to help companies keep their employees healthy, minimize injury, and get their employees back to work safely,” said Ken Asta, CHC, CSCS, MBA, Director/ Employer Health Services, Rock Valley Physical Therapy. “Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Employer Services Program remains dedicated to lowering healthcare costs being an employer’s first line of defense in creating a better overall working environment.’’
One of Rock Valley’s fastest-growing, most recognizable programs are its POET/ Post-Offer Employment Testing program.
POET allows:
- Rock Valley therapists to identify if the applicant can physically do the job-specific tasks of the position they are being hired for as well as identify if the applicant has any pre-existing conditions.
- The results of the applicant’s POET test can then serve as a functional baseline, which can be used if the employee were to get hurt in the future and would need workman’s compensation therapy.
- A Rock Valley therapist background on what functional ability they need to get the employee back to the same metrics that was measured at the time they were hired for their job.
Having access to the POET data during a work-comp-therapy course of care can help to minimize any unnecessary therapy visits. In turn, this gets the employee back to work quickly/safely, while lowering the overall healthcare spend for the company.
Among Rock Valley’s many Employer Services Program success stories is its ongoing partnership with the Waukee (Iowa) Community School District.
A shining light statewide in academics, performing arts, and athletics, with one of the highest graduation rates in the state, Waukee is Iowa’s fifth-largest school district, serving more than 13,000 students from Clive, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines.
Waukee schools are true beacons of educational success.
“We reached out to the Waukee School District regarding adding our employer services in the fall of 2021,” said Rock Valley’s Logan Albaugh PT, DPT, CEAS I, Central Iowa Services Coordinator. “The district had just opened another high school. The following fall, after maintaining contact with the district, the human resource staff at Waukee schools reached out to us specifically interested in the services we had pitched beforehand.”
“Together with (Rock Valley’s Larry Ratigan’s (PTA, CEAS III, CIEE) previous experience and our willingness to take on a new project, we started going on-site to observe jobs, create job- specific task analyses, and create tests that we have been utilizing for three years.’’
POET testing has been a wonderful guidepost for the Waukee district to work from.
“Yes, we have clear parameters established for our POET testing,” said Maggie Holton, SHRM-CP/ HR Manager/Waukee Community School District. “If someone does not pass, it indicates they are not suited for the position, allowing us to make informed employment decisions based on concrete evidence. This ensures consistency in our decision-making process.’’
The relationship between Rock Valley and the Waukee district, in an age where budgets – rightfully – are closely monitored – the move has been fiscally responsible. It has even led to a similar relationship between Rock Valley and the (nearby) Johnston, Iowa, School District.
“I believe Rock Valley has helped us save money by enabling us to hire staff members who meet the physical requirements for their roles,” added Holton. “As you can imagine, working in public school systems has become increasingly challenging. What used to involve simple tasks, like reading with a student in the hallway, now requires supporting students with significant needs, making the work more physically demanding than ever.’’
Holton says Rock Valley’s expertise in the area and its willingness to consistently go the extra mile, have been of tremendous benefit to the Waukee district.
“I can’t express enough positive feedback about Rock Valley and their customer service,” said Holton. “They consistently accommodate our new staff for testing promptly at one of their many locations. Their flexible availability throughout the day also makes it easier to fit into busy schedules. And so knowledgeable. I have reached out to Logan and Larry Ratigan for consultation on a few situations we have encountered, and they have been incredibly helpful. They provide guidance that is clear and focused on what is best for our district. Their knowledge and experience are outstanding.’’
In addition, Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Employer Services arm offers tactical (fire and police medical exams/fitness assessments) and corporate wellness (annual biometric screenings, health coaching, wellness challenges).
“One of the first things that stood out to me about Rock Valley was their dedication,” added Holton. “Their focus on supporting us, their patients, and the community is incredibly important for building a strong relationship. We can always count on Rock Valley to be there for us when we need assistance. They are consistently open to adjusting testing protocols, consulting with us on specific issues, and ensuring that our needs are prioritized.’’
Rock Valley Employer Services: A winning step for any business
By: Johnny Marx, Rock Valley Physical Therapy Storyteller