Magnifying Glass
Back to Sponsored Content

TN: Bureau of Workers' Compensation Launches Physician Training Program

12 Sep, 2022 WorkersCompensation.com

                               
The Certified Physician Program Benefits Providers and Injured Tennessee Workers
NASHVILLE –  Employees who suffer work-related injuries face unique challenges when seeking medical treatment. Traditional medical training does not always cover the issues physicians encounter when treating a workers’ compensation patient. Because of this, the Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) created the Certified Physician Program (CPP) which provides the specialized training needed to treat injured workers.

The centerpiece of the Certified Physician Program (CPP) is a free, online, self-paced, training course designed to teach physicians additional skills to help them successfully treat and evaluate injured workers. In exchange for accepting workers’ compensation patients, certified physicians are eligible to receive enhanced fees for initial and follow-up visits and for giving final impairment ratings. The CPP is designed to improve the experience for physicians, patients, and others, making it more appealing for physicians to accept workers’ compensation patients.

The CPP includes the Bureau-created training course, a comprehensive exam, and training in the AMA Guides®, 6th Edition that is required to apply for certification.
The benefits for participating physicians to take part in CPP include:
  • More exposure to attract business in workers’ compensation. The names and specialties of certified physicians will be published online, providing a directory of workers’ compensation physicians.
  • Enhanced fees for office visits and reports.
  • Greater confidence in knowledge and resources to meet the challenges associated with getting workers’ compensation patients to the best health and return-to-work outcomes.
  • Continuing Medical Education Credits.
  • Training that satisfies requirements for seeking an appointment to the Medical Impairment Rating Registry.
The Bureau has invested in developing the curriculum to provide valuable information on workers’ compensation, its unique challenges, and methods to collaborate with employers and employees to accomplish the goal of successful recovery for injured workers. The training course, Best Practices for Treating and Evaluating Injuring Workers, includes topics such as:
  • Treatment Guidelines
  • Utilization Review
  • Maximum Medical Improvement
  • Permanent Impairment Ratings
  • Court Processes
  • Office Processes & Payment Issues
  • Case Managers & Return-to-Work Coordinators
  • Permanent Restrictions
  • Independent Medical Exams
  • Causation
The Bureau hopes to create a strong network of physicians who are trained in workers' compensation practices to better help injured workers across the state improve their chances of a rapid recovery and effective return to work.  BWC encourages anyone who works with physicians to share information about the new CPP program.
 
The CPP is an important part of a larger program called REWARD, an acronym for Return Employees to Work And Reduce Disabilities. Several years ago, BWC and its stakeholders began exploring ways to help employers return their employees to their jobs more rapidly and reduce their disabilities after a work injury. In developing the REWARD program. The need for a physician program became clear.
CPP is only open to physicians and chiropractors and can be found at: https://www.tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work/employers/employers/bwc-reward-rtw-program/cpp.html
 
For more information, please contact us at TN.WorkComp@tn.gov.

    • Read Also

    Comp it Up

    Our next Comp & Circumstance gathering is on Aug. 14 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. We wanna see you there. We wanna hear from you. https://hubs.la/Q03zVGyt0
    National Comp 2025 Heads to Nashville with Purple Heart Veteran Noah Galloway as Keynote Speaker  

    Annual workers' compensation conference brings mission-driven programming to Music City for the first time  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The nation's largest workers' compensation conference is setting up shop in Music City for the first time, bringing […]
    Talk Compy with Us!

    Do you have a little time on July 31 around 2 p.m. Eastern to chat with us about what's going on in your part of the workers' compensation world? Join us for Comp & Circumstance https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OWU2YzA4N2UtN2UwMC00NWYwLWJiN2UtYTc4MDliMDM0YjE0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22a7d8924d-b159-4317-81ff-74026abf7b72%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cab24b27-0d96-4fd9-87da-3dcc299a5c0c%22%7d

    About The Author

    • WorkersCompensation.com

    More by This Author

    WorkCompCollege.com Study Hall 

    February 2025 Curriculum: Workers’ Recovery Professional (WRP)Course: Preventing Work Comp Fraud ... It Takes a Village School: Legal Faculty: Curt DeVries; President, Fraudsniffr  Curt is a 35-year claims professional with extensive claim handling and management experience in both […]
    Free Access: Transform Your Workflow with the New Specialty Solutions Toolkit

    In the fast-paced world of workers' compensation, staying organized and efficient is crucial. That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce a game-changing resource specifically designed for claims professionals like you—the Specialty Solutions Toolkit. This innovative, no-cost […]
    Ametros’ Melissa Coleman Honored by the IAIABC as a 2024 NextGen Winner

    Wilmington, Mass. (June 24, 2024) – The IAIABC has recognized Melissa Coleman as a 2024 NextGen Award Winner. Coleman is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Ametros, which helps people manage their medical funds following workers’ […]

    Read More

    Comp it Up

    Our next Comp & Circumstance gathering is on Aug. 14 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. We wanna see you there. We wanna hear from you. https://hubs.la/Q03zVGyt0
    National Comp 2025 Heads to Nashville with Purple Heart Veteran Noah Galloway as Keynote Speaker  

    Annual workers' compensation conference brings mission-driven programming to Music City for the first time  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The nation's largest workers' compensation conference is setting up shop in Music City for the first time, bringing […]
    Talk Compy with Us!

    Do you have a little time on July 31 around 2 p.m. Eastern to chat with us about what's going on in your part of the workers' compensation world? Join us for Comp & Circumstance https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_OWU2YzA4N2UtN2UwMC00NWYwLWJiN2UtYTc4MDliMDM0YjE0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22a7d8924d-b159-4317-81ff-74026abf7b72%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cab24b27-0d96-4fd9-87da-3dcc299a5c0c%22%7d
    When Two Records Walk into a Claim … Are They One or Two?

    Let’s say you’re reviewing a claim file. You see a medical record. Then, a few pages later, you see it again. Same doctor, same date, same content. But wait, this second one has a fax […]
    Call to Action: Join the DATA Ambassador Program

    Upcoming: DATA Future Forum at WCIWe are excited to gather in person during the WCI Educational Conference in Orlando on Monday, August 18. Scholars will participate in our signature event, the DATA Future Forum. To ensure a high-impact […]
    Death by Paperwork? How Claims Adjusters Can Get Their Time and Sanity Back 

    It starts with a familiar scenario: A Workers' Comp claims adjuster opens their inbox Monday morning to find 10,000 pages of medical records waiting. Some are scanned sideways. Some repeat five times with new cover […]