Rural health care system improves worker safety, saves money

A health care system serving several communities in Kansas is enjoying sharply lower workers compensation premiums after reaching out to the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), Safety Assistance and Consultation Program, for help accessing and improving its workplace safety policies and procedures.

Community HealthCare System (CHCS) focuses on serving rural citizens. It began with a hospital in Onaga and grew to include a clinic, assisted living facility, home health care and fitness services in Saint Marys, Corning, Centralia, Frankfort, Onaga, Holton, Saint Marys, and Westmoreland. As the CHSC network grew, KDOL consultants helped ensure the increasing number of locations and ever-changing technologies did not erode the employees' level of workplace safety.

The company is committed to providing a safe and healthful workplace for patients, residents, and workers. "Our associates are the key to providing the best and safest care possible to our patients and residents," said CHCS Chief Executive Officer, Todd Willert. "We take our commitment to employees', patients', and residents' safety seriously and strive continuously to improve."

Hazards corrected - and more

CHSC’s first consultation visit from KDOL was conducted at the St. Marys Clinic in 2001. All of the hazards that the consultant identified during this visit were corrected, but CHSC did not stop there. The company moved forward to participate in the OSHA Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). SHARP acknowledges small and medium-sized businesses that have used OSHA On-Site Consultation Program services and operate exemplary workplace safety and health programs. Acceptance into SHARP by OSHA is an achievement that identifies CHCS as a model for occupational safety and health among its business peers.

In preparation for submitting a SHARP application, significant improvements were made to the Westmoreland Clinic. The CHCS and KDOL staffs worked together to address the leading causes of reportable injuries and illnesses in the healthcare industry. Programs and procedures, addressing everything from trips and falls, to needle sticks, to the national prevalence of workplace violence in the healthcare setting, were developed and implemented. Fall prevention, bloodborne pathogen, and ergonomic hazard abatements were also integrated into the CHCS's growing health and safety program.

A "Safety First" mentality

"Emphasizing workplace safety led to a number of positive changes and enhanced the safety culture. It is really an adoption of a 'Safety First' mentality that permeates everything we do," said Chief Operating Officer, Lorraine Meyer, "including Lean Huddles, which feature a safety cross as a core component, allowing associates to develop situational awareness – a collective understanding of the state of operations – and report and anticipate safety events."

"There are real, tangible benefits to participating in the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program," said Willert. "We at CHCS have experienced these benefits." The economic benefits to staff are realized through prevented injuries and illnesses and include such factors as reduced pain and suffering, decreased lost income (above and beyond that compensated by workers' compensation), and avoided dislocating effects of permanent partial disabilities.

Cost savings

Economic benefits to CHCS have also included avoiding various indirect costs associated with workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths, such as loss of productivity; cost of hiring and training replacement workers; property damage; and technical, managerial, and administrative time spent conducting accident investigations, documenting incidents, and filing claims. Fewer injuries also means less money paid out by the workers' compensation system, so these reduced payments are considered a benefit as well. These reduced payments are not savings directly realized by employers, but reduced workplace injuries and reduced payments from the workers' compensation system will eventually lead to reduced premiums for employers.

In 2011, CHCS's Workers' Compensation premium was $192,389. This number reflects claims from 2007, 2008, and 2009. During that timeframe, CHCS incurred $406,650.61 in lost wages (time away from work) and $50,262.49 in medical claims. "We knew we had to be more proactive in controlling the claims," said Meyer. "Therefore, we initiated a 'Great Catch Program' by rewarding staff for informing us of a near miss, so we could correct the problem before an injury occurred. In addition, we implemented safe lifting programs and provided a lot of education to employees on how to work safe."

In 2016, CHCS had an all-time low workers' compensation insurance premium of $88,430. This reflects claims in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Community HealthCare System only paid $21,108.72 in medical claims, and no lost time claims were paid. On August 21, 2015, CHCS also hit a peak of 1,566,157 person hours worked without a lost time incident. This is quite an achievement in a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week healthcare setting with a number of facilities.

Community HealthCare System's workers' compensation premium in 2018 (claims from 2014, 2015, 2016) was $101,718. This increase in premiums resulted from an increase in employee salaries. Medical claims stayed level, and CHCS still did not pay out any lost wages. (NOTE: From 2014 through 2017, the CHCS Total Recordable Case Rate (TRC) was zero, and the Days Away, Restricted, and/ or Transfer Rate (DART) was also zero. In comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the national average TRC was 5.4 for NAICS Code 621111, and the national average DART rate was 1.4 for this period. Note also that 2016 is the most recent year these BLS data are available.)

Spinning fan blades

"When it comes to safety, CHCS is always quick to go the extra mile," said Christina Hasencamp, RN, Employee Health Nurse. For example, during the first Westmoreland Clinic walkthrough, CHCS staff posed a question about a heater in the entryway to the clinic. This heater exposed staff to spinning fan blades because the on/off switch was behind the protective outer cover. The KDOL and CHCS staff brainstormed possible abatements, resulting in the addition of an interior fan guard to protect staff. These guards were installed, not only on the Westmoreland Clinic heater, but also on heaters like it throughout all CHCS facilities.

SHARP recognition

Community HealthCare System's Onaga/St. Marys facility is the only hospital in the state of Kansas recognized by OSHA as a SHARP participant. Only four hospitals in America have earned this distinction. Onaga Hospital has consistently maintained this status since 2002.

In 2002, the Centralia, Onaga, and St. Marys Clinics were the first in the network to earn the OSHA SHARP award. The number of CHCS facilities to earn this distinction has grown steadily over time. With the June 6, 2018, addition of the Westmoreland Clinic, CHCS now has 14 SHARP sites.

About the program

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), On-Site Consultation Program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. To locate the OSHA On-Site Consultation program nearest you, call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit www.osha.gov/consultation.