Chesapeake’s Health and Claims Services Offer Novel Approach to Comp Care

Danielle Quinn, PharmD, knew she wanted to be a pharmacist from a very young age. Nechelle Nesmith, M.D., excelled at math and science in grade school. These two women would go on to fulfill their childhood dreams by caring for others as part of Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company’s new integrated Health and Claims Services Team.

“The opportunity to help someone is why I went into medicine,” explains Dr. Nesmith. “At Chesapeake Employers Insurance, you really can have an impact for the better on someone’s life.”

Chesapeake’s Health and Claims Services team offers a novel approach to Chesapeake Employers’ responsibility for providing quality care to the employees of the nearly 22,400 Maryland businesses we insure for workers’ compensation coverage who have been injured on the job. Medical professionals such as Drs. Quinn and Nesmith work hand-in-hand with claims professionals such as Kathy Piunti, Claims Director at Chesapeake Employers Insurance, and her team to ensure prompt care is delivered for the best outcomes for both injured workers and the companies they work for.

Sound Efforts to Enhance Medical Care, Control Costs

Chesapeake Employers’ CEO Tom Phelan began putting this team together several years ago to ensure that injured workers received the best quality of care and to address the rising cost of medical expenses for treating injured workers. His vision was to create an in-house team that would set Chesapeake Employers apart from other workers’ compensation insurance companies.

Today, Chesapeake Employers’ novel Health and Claims Services team includes:

• Three doctors – a Medical Utilization Specialist and two Orthopedic Surgeons. The doctors review medical care in various claims involving injured workers who typically have not returned to work.

• More than 20 nurses on staff, including those who specialize in pain management. The nurses assist injured workers through the course of their injury, ensuring that the care rendered is medically necessary and offers the best outcomes.

• A Pharmacist and a Pharmacy Nurse on staff, who focus on the best and safest medication to treat an injury, especially when it involves opioids, with an eye on the cost effectiveness for all prescribed medications.

• A Physical Therapist on staff, who manages physical therapy visits and reviews therapy documentation with a focus on active, restorative interventions that encourage patient participation and responsibility in the rehabilitation process.

• The team of health care professionals works side-by-side with highly experienced claims specialists to ensure that medical treatment for injured workers is thorough and appropriate.

• The entire group also works closely with a Pharmacy Benefits Manager, which allows Chesapeake Employers to closely monitor prescribed medications, review trends and control costs.

Adds Dr. Quinn: “It’s a collaborative effort between claims and health services. We are working in tandem with Claims to improve care and decrease costs – to enhance the experience for the injured worker, the policyholder, the agent – everyone along that chain. We want to ensure the best possible experience for all stakeholders.”

These women are part of the conversations at the very top of the organization, helping to position Chesapeake Employers Insurance as the leader in comp in Maryland.

For more information, visit Chesapeake Employers’ website at www.ceiwc.com or contact your independent insurance agent.