Archive for the ‘Healthcare’ Category

« Older Entries

USPS Postal Employees Still Among Highest Injured Federal Employees in 2010

Monday, June 6th, 2011

OSHA publishes its Federal Injury and Illness Statistics for each fiscal year.  In 2010, United States Postal Employees were among the most affected, by work-related injury and illness, of all federal employees.  In past years, the USPS had 48,000+ reported cases of injury and illness.  2010 was improved, with 40,588 reported cases.  Incidentally, 40,588 is 2nd only to the Federal Government (executive, legislative, and judicial branches combined) with 67,996 cases. 

I like to report on this information each year because the statistics are very interesting.  US Postal Employees have very physically demanding jobs.  In 2010, nearly 7% of the 593,850 USPS employees reported cases of work injury or illness.  That’s about 1 in 14.  With that in mind, take a look at the following data.

The Census Bureau reported 18% of its employees as having work related injury and illness.

Customs and Border Protection had nearly 10%

The Forest Service had just over 7%.

The Bureau of Prisons had almost 7%.

Those 4 agencies are the only federal agencies with a higher incidence of work-related injury and illness than the United States Postal Service. 

The Department of Defense had 2.58%

The FBI had 3.36%

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had 5.32%

The Social Security Administration had 1.25%.

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs had 3.74%.

If you are a USPS employee, your chances of sustaining a work injury are very high.  Call WOLMED if you are hurt on the job.  We can help you today.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in DOL/FEDERAL WORKERS COMP, USPS Injuries, United States Postal Service | No Comments »

WOLMED Patients Give Great Feedback in 2010

Monday, February 14th, 2011

WOLMED Patient Feedback:  Direct Quotes from Happy Patients in 2010

 1.     Best people I’ve ever encountered and the doctor is great!

2.     They were great!

3.     Everyone is always very nice.

4.     I like you guys.

5.     Above and beyond.  Thank you.

6.     I work hard and so do your people.

7.     The staff here and care I received at WOLMED has been first rate.  I recommend you to all my colleagues.  Thank you.

8.     Love WOLMED!!

9.     Awesome!!

10.   Staff very friendly.

11.     Everyone is friendly.

12.    EXCELLENT!

13.    Great job!

14.     They are wonderful!

15.    Very nice and helpful.  Dr. Helsten always treats me with dignity.

16.    Love coming here!

17.     Very welcoming staff.

18.      Staff very concerned with health and improvement.

19.      Dr. Wolski is my favorite doctor.

20.     Lovely staff and doctor.

21.      WOLMED is the best clinic ever.  Dr. Helsten, Janet, and all staff are superior.

22.      You guys are awesome!

23.      Dr. Wolski and staff rock!

24.      You all are always professional and sweet.  Your availability is beyond amazing.  My husband and I are lucky to have ya’ll around. 

25.      Great medical care with a very friendly staff.

26.       The doctor was wonderful.  He was not only knowledgeable but compassionate and empathetic.

27.      Ya’ll are always great.

28.      The staff is wonderful and courteous.

29.      Everyone is so nice and generally cares.

30.       Awesome doctor!  Girls up front are awesome!

31.        Love you guys!  You’ve taken care of me for 10 years.

32.       Dr. Helsten is always kind and compassionate.  5 years and still satisfied patient.

33.        The doctor goes above and beyond.

34.       Wonderful operation.  No other clinic like yours.

35.       Simply the best!!!

36.       Love this place and the people.

37.       I wish all doctors were just as caring as Dr. Helsten.

38.       I love WOLMED.  They have been great to me and helpful with getting me better from my injuries.

39.        Always great service and nice people.

40.        No other clinic like Wolski Medical.  Dr. Helsten is one of a kind. Please stay forever.

41.         Janet, you always cheer me up.  Thank you.

42.        Outstanding staff and service!  Have and will continue to recommend to others.

43.        All of your staff is very excellent.  Thank you all.

44.        I like Dr. Helsten.  He is a nice man.

45.        I have been really impressed through this ordeal.  The people here have always been more interested in my health and welfare over money.  Thank you.

 46.       Great attention to detail, especially with dealing with OWCP.

 47.       Helsten is the best!

 48.       I couldn’t begin to say enough about WOLMED.  They really care about you here.

 49.       Great experience!  Thanks.

 50.      The doctors and staff here have been a great help to me.  Thanks.

 51.       You guys are the best!

 52.      Very professional.  They take the time to answer all questions and I never feel rushed.

 53.      Dr. Helsten is the best!!!

 54.      Excellent!  Love Dr. Helsten.

 55.      Excellent!  I’m happy with the care the staff and Dr. Helsten give me.

 56.      The doctor’s staff is wonderful.

 57.      Janet made today so amazing.  Every time I come in here I’m nervous, but she is so nice and I’m very thankful for her.

 58.      Very pleased with entire environment, including the rehab staff.

 59.      Best place anywhere!  I come from Dallas just to be treated here.

 60.     Staff was very friendly and professional.  I really appreciate the service I received.  Thank you.

 61.      Dr. Helsten is the best doctor I have every used.  I drive all the way from Plano to see him.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Healthcare | No Comments »

DOL Doctors in Dallas, TX

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

WOLMED in Dallas, TX specializes in work injuries, especially work injuries from the Department of Labor (DOL Injuries).  Treating injured workers in federal workers compensation is different from work injuries in Texas Workers Compensation.  The rules are very different.  The required forms are different.  Impairment Ratings (Schedule Awards) work differently too.  You really have to be careful when choosing a treating doctor in federal workers compensation because lots of doctors are very good at Texas Workers Compensation, but they may not have the specialized knowledge and specialized staff needed to do the best possible job for injured DOL patients.  What if your CA forms are filled out wrong?  For starters, that’s very bad.  This could cost you a lot of money in lost wages (at least temporarily) and if the mistake is serious enough, it could cost a person their job unnecessarily.  In DOL / Federal Workers Comp, the injured workers simply can’t afford these kinds of mistakes.  So, choose a doctor who is an expert in Federal Workers Comp / DOL.  This is critically important.

At WOLMED, we treat a high number of injured workers from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) and from the United States Postal Service (USPS).  They like that in addition to us being experts in Federal Workers Compensation, we also use Medical Doctors who can manage every aspect of an injured worker’s medical care.  And, the patients / injured workers like WOLMED too because we always make patients #1.  These federal injured workers always give us excellent feedback and high ratings.

If you or someone you know and love are hurt at work for a federal agency like the VA or the Post office, you need to give WOLMED a call.  We will get you in today and immediately begin helping you get better.  We will do our part to keep your  job safe and you will get better and be happy.

We want to be your Federal Workers Comp doctor.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in DOL/FEDERAL WORKERS COMP, USPS Injuries, United States Postal Service | 6 Comments »

Rain or Snow, the Mailman Delivers

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

According to CBS 11, the DFW area set a record of 9.4″ of snow – the most snow to ever fall in a single calendar day (as of 9:30pm).  The roads were slick and terrible.  Schools were closed, businesses closed early, and the post office delivered.  The road in front of my house had snow up to the top of the curb and the mailman drove his mail truck from one mailbox to the next and at just about the same time as every other day.  I was amazed at the perseverance of the United States Postal Service.  They really do deliver the mail regardless of the weather.  I think we should all make an effort to meet our postal delivery person and say thank you.  They have a really hard job and they often risk their safety in the line of duty, like today.  We all get our mail on time, every day, come rain or snow, because the USPS goes the extra mile.  We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in USPS Injuries, United States Postal Service | 1 Comment »

Driving While Distracted (DWD)

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

With cell phones and driving, we have a new term called Driving While Distracted (DWD).  Using cell phones while driving is already illegal in many states across the country.  This is due to the high number of auto injuris that result from drivers who were distracted by talking or texting on the cell phone.  Nationwide Insurance has published some not-so-surprising statistics related to DWD.

In a 2008 survey by Nationwide Insurance, 67 percent of people admitted to using a cell phone while driving.  That means that roughly 2 out of every 3 drivers on the road are using their cell phones while driving.  The number one source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device, according to Virginia Tech researchers.  As a result, driving while distracted is a factor in 1 out of every 4 police reported crashes.

A 2005 controlled study of Australian drivers found that cell phone users were four times as likely to get into an accident serious enough to injure them.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that phone conversation tasks typically decrease reaction times, travel speeds, and increase lane deviations and steering wheel movements.

Drivers on cell phones cause serious auto injuries.  If you or someone you know was injured in a car wreck due to the other driver being distracted with a cell phone, call WOL+MED today.  We can help you.  Our medical doctors are auto injury experts.  If you think you need a personal injury attorney, we can also help you find the right lawyer for you.  You need a doctor who can help you with all of your auto injury concerns.  We can help you.  We want to be your doctor.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Attorney, Auto Injuries, Healthcare, Lawyer, Minor Emergency, Personal Injury, Urgent Care | No Comments »

Pain Affects Over 76 Million Americans

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

A study published by the American Pain Foundation reports that over 76 million Americans suffer from pain.  The study found that pain actually affects about 1 1/2 times as many people as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer COMBINED.   Adults age 45 to 64 are most likely to experience pain, with slightly more women than men experiencing pain.  Most startling of all of the data is that 42% of people in pain report experiencing pain for more than one year. 

20% of adults said that pain interrupted their sleep at least a few nights per week.  The most common source of pain was low back pain, followed by severe headaches and migraines, and neck pain.  Adults with low back pain were found to be more than 4 times more likely to experience serious psychological distress than those without low back pain.

The final part of the study describes the sad reality that so many people never get treated for their pain symptoms or wait until their symptoms are as bad as possible before seeing a doctor.  This happens for lots of reasons, but none of them are good ones.  If you’re experiencing pain, call your doctor.  If pain is keeping you awake at night, call your doctor.  If pain has made you feel depressed, call your doctor.  If your pain won’t go away, call your doctor.   Don’t let pain take control of your life – call your doctor.

WOL+MED CARF Pain Management has been a good solution for hundreds of other people who have suffered from persistent, chronic pain symptoms.  Our medical doctors can help you TODAY.  Don’t be one of those people who continue to suffer without getting help.  Call your doctor.  Call WOL+MED.

Denton: (940) 484-7000, Dallas:  (972) 572-5000

For more information on this pain study, go to http://www.painfoundation.org/newsroom/reporter-resources/pain-facts-figures.html.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Chronic Pain, Healthcare, Pain Management | 1 Comment »

Are you experiencing Weakness or Fatigue?

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Weakness is a lack of physical or muscle strength and the feeling that performing normal daily activities just takes too much effort.

Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness, exhaustion, or lack of energy.

Both weakness and fatigue are symptoms of a larger problem, but not diseases. Because these symptoms can be caused by many other health problems, it is important to be evaluated by your doctor to find the cause of your problems.

Weakness can be caused by:

‘  Hypothyroidism – A low thyroid level that can be dangerous if left untreated.

‘  Hyperthyroidism – A high thyroid level that can be dangerous if left untreated.

‘  A problem with the minerals (electrolytes) found naturally in the body, such as low levels of potassium or sodium.

‘  Guillain-Barre Syndrome – a rare nerve disorder that causes weakness in the legs, arms, and other muscles and that can progress to complete paralysis.

‘  Myasthenia Gravis – a rare, chronic disorder that causes weakness and rapid muscle fatigue.

Muscle weakness that is slowly getting worse requires a visit to the doctor.  Call WOL+MED to see a doctor today.

Fatigue can be caused by:

‘  A decrease in the amount of hemoglobin that carries oxygen throughout the body.

‘  Problems with the heart, such as coronary artery disease or heart failure that limit the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle or the rest of the body.

‘  Metabolic disorders, such as diabetes.

‘  Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

‘  Kidney disease and liver failure.

‘  Anxiety or depression.

‘  The use of prescription and nonprescription medicines.

‘  The use or abuse of alcohol, caffeine, or illegal drugs.

Fatigue that lasts longer than 2 weeks usually requires a visit to the doctor.  This type of fatigue may be caused by a more serious health problem such as those mentioned above.  WOL+MED doctors can help you with these problems.

In 2009, 60% of patients at WOL+MED, who complained of weakness and fatigue, were between the ages of 35 and 54.  That’s a 20-year age range!  If you or someone you love is having symptoms of weakness or fatigue, talk to your medical provider about finding out the reasons why as well as the possible solutions. 

WOL+MED doctors can help.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Healthcare | No Comments »

2008 Texas Serious Auto Injury Statistics

Monday, December 21st, 2009

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were 61,954 serious injury crashes in the state of Texas.  Denton county had 1,208 serious injury crashes, Collin county had 1,616, Dallas County had 5,532, and Tarrant County had 4,491.

The #1 contributing factor to these serious injury crashes was failing to control speed, followed by driver inattention (going too fast and not paying attention). 

The following data is the most surprising.  If you were asked what the weather conditions were of most injuries, you would probably say rainy or icy conditions or driving at night.  You would be wrong.  63% of serious injury crashes occurred during daylight hours and 88% happened during dry road conditions.  Less than 7% of serious injury crashes happened during rainy conditions.  Serious injury crashes happened only about 10% of the time when combining wet and icy road conditions.

Finally, the ages of drivers who were in serious injury accidents was not as surprising.  Of those accidents where the driver’s age was reported, 27% were between the ages of 18 and 25, 23% were between the ages of 26 and 35, 19% were 36  to 45, 16% were 46 to 55, and 15% were 56+.

So, what does this data tell us?  For one, watch out for young adults driving too fast in near-perfect conditions.  I always assumed (and was wrong) that most serious injuries happened during poor weather / driving conditions, but everyone knows that the younger drivers are the most at risk for car accidents.

What do you do when you are hurt in a car wreck?  Always call the police and get an accident report.  This is very helpful for your insurance company.  Call 911 if you or someone else is seriously injured.  See a doctor who specializes in auto injuries as soon as possible following the accident.  WOL+MED, for example, can see you the same day as your injury, and we specialize in auto injuries and urgent care.  Also, you might need a personal injury lawyer and believe me, there are some really good ones out there.

Personal Injury Attorneys specialize in dealing directly with your insurance company and with the other driver’s insurance company.  They make sure that all of your injuries and auto damages are fully covered.  Many people think they can do all of this alone, but personal injury lawyers know how to get over the hurdles that some insurance carriers put in the way.  As far as doctor’s bills are concerned, a personal injury attorney will give the doctor a letter of protection (LOP) and this will allow you to get all of the treatment you need with no out-of-pocket cost.  Car accidents are unexpected to say the least.  You’re not planning on having to pay doctor’s bills and auto body expenses.  LOP’s will help you get all of that done with far less financial stress.

WOL+MED knows who the good personal injury lawyers are and we can recommend someone to you who will do the right job for you.  If you or a loved one has been in a serious auto injury, give WOL+MED a call.  We are auto injury experts and we want to be your doctor. 

For more information, visit on the web at www.wolmed.com.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Attorney, Auto Injuries, Chronic Pain, Healthcare, Law, Lawyer, Minor Emergency, Pain Management, Personal Injury, Urgent Care | No Comments »

Do You Need a Workers Comp Attorney in Your Corner?

Friday, December 18th, 2009

In order to remain CARF accredited, WOL+MED is required to provide access or referral to legal entities for appropriate representation and to have information available to our patients regarding advocacy.  In other words, we are required to help patients find attorneys who can help them with the legal aspects of their work injuries.  Workers Comp attorneys can be very helpful for injured workers.  Very often, people who were hurt on the job have trouble getting their injuries approved by the insurance carrier and sometimes they have difficulty getting their entire injury claim accepted.  Attorneys can file for Benefit Review Conferences (BRC) and Contested Case Hearings (CCH) that often clear up the problems that injured workers have for getting treatment.

BRC’s and CCH’s can be overwhelming and intimidating for injured workers because they have to attend the hearings and represent themselves against lawyers and other workers comp experts who are trying to keep their case closed.  If the case is closed, then injured workers can’t get the treatment they need to get better.  When they can’t get better, they often lose their jobs, suffer from depression and financial loss, and more.  Workers Comp attorneys can usually prevent these bad things from happening.

CARF recognizes the need for patients to have legal advocacy and so does WOL+MED.  We can recommend very good, qualified workers compensation lawyers who will help get your case open or keep it open and help get your work injuries accepted by the insurance carrier.

Some people worry that they will have to pay the attorney and that usually is not true.  Most of the time, the workers comp attorney is paid a percentage by insurance carriers, but ONLY when you get paid and ONLY when your case is going well.  These lawyers have to do the right job for you before they ever get paid.  The other thing that is very important to remember is that if you have to be off work due to a work injury that is not accepted by the insurance carrier, you most likely will not get paid.  When your attorney gets your claim approved, that also keeps your checks coming.  Many patients think that’s worth it since they wouldn’t get paid without their attorney.

When you’re hurt at work, the last thing you should have to worry about is if you will have insurance problems or if you will have to pay money out of your own pocket to get treatment.  It’s not fair to you when that happens.  WOL+MED helps you with these problems by recommending very good, qualified workers comp attorneys to be in your corner.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Attorney, Chronic Pain, Healthcare, Law, Lawyer, Minor Emergency, Pain Management, USPS Injuries, Urgent Care, WORK INJURIES, WORKERS COMP, Workers Comp Attorney, Workers Compensation | 2 Comments »

WOL+MED Earns Maximum CARF Accreditation

Friday, December 11th, 2009

WOL+MED has earned its 3rd straight maximum CARF accreditation for Pain Management, Work Hardening, and Work Conditioning.  CARF stands for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehab Facilities.  This is the international “Gold Standard” in rehabilitation.  By the end of the current accreditation period, WOL+MED will have been accredited for a full decade.  To become CARF accredited, a medical / physical therapy facility has to meet or exceed hundreds of standards for excellence.  Among these standards are those requiring accessibility into the rehab programs, tracking of excellent outcomes, patient satisfaction, maintaining an excellent medical team, effective business operations, maintaining a safe treatment environment, and much more.  CARF accreditation is an ongoing effort which means that WOL+MED is committed to always providing the highest level of service to its patients and their families.  We don’t have to be CARF accredited.  After all, it’s really hard.  We do it because we know that it makes us better and because we know that it’s important to our patients.

At last check, WOL+MED has the only CARF accredited Pain Management program between Dallas and St. Louis, Missouri (traveling along I-35).  We’re proud of our program and of our patients’ results.  The majority of people who complete our programs get better and are able to get their life back.  With our continued CARF accreditation, we’re committed to that high level of excellence.

If you know someone who suffers with chronic pain or they haven’t gotten the results they expect from other places, please tell them about WOL+MED’s CARF accredited pain management program.  Go to our web site and read the testimonials from other patients who experienced success with WOL+MED.  We can help.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Chronic Pain, Healthcare, Minor Emergency, Pain Management, USPS Injuries, United States Postal Service, Urgent Care, WORK INJURIES, WORKERS COMP, Workers Compensation | 1 Comment »

« Older Entries