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NY Workers’ Compensation COVID-19 Update: Board Announces Medical Director’s Office Appointments and Bulletin

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NY Workers’ Compensation COVID-19 Update: Board Announces Medical Director’s Office Appointments and Bulletin

Key Takeaways:

  • The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board has announced new appointments to the Medical Director’s Office

  • The Board also shared a bulletin from the Medical Director’s Office regarding the latest knowledge, assessment, and treatment information pertaining to COVID-19

  • The Board indicated it will issue additional bulletins as more information develops

New Appointments to Medical Director’s Office

The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board has announced new appointments to the Medical Director’s Office: Brian Gordon, M.D. and James A. Tacci, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., (FACOEM, FACPM). Dr. Gordon will serve as Medical Director and Dr. Tacci will serve as the Board’s Executive Medical Policy Director.

The Medical Director’s Office serves to provide information related to finding an authorized health care provider, becoming an authorized provider, HP-1 arbitration process, medical fee schedules, medical guidelines, independent medical examination issues, and other health care related matters.

Read the Board’s press release here.

Medical Director’s Office Bulletin

The Board also shared a bulletin from the Medical Director’s Office regarding the latest clinical knowledge and assessment and treatment information pertaining to COVID-19.

The bulletin presents an introduction to the disease including organ systems effected, possible psychiatric and psychological implications, progression, risk factors, symptoms, testing, diagnostic tools, treatment, and medical provider recommendations for reporting. Highlights include:

  • Categories for positive SARS-CoV-2: mild, moderate, severe, and critical
  • Progression from a clinical view including potential timetables
  • The likelihood of severe/fatal disease is highest in people aged over 65 years.
  • Others at highest risk for severe COVID-19 illness include people of any age with certain underlying conditions including: hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, renal disease, and obesity.
  • Symptoms: general malaise, fever (not in all patients), cough (productive or nonproductive), difficulty breathing, chills, rigors, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell, diarrhea, abdominal pain, falls (due to balance issues, weakness, hypoxemia), and fatigue
  • Testing: Workers’ Compensation Board regulations allow for one COVID-19 test per work-related exposure and as pre-operative testing
  • Explanation of diagnostic tools from x-ray and CT scan to cardiology, neurologic, pulmonary and vascular
  • Treatment is to be administered in accord with CDC and DOH requirements
  • Recovery periods, including long-term consequences
  • Medical provider reporting as to the nature and extent of public contact, as well as likelihood of work related transmission

Read the bulletin here.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For a complete list of high-level guidance and updates from the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board, please see our New York State Workers’ Compensation Board COVID-19 Initiative Overview.

For more information or immediate guidance, contact: