Location: initial hospitalization Minnesota. Follow up care – Pennsylvania
Case Summary: Crewmember suffered a 35 foot fall with resultant multiple extremity fractures and head and facial trauma. He was rushed to emergency treatment in a nearby hospital in Minnesota. Future Care immediately assigned a medical case manager, who conducted as assessment of the hospital’s treatment capabilities and those of facilities closer to the crewman’s home in Pennsylvania. The medical case manager reviewed capabilities, pricing and location and identified a suitable hospital near the family. Future Care arranged for transfer and admittance to the new facility where, once stabilized, the crewman was transferred to subacute high level rehabilitation for a lengthy stay due to the nature of the injuries and continuing pain.
Future Care’s medical case manager spoke to the treatment team and pain management specialist on a daily basis to facilitate the necessary changes in pharmacology for optimum pain relief. The medical case manager researched and coordinated the crewman’s eventual transfer to a residential living facility with high level nursing care and monitoring. Subsequently the case manager coordinated the crewman’s discharge and return to the family home, overseeing home modifications, with selection of necessary durable medical equipment.
Thereafter the medical case manager researched and identified specialist physicians for second opinions related to pain management and rehabilitative hand surgery and modalities. Future Care’s medical case manager pursued the goal of the crewman’s maximum medical improvement from all providers from inception through convalescence.
Estimated Savings through Future Care Intervention: While it is difficult to estimate a dollar figure, Future Care’s medical case manager both improved the quality of the crewman’s lengthy medical treatment and increased efficiency, thereby reducing recovery time and consequent expenses. This is, of course, in addition to providing the crewman and family with less tangible but genuine physiological benefits through proactive medical management and communication.
