Centers of Occupational Health & Education (COHE)
About
COHE Request for Proposal (RFP) is now available. Download the RFP by logging into WEBS, and using Search Opportunities to locate the solicitation. You may filter by organization (Labor & Industries).
Centers of Occupational Health and Education (COHEs) work with medical providers, employers, and injured workers in a community-based program. The COHEs improve injured worker outcomes and reduce disability by training providers and performing case coordination.
L&I works with Washington business and labor representatives to design and implement Centers of Occupational Health and Education (COHEs). Workers Compensation Advisory Committee, Health Care Subcommittee (WCAC-HC) is an advisory committee of representatives of business, labor and the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, which has provided advice and direction to the project from its beginning.
There are currently 4 COHEs in Washington State:
- Renton COHE at (vmccohe.valleymed.org) at Valley Medical Center, Renton, WA.
- Harborview Medical Center.
- Eastern Washington COHE (www.goCOHE.com) at St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute, Spokane, WA.
- The Everett Clinic (www.everettclinic.com).
*Spokane COHE includes the following counties: Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima counties.
Learn more about the COHE Model - view this short video.
View our video about Developing Best Practices
View our video about Joining or Sponsoring a COHE
For more information about COHE, contact us at HSACOHE@Lni.wa.gov, or by phone at 360-902-5626.
Providers
What does COHE mean to you, the provider?
- Claim assistance from the COHE Health Services Coordinators.
- Access to COHE Advisors, including specialists who agree to see injured workers or can answer your questions.
- Training in occupational health best practices.
- Assistance in implementing occupational health best practices in your office(s).
- Incentives for implementing occupational health best practices.
What are occupational health best practices?
- Submitting a complete Report of Accident (ROA) in 2 business days or less so that claims can be opened quickly.
- Completing an Activity Prescription Form (APF) on the first office visit or when patient restrictions change so that you, the patient, their employer, and their claim manager are all on the same page.
- Contacting an employer when patients have restrictions.
- Contacting your Health Services Coordinator to assist with return-to-work plans.
Get a COHE Fee Schedule (for COHE enrolled providers only).
Providers can review claim details in the Claim and Account Center (CAC).
Find out more about what L&I has to offer medical providers.
How L&I develops occupational health best practices - view this short video.
Links used in this video:
www.Lni.wa.gov/ClaimsIns/Providers/ProjResearchComm/OHS
www.Lni.wa.gov/ClaimsIns/Providers/TreatingPatients/TreatGuide
View our video about What is a COHE?
View our video about Joining or Sponsoring a COHE
Worker
What does COHE mean to you, the worker?
Back to work, back to health. Research shows that returning to normal activity as soon as safely possible after injury reduces the likelihood of long-term disability. Developing goals for returning to work may improve your overall health and outcomes while protecting your income and benefits.
The Centers of Occupational Health & Education (COHEs) offer training and resources to your doctor, but may also be able to help you to plan your return to work. COHEs have Health Services Coordinators (HSCs) that work with doctors, employers, and you to understand your restrictions and find work that is within your restrictions.
Your COHE doctor can help you by:
- Referring you to a COHE HSC for care coordination or help with returning to work.
- Communicating with your employer if you are unable to return to work due to your injury or medical condition.
Contact the COHE to verify that your doctor is participating or to contact your doctor's HSC.
Injured workers can review their claim details in the Claim and Account Center (CAC).
Find out more about what L&I has to offer injured workers.
Employer
What does COHE mean to you, the employer?
The Centers of Occupational Health and Education (COHE) work with you, medical providers, employees, and Labor and Industries' claims manager to coordinate care, facilitate communication, and return your employees to work as soon as safely possible.
Through their Health Services Coordinators (HSCs) COHEs offer a variety of services to employers including:
- Resolving questions and clarifying communication with medical providers.
- Helping set appropriate return-to-work expectations with injured employees.
- Helping assess and design return-to-work opportunities.
- Getting employers access to L&I resources.
- Training medical providers on occupational health best practices.
Employers can trigger HSCs to review their claims. Contact an HSC at the COHE in your area.
Getting your employee back to work makes sense! Research shows that returning to normal activity as soon as safely possible after injury reduces the likelihood of long-term disability. Helping your employees develop expectations for returning to work and keeping in contact with them so they feel involved in their workplace can improve their outcomes while protecting their income and keeping your premiums lower.
Contact a COHE in your area to verify that an attending doctor is part of a COHE.
Employers can review their claim details in the Claim and Account Center (CAC).
Find out more about what L&I has to offer employers of injured workers.
Research & Results
L&I's Health Services Analysis team works with Centers of Occupational Health & Education (COHEs) to pilot new best practices. These occupational health best practices are often developed in partnership with the University of Washington (UW).
UW has evaluated the COHEs and found that workers treated by COHE providers have fewer time-loss days and their claims have overall lower costs. These savings benefit employers and workers by lowering injury costs.
From the extensive evaluation by the UW, the program has transitioned to a quarterly report that illustrates the overall aggregated impact of the COHEs. Measurement information is supplied by L&I Research & Data Services and L&I Actuarial Services.
- View our most recent COHE Program Report (257 KB PDF).
L&I works to ensure that best practices are implemented successfully and that COHEs are given data that helps them provide the best service to providers, employers, and workers.
For more information on COHE evaluation results, contact us at HSACOHE@Lni.wa.gov, or by phone at 360-902-5626.
To see how L&I develops occupational health best practices - view this short video.
Links used in this video:
www.Lni.wa.gov/ClaimsIns/Providers/ProjResearchComm/OHS
www.Lni.wa.gov/ClaimsIns/Providers/TreatingPatients/TreatGuide
View our video about What is a COHE?
View our video about Joining or Sponsoring a COHE
Expansion
COHE Request for Proposal (RFP) is now available! You can download the RFP by logging into WEBS, and using Search Opportunities to locate the solicitation. You may filter by organization (Labor & Industries).
We're expanding COHE
New legislation in 2011 requires the COHE project to expand statewide so that all injured workers will have access to a COHE by 2015.
In January 2013, we released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for organizations interested in sponsoring COHEs. You must be registered in WEBS (Washington's Electronic Business Solutions) to get future updates and the RFP. (See below). We will select at least 6 COHEs in 2013.
What we're doing now
To meet our goal of expanding access to COHE to 100% of workers, employers, and providers by 2015 we are testing our revised standards, sustainable financing and accountability with our existing 4 COHEs.
In addition, we are providing a COHE Toolkit (with examples, templates, and tools) to clarify COHE operational processes.
Don't miss out on important updates - register now for WEBS
We will send updates and release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to interested parties through WEBS. You and/or your organization must be registered in WEBS to be notified about the RFP.
L&I will communicate to parties interested in sponsoring a COHE through WEBS. You and/or your organization must be registered in WEBS to be notified about the RFP.
How to register
| If you are: | You should: |
| Not yet registered in WEBS |
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| Already registered in WEBS |
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Still have questions? Contact Susan Campbell, COHE Expansion Coordinator, at 360-902-5053.
View this short video on how to join or sponsor a COHE:
Links used in this video:
www.Lni.wa.gov/ClaimsIns/Providers/ProjResearchComm/OHS
www.Lni.wa.gov/ClaimsIns/Providers/TreatingPatients/TreatGuide
More videos:
Contact us at HSACOHE@Lni.wa.gov, or by phone at 360-902-5626 with your additional questions OR to let us know if we can visit your community to discuss how to start a COHE.
