From the Inside Out: Ensuring Health and Wellness in Industrial Workplaces with Onsite Clinics

Mallory Hendry  00:00:06 

Hello everyone and thanks for joining us today. I'm Mallory Hendry, Content Specialist Manager with Canadian Occupational Safety and I'm pleased to introduce today's webinar from the Inside Out Ensuring Health and Wellness in Industrial Workplaces with Onsite Clinics. We have with us today industry experts Melissa Mannion, Director of Customer Success at Medcor Canada, and Koren Waines, Mental Health and Well being Manager at Medcor Canada as well. Today, they're going to delve into the many benefits of implementing on site health care services, share some more real world examples and best practices with you and equip you with the knowledge necessary to set up and manage these clinics. At the end of the presentation, the panel will participate in a question and answer period. So please be sure to type any questions you may have in the q&a box within the webinar software. I'll turn things over to our panelists now to begin the presentation. Take it away, Melissa. 

Melissa Manion  00:01:02 

Hi, everyone. Thank you for joining us. We're excited to be speaking with you guys today about the importance of our health and wellness clinics. So we're going to do we've already done the welcome and introductions, we're going to talk about the importance of health and wellness and industrial workplaces. We're going to talk about why we should be considering on site clinics, how they can support immediate first aid and emergency care how we can help support ongoing physical care when wellbeing and mental health support implementation strategies, some success stories and case studies and then some challenges and solutions. So we can really work with everyone and showcase how we can support workers well being overall in any workplace, and then we'll have some q&a. So let's get started. So there's so big benefits to the health and wellness in industrial workplaces. Current state, we have some things were in 2022 Canadian workers have reported over 345,000 claims from workplace injuries and illnesses, workplace injuries and illnesses cost companies over $29.4 billion annually in medical expenses and lost productivity. Even though healthcare is free in Canada, there are a lot of things that go into those health care costs. We have physio appointments, chiropractic appointments, medical expenses, like wheelchairs, crutches, boots, and then we talk about the productivity and that we're talking about replacement workers, for those that are injured the supervisors time for when they're going to the hospital and seeking care or maybe being driven to their appointments. There's a lot of things that kind of go into that expense. So while we have free health care, we don't have free health expense. So then clinics come in, and they really help we increase productivity, we reduce absenteeism, and we enhance safety. How do we do that, we make sure that we are helping the employees to be engaged, productive, we want them to feel healthy, which means they want to come to work, and they are healthy, which means they're going to reduce those injuries. And then we really have an impact for every company because then there's the overall business performance we can there can be reduced costs. We're improving morale in employees, and we're helping the companies to have reputations to know that they have top talent can be attracted because they have the resources in place to really make Bennett workers feel like they're supported. And their health is important. So we are going to start with a poll question for the group see how many people have an on site clinic? 

Melissa Manion  00:04:08 

While people are answering the poll, we'll just talk a little bit about how why on site clinics now that we understand the importance of health and wellness and industrial workplaces? Why don't we want to explore the clinics and how they can make a difference. So first thing is immediate access. We get workers have the opportunity to have no wait times providers understand the system and how to navigate that health system. Care is more than just physical. We provide education and support to workers to help keep the focus on test ready, keep workers healthy, keep their focus on their tests and ready to be at work. So we really want to have that overall holistic approach and really make sure that the care is there when workers need it the most. So the poll shows 92% of workers, or people within the webinar today, do not have an on site clinic. So hopefully we'll give you guys some ideas on the importance of it, what we can do or how we can help support that. And some of the other things that you need to consider when you're looking at why is health care important? So why on site clinics, clinics bring the services directly to the workers, and they minimize the frustration of navigating our complex system. We the providers, bring management supervision and support, key performance indicators, and stewardship. So reporting, what types of injuries are you seeing? What day of the week? Are people being injured? What are some of the most common injuries and the time of day that they're being injured, they can provide emergency response and transport. So if someone is injured, the care is provided to them right away. And especially if they need to wait for emergency services, wait times can be long for ambulances. There's occupational health and primary care programs. If there's providers on site, they can not only see the work related injuries, they can help support people who need care now, who have they just don't feel right that day, or something's just been bugging them, or I have questions about my blood pressure, other things that you can do to help me. And so we can, they can provide that primary care, that support within the overall health. There are surveillance programs, respiratory programs, audiometry programs, all the things that we're workplaces need to make sure that there is a compliance requirements for hearing testing, making sure that if they're working within areas where they need to wear masks regularly, how is their respiratory function, things like that all of those surveillance probes can be rolled into that nurses are actually very good at doing those exams. And then we look at the other piece, not just the physical, we look at the mental, the mental health support, are they feeling stressed? Is there something that's causing them to not have their time they're focused on their tasks? Or are they looking at something else is bothering so they don't really want to be at work? Because something is just not right? How can we support that and really bring the best worker to the worksite? So one of the biggest impacts that clinics have is that immediate first aid and emergency care. Clinics help to answer the biggest question when a worker is injured, am I okay? When someone gets injured, it's there's fear. There's I don't know what to do I need to go to the doctor. Something's just not right. Do I need an X ray? What's the next step? And then on site clinic can help answer that question. 

Melissa Manion  00:08:04 

You're okay, this is what we're going to do. Here's the care plan. We're going to take care of you by doing this and this and this, and then you're able to go back to work, you can come back to the clinic, and we're going to take care of you and follow up. Here's what we're going to do today. You're feeling better. Great. Let's do this. Come see me tomorrow. Okay, now you're feeling better, I think you're good to go. And you're ready to go back to work full time, or regular duties and not need to be modified. So we provide that timely intervention, we help with safety and compliance. So there's collaboration clinics provide that collaboration with health and safety individuals to make sure that everything is being met. Is this a recordable? Or is this not? Can we manage it with that first aid level care? We really, clinics really try and make sure their mandate is to keep workers away from the healthcare system and away from needing to file a claim. Examples of some common injuries that that are seeing are cuts and lacerations, sprains, and strains, burns, fractures, all of those can be handled very immediately in a clinic, by any level of provider. And moving into that, this is what happens when an injury or illness occurs, it occurs they come to the clinic and receive 88% return to work. Why? Because we can manage that care, we can provide that education and we can provide that support. providers know what the assessment needs to be. They understand the treatment within their scope, and they understand that there's other referral resources needed if necessary, and they help support that navigation within the system. Worker x comes in requires care, okay. You will need to go see this person at this location. We're going to give you a letter we're going to tell you why you need to go there and we're going to make sure that that resource knows that you're coming. So we can really help take away some of that frustration, some of that, well, what happens next, and we can manage that through all the way to the end, okay, you've gone to your appointment. Now what, what is the person said, here's the information, let's make this treatment plan, let's make this care plan and move forward, and really get you as healthy and productive as possible at the end. So we're reducing those health care costs, we're decreasing the loss of productivity. And we're really trying to also decrease the impact on the local health care system. 

Melissa Manion  00:10:41 

And then we kind of roll over into those ongoing physical cares. When clinics are there, trust gets built with workers, providers get to know who the workers are, workers get to know that that person understands healthcare, understands the needs of the workers understands that. There's not just things that happen at work, there's things that happen at home, there's things that happen after hours. And we're able to really start building that trust and getting people to come and say, Hey, I don't feel great today. So we can do those regular checkups and that preventive care, we can do the health screenings, we can say, there's blood pressure checks, or maybe we need to look at your glucose levels, we can monitor that health care and say, Hey, let's get you an appointment with X, Y, Zed. And really kind of see how we can help get that person to a better place, we can help with chronic disease management. And a lot of that is education as well. If you have diabetes, here are some of the things that you need to do to eat healthy, monitor your medication, the importance of medication compliance, and making sure that you're following the instructions from your primary care provider at all times. And really making sure that we're looking at the diet, exercise, stress management, all those things have an impact on chronic diseases. And when we're looking at that lifestyle counseling, and some of those wellness programs that kind of roll over into the well being and mental health support. And with that, I'm going to hand it over to Koren. 

Koren Waines  00:12:19 

Thank you, Melissa, I am so excited to be here to talk about what we do here at Med core Canada to provide some mental health and wellness supports to clients all over the country. So, first of all, I just want to preface that with saying that employees that are mindful of their mental health and well being in industrial work setting specifically is absolutely crucial. First of all, I'm going to start just by sharing kind of a broader view of what we're seeing in sessions, the things that we're seeing through our mental health support. So we're providing Currently, our virtual proactive mental health supports. And this approach to mental health and wellness is a really valuable addition to any workplace, we really do try our very best to mitigate those concerns for employees long before they become a bigger issue for them. So it really doesn't matter. The industry, the age, the sex, the position of the person has within the company. The truth is we're all people doing the best we can with what we've got on any given day. So life experience, past traumas, the coping mechanisms that we've been modeled and taught all play a part in how we navigate life's challenges. So these are some kind of high level examples of what we're seeing in in the sessions that we do. The first one is taking on more than we can handle. So many of us have different hats we where we're you know, a spouse, a parent, an employee, maybe we're a coach or a volunteer, and we all want to do the best when we take on these roles that we that we can write the best we can we all want to show up for our friends and our family in our in our job and those that we serve. However, oftentimes I hear from people that I'm a people pleaser, I don't actually know how to how to set a healthy boundary. The truth is people don't like it when we say no all the time when they're used to us saying yes. And so just trying to navigate some of that overload and being overloaded, overwhelmed and potentially really avoiding a burnout. Out of that when we when we give good gifts to everybody else around us. Oftentimes we lose sense of self let we lose sight of who we are. Our confidence and our self esteem really does go in the toilet and that can be a difficult thing to rebuild and gain again. Anxiety. I'm sure that this is no surprise to anybody and it and fear over the future things that are out of our control. The uncertainty of what is to come for a lot of people can be a big stress in their life. And then the probably number one is not probably number one reason people reach out for support like ours is how to deal better and manage stress in a healthier way. This might be around health, stress, work related stress, relationship, family, financial, whatever the case might be, we as much as people love to say, Oh, I have no stress in my life. I bet that that's not true. We're all carrying some kind of stress in our lives at almost any given time. Sometimes we're more capable of handling that and good ways than others. We talked to people a lot about poor time management. I noticed during COVID, that a lot of people got put into positions that they maybe weren't prepared for that we got a promotion, we're very excited about that. But the truth is, I'm maybe not very skilled in managing an inbox or a big workload with projects and timelines and deadlines and things like that. And so we see often people feeling again, overwhelmed and going, I've got all these things to do. And I don't even know where to start. And what happens when we feel that way is oftentimes we come to a halt, it's just too much we stop. And then really, we dig ourselves into a bigger hole, we're not being productive in any way. Pardon me, we often hear that people don't want to burden the people in their lives. So they're very grateful to have somebody outside of their circle outside of their spouse or a friend or a family member to vent to share about what is going on in their lives. And so they're just really grateful to have this non judgmental kind of fresh set of eyes on their situation. And then last but not, not least, one of the biggest things we've been hearing, especially since the spring and when the carbon tax came into effect here in Canada is the financial stress. And, and the truth is that we all continue going to work. But the cost of living for US continues to increase. And yet that's not always reflected in the pay. 

Koren Waines  00:17:17 

And that can be really difficult when you're showing up every day trying to provide for your family, you love your job, you love the work that you're doing. And yet you know what you feel like you can't get ahead. So that can be another big stressor for people. So now we're going to move into unique challenges that we see in industrial workplaces. So some of our clients that we have currently that we work with work from remote work locations, you know, Northern British Columbia, or Saskatchewan, where, where they're where they're in remote places, and they're working away from their families, it could be a pipeline project, or a mine of some sort. And we see this a lot in the construction industry as well. So the first one is working away from home for extended periods of time, this can be so difficult when somebody is on site away from their family. And when things go wrong at home, or are stressful at home, it can be a really helpless feeling for somebody who really and truly can't get home to be hands on and help their family with whatever is going on. The other piece we see a lot is is can be a difficulty connecting with loved ones while you're while you're awake. Case in point, some of these remote locations that we that we chat with people is that maybe the Wi Fi isn't always great. And at the end of the shift, all of the workers go out their dinner and they go off to their rooms for the evening. And all they want to do is connect with somebody at home, see their kids faces on FaceTime, but everybody's fighting for the Wi Fi connection. And it can be difficult. That is really frustrating not only for the employee, but for the family members at home. I also see a lot of people whose shifts maybe end later in the day. And I'll hear from people that you know what, sometimes it's four days before I've even laid my eyes on my kids by the time my shift is is done and I either get home or have time to call back to the family. I've got little kids that are already in bed. That's difficult that's hard on the heart. In some of these industrial workplaces too, I think it's pretty pretty common to see that there are adverse working conditions and absolute increased potential for serious injury on the job. That is a unique challenge that you know me working from home. I don't have those challenges specifically. The work in these workplaces can be challenging, both physically and mentally. I know in construction, we hear a lot about these competitive high pressure work environments that can can really take a toll on people feeling the pressure and I've got to be honest with you, nobody puts more pressure on us. And then we put on ourselves. So out of that comes a lack of control over our workload over our workload, tight deadlines, budget concerns, sometimes there's unclear expectations about what what it is we're supposed to do, when we're supposed to have it done and how we're supposed to get there. So all of these kinds of things contribute to, to not feeling great mentally and emotionally, for sure. We chat with a lot of females who are navigating through a predominantly male industry, we see that in construction, I'm sure you can just all imagine, you know, some of the the women who want to feel like they belong, that they are capable of doing what predominantly and historically has been kind of a job that males carry. And they want to be seen as equal. And so that can be a really difficult challenge for some as well. And then we look at the flip side with these macho expectations, that that for years and decades has been told to some of these male dominant industries, that it's weak, if you put your hand up and say that you're not doing well, right. So they pretend that they're okay, they're reluctant to speak out. Maybe they're afraid that there will be repercussions or something like that, if they do. And so that breeds into an you know, an inability really to process emotions in healthy ways. And what happens when we don't take the stress, the emotions that we're feeling about things, is that we often turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, we would rather ignore the fact that any of this is happening, you know, I'm still going to work every day, or maybe, you know, most of the time. 

Koren Waines  00:21:53 

And the truth is, I don't want to face it, it's, I'm not sure what to do with it. So we bottle things up, we avoid it, ignore it distract ourselves, or we tend to numb it with things like drugs and alcohol, which are absolutely not the answer, not a healthy answer. And so lastly, I hear about, you know, I showed up at work today, short with my, with my co workers, I am not very patient, and I'm taking things out on the people around me. And so what do we do peer to peer when we see those things, and those changes happen in people. We don't know where it's coming from. Right. So that can be some some high level unique challenges we see in those types of spaces. Next, we're going to talk about the negative effects of not dealing with our mental health. So we just talked about some of those challenges. So what happens when we are the person who brushes it under the rug, and we don't deal with it. The first thing are physical effects. So this is really I like to look at the basic self care of people. This is when we're not taking care of our basic needs. So number one, our hygiene. I talked to people who sometimes are really only able, physically and mentally to get themselves to shower once a day, once a week. Maybe they're not shaving, I know I can log on to a session with somebody and see, you know, five days growth and the demeanor is different. I will often ask what's going on with you, you're scruffy today, right? You're not? Are you taking care of yourself. Maybe their clothes are dirty. Those types of things that that are actually physical that and outward that we can see with people around us. But maybe it affects their eating. Maybe they're overeating for comfort, or they feel like they have to force themselves to eat, sleeping, we're not sleeping well we're waking up often through the night we're having trouble falling asleep, or the the opposite of that wanting to sleep more than usual. That also is not is not a good sign. And then exercise, it's always the very first thing to get pushed to the side when we're feeling like we have no energy and are tired and not doing well. 

Koren Waines  00:24:07 

The second piece is mental clarity. So when we are feeling distracted, unfocused, we may feel like we're having a difficult time making decisions, our performance has dropped. Those are the types of things that I mentioned when it comes to you know, having our hand in the game, so to speak. Relationships suffer, this can be fed of family, friends, just those people outside of our workplace, right. So again, when we take on too much. We often bring that home with us when we call home when we go home at the end of the day, we can be short with the people that we care about the most and I hear it all the time my wife thinks she's getting the leftovers, right? There's nothing much left in the tank at the end of the day. I gave it all to my work and she feels like she's you know the bottom of the totem pole type type of speak, not a priority. And sometimes I even hear you know what my people in my life are tired of hearing about my stress. And last but not least, is decreased motivation. So this is really where this all of these physical tools have a big weight and an impact on how we feel about ourselves. It's not a good feeling when we don't feel accomplished. When we have so many things on the go, we're not sure where to start with the scrap us like we're scrambling, we feel scattered, oftentimes people will procrastinate and put things off that shouldn't be getting addressed. So those are some of the negative effects that we have when we're not dealing with our mental health. 

Koren Waines  00:25:39 

And I love to speak about fit for doing the duty being mentally fit for duty. So these things that I just spoke about, they really don't allow us to show up well, and they can be hidden. Often, nobody really knows what the underlying causes part of me of the changes that they see in us, it's not like we broke her leg, and we're walking around on crutches and we have a cast on her leg, we get very, very good at hiding things. And so these are some of the negative effects of us actually showing up and being really fit for our workplace that increased absenteeism or frequently late to work. Oftentimes, I hear people say, you know, I don't have a mental health Sick Day. So I'm just going to call in sick and tell them I have a migraine, when the truth is, life is just too much right now. And I need I need a day to kind of focus on myself and regroup. Again, that unfocused unproductive piece that I chatted about in the last slide. In construction, we see a very high risk of substance abuse and an increased risk of suicide. Unfortunately, the statistics show that in construction, these are our big concern. And ultimately, this all leaves us unsafe on the job, not just for us, but for everybody around us. And as much as we want to kind of check our stress at the door when we show up to work. That's easier said than done. So what are some solutions for proactively addressing these concerns? We're going to chat about that. So we're going to pull up a poll question here. And I'll just give you a few seconds to read that. Pardon me. 

Koren Waines  00:27:35 

So really, I find this interesting when when I'm chatting with employers, you know, just asking that question, how many of you have an employee assistance program or an EAP available to your workforce? The second part of that is, how many of you know what is actually included in that? EAP? And then lastly, how many of you would say with certainty that your workforce knows of the supports that are available to them? And how to access them? If and when they would? They would like? So that's these are good questions, I think to ask. Awesome, good. I love this number. 92% say that they have an EAP available to them. That's excellent. Love that. So thank you. I'm just going to share a few stats that we found in a study that was done here a little while back. So 34% of those that answered that study actually said they don't know what it covers, they're not sure what the supports are that are available to them. 23% of them are concerned about confidentiality. And actually, what happens if I access it, who's going to know who's going to find out. And lastly, 20 21% of those who do have any AP actually don't know how to access the service. So it's out there, it could do great things for the employees, but they actually don't know where to go to find it. 

Koren Waines  00:29:03 

So I just want to do a disclaimer here. EAP s are terrific. They're wonderful things. They offer so much more than just mental health supports. I'm not here to bash any AP. I'm here to educate about what the difference is, because it's probably the very first question I get asked all the time when, when a new potential client comes to me is how are you different? So I do know that in chatting with so many people over the years and chatting with you know, the president of our company as well, just about how these things work, is that when employees increasingly use the EAS EAP supports the company's premiums increase as well. So our service acts as a first line of defense to an EAP. So if a client already has one, that's amazing. So what we like to see is that employees reach out to us kind of as a first point of contact, and that we build trust and relationship with their provider. 

Koren Waines  00:30:00 

And then if a higher level of support is needed for the employee, our team can help direct them to that EAP and kind of hold their hand through the process. So just so everyone here knows, at Med core Canada, here, we are not diagnosing or treating mental illness. But we can connect those employees to their EAP for a higher level of care if that's needed, we are designed to be that proactive approach to dealing with everyday stresses and struggles and stress situations. So we've designed this service to be different than a traditional EAP. And a few ways. Number one, we actually introduce ourselves and get our team in front of employees so that they can put a face to the name, they can hear from us what these services are all about. And we can show them how to connect if and when they ever want to. It's that personal touch that we have in our approach to promotion. We're not just a code or a phone number on a poster. We also don't limit the number of sessions that employees are allowed to book. So oftentimes, within EAP, I've heard it many times, I was only allowed four or six sessions. And then and then I'm done. What happens if I don't actually feel like I've got some good coping strategies to deal with what this is, I no longer have access to the supports. So we don't operate that way. If somebody needs to book every two weeks for a couple of months to really gain some knowledge and education, and feel better about their situation, they're welcome to do so. We also provide the ability to connect with the same provider for follow up sessions, which means that the employees don't have to retell their story every time they book with us. And we do our best lastly, to mitigate wait time. So we know that mental health supports can be really difficult to come by both north and south of the border. And the wait times can be long and extensive. And so what we try to do is get in there, again, is that first line of defense, and if somebody actually requires an EAP connection, we can bridge the gap and continue to support them while they wait. The truth is, most people do not require a diagnosis or treatment for mental illness, they need somebody to talk to about those everyday things they need somebody to chat with about the fact that their wife is upset, they're working away, and she's stuck at home with the kids and you're not home for another seven days. And I am you know, I need a break. Maybe they just need a place to vent to learn how to better communicate their feelings, how to have a crucial conversation to set some healthy boundaries for themselves. Goal setting, maybe there's things that they they want to achieve some goals, and they actually need somebody to help to hold them accountable for that. employees feel that they have somebody in their corner. And that what they have to say and share and how they're feeling is important, and it's valid. So that's an overall kind of view or big picture of the mental health and wellness supports here at Medcor or Canada. 

Melissa Manion  00:33:06 

Thanks, Koren. So now we've talked a lot about some of the initial pieces why and onsite clinic, how we can help support them or how clinics can support medical services, wellbeing, mental health. So let's talk about some implementation strategies. You've heard kind of what we've had to say about the importance of of having a clinic why they're important. So let's talk about how we can onboard a clinic. What can you do to set up a clinic and look at how you can implement some of these strategies within your own workforce? Or your workspace? You need to do a needs assessment. What are the specific health needs of your workers? Is there any workplace injury or illness data that is really showcasing that you have a specific type of injury or common practice that is occurring? Where you really could use that support? Do you see a lot of sprains and strains that seem like there's a lot of slip and trip hazards potentially, where you're seeing some of those minor injuries that may just need that extra little support? Planning and Design? What kind of care would you like? Would you like a nurse that can do the occupational health surveillance? So you need that respiratory, respiratory surveillance? You need the audiometry? Or do you need someone that can do more emergency response? You're looking for more like a paramedic? Perhaps, to get out to the site and make sure that if someone's injured, they get supported in the right way? What would the clinic layout look like? Do you need a big clinic because you have lots and lots of workers, you're looking at two 3000 workers or you a smaller clinic or an office space, or we're an office space might work a little bit better, because you only have two or 300 people and then budgeting what does that budget look like? Do we need someone full time? Part time? Maybe we can look at supporting our occupational health services in a remote way And what kind of healthcare and what does that staffing look like? Are we going to outsource the staffing? Are we going to do it internally? What are the things that we need to do to make this successful clinic? 

Melissa Manion  00:35:14 

So the other things that we need to consider so we've done all that work, okay, we're gonna do this, we know what our budget is, we know what scope of care, we know all of these things. So now let's look at the compliance and regulations. Do we meet all the legal and compliance regulatory requirements, every province is different some provinces require on site clinics for specific numbers of people on site. In Alberta, for example, if you're in a high risk situation, you need to have an RN or an advanced care paramedic, when you have 200 workers or higher. In BC, it's a little different. In Ontario, it's a little different, every province is just a little bit different. So you always need to double check that. Do we meet the legislative requirements? Do we need to look at a different level of care to meet the needs not only of our workers, but of the province that we're working in as well? What technology and equipment do we need? We need an electronic health record system, we need the equipment, we need a cardiac monitor. So something that measures heart waves and can maybe use be used in a cardiac situation like an AED, for example. And what other partnerships do we need? Do we have somewhere where we can refer those workers, so you know, we're going to have a nurse on site, but maybe we need somewhere for them to go, that's a little bit occupational friendly, not the ER, because we don't want that two week wait time where they get to have that time off, because that doctor that er doesn't understand what workplace care looks like, and establish some of those agreements, communication, how do we promote this within our organization, making sure they know where to go, Who would they who the workers are, this is our nurse, this is what they're going to do for you. These are all the things that they can help you with come in and say hi, do a Wellness Fair, so that people kind of understand what is happening within the organization and why you're bringing it there. And then considerations such as location and privacy, workers like to know that they're being seen, they're being supported, but they also want the privacy to be seen. So they want to have the ability to go somewhere where that not everyone else sees that they're going there. So you know, you have workplaces where there is maybe some people that have brought forward their concerns, we really have lots of stress, or we really need that mental health support, maybe reconsider the virtual care why? Because they can do it from the comfort of their own home, they're not walking through a brick and mortar door. And they're not having to face the public per se. 

Melissa Manion  00:37:42 

When we put the clinic on the site, maybe it's somewhere so little out of the way so that they're not walking past all their co workers to talk about something that maybe not is work related, but it's really directly related to their health, and they need that care. And then you need to look at the practices and tips for successful implementation, pilot programming, continuous improvement. And how do you support continuous health with well being and mental health programs, you cannot have a whole person without looking not just at the physical, you have to look at the Wellness, you have to look at the mental health. Well, you bring it all together, you look at everything holistically, and then you have a very healthy productive worker. This next slide is a bit of a case study where we've had an onsite clinic on in a remote mind site with the mental health support and well being. So this is a project where we have both divisions kind of really working together and really helping to support workers. We got the onsite clinic, which includes primary care. So they're not just dealing with worker related injuries. They're helping people with their chronic disease management with things that they're just not feeling well, they come to the clinic or they hurt themselves on their days off and they just didn't get to the doctor in time or they couldn't because the wait time was just too long. Maybe they have an infection and they just again, couldn't get an appointment but still needed to get to work. medical surveillance programs, they need the audiometry. So they need to make sure their hearing is getting checked regularly, their lung function is working appropriately, and that they have well fitted ear plugs and safety glasses. We're doing drug and alcohol testing. So we're making sure everyone is fit for duty in a very physical way. They are sober, they're free from any drugs and they're able to do their work very safely and for the benefit of everyone. And then we're doing basic prescription distribution. So we're making sure if they have an infection, they're getting access to those prescriptions without needing to sit in front of a pharmacy or go to the doctor and have those long wait times. You know, it could just be a an abscess tooth or skin infection that just kinda got out of control, we can help support those things and really help drive that health care home and drive the care access. So that it's not 21 hours in a wait in a waiting room, it's half an hour with a nurse. 

Melissa Manion  00:40:15 

So some of the results is we've had 858 workers were provided access to timely care between July 2021. And July 2023. That's a lot of workers. This is a small Mindsight. So the word really got out, we really built that trust with everyone as any turnover that they had, and things like that, we were really able to make sure that everyone understood they were supportive. They were cared for, not just by the nurses in the clinics, by the worker, the company that there was employing them. They had the care access. 53% of those visits were for primary care. And 10% of those were one on one mental health support visit. So those were people saying they needed help, and needed someone to talk to 10%. So what are some challenges and solutions of billing clinics? We've said, Here's your implementation strategies. Well, what are the challenges? What are you going to encounter? Well, first off, same thing that everyone is going to consider in these challenging times that are our economy is initial costs, how much is this going to cost us? Sometimes the costs upfront are high. If you're building a facility or looking at bringing a trailer to site purchasing the equipment, anyone has ever Googled medical equipment, it's expensive. So how do we do that? How do we get all of those things there and get the right things and do it within a budget? So there's options to look at grants, partnerships with healthcare providers, and healthcare companies, such as med Corps, or phased implementation just spread out the costs? Start small grow as you go. regulatory compliant plants? What are the health care regulations? What do I need to have done? How do I understand this property? I needed an advanced care paramedic in Alberta for 200 people or more in high risk to buy only need one or do I need more than one. So consulting with the legal experts within your organizations, and asking the Occupational Health and Safety bodies, what is the requirement, employee engagement, really encouraging employees to use on site clinic and participate in the programs, the clinics are not successful if people do not participate, if people do not go to the clinic, and do not participate and do not work to build that trust, because the more people that go to the clinics, the more people that will come to the clinics, it's like a snowball effect. You get to the word gets out, everyone knows that nurses really great, they're really going to be able to help you, you should go there, they've got lots of ideas and you know, you know, tweaked your back playing basketball, well, they know how to help support that they'll give you a document that explains everything for you. So there's really that, that campaign awareness, wellness fairs, getting the people out and about and talking to the workers and letting them know what the clinic is all about. 

Melissa Manion  00:43:07 

Privacy concerns, this is another big one. Well, I don't want to come see the nurse because you're going to just tell my boss what's going on? Well, nurses can't do that. Nurses are upheld by high privacy and confidentiality standards. So making sure that not only are we designing the clinics, so people know can go somewhere in private, but at the same time understanding that you can educate workers and saying no, that's not going to be what happens, there's always going to be a bit of a divide between what happens at the workplace, what happens in the clinic, and then staffing and resource management. Healthcare is in a crisis right now. So how do we recruit and retain qualified healthcare individuals? How do we make sure we have the right people in place to really help our corporation grow. So it's offering competitive salaries, it's professional development, positive work environments, and really flexible staffing models that help that flow of input of work the workflow so that people are able to say, hey, you know, I'm working in a really great environment. And you know, they're 24/7, I'm working eight hour shifts, but I am kind of maneuvering through all the different shifts, so that I'm really touched, getting a touch point and all the workers without really feeling like I'm getting burnt out. And then maintaining just that regular feedback. Here are some of the things that, you know, we find is really great. This is working really well we love it when the nurse does this, we love it when this is on at the clinic, but at the same time, Hey, have you thought about this and then implementing those really taking a look at what people are bringing to the clinic, and what we can do to change? So if something isn't really working, we don't like that strategy, that education. That doesn't work for us. Okay, pivoting, looking at what's really going on, if ever, you know, safety glasses, if it's an issue, everyone's getting slag in their eye. Let's change up our slides, safety glasses, and let's do that education, you're seeing an increase, now we're seeing a decrease. 

Melissa Manion  00:45:08 

So there's lots of strategies to overcome those challenges. We've talked about them in the last couple of slides. And I think the biggest four really are the pilot programs. So starting small and scaling, really gathering that feedback and listening to your workforce. What do they need from this clinic? Collaboration and vendor selection. So setting clear expectations and guidelines? If you choose to outsource this? What is it that you're looking for from that vendor? And what can they provide to you being really clear about your level of care, you want to nurse, nurse practitioner, a paramedic, and you want them to be able to do very specific and defined things within their scope? And within what you need them to do? Technology Integration. What kind of electronic health record? What kind of information do you want them to share with you? And how would you like that to be related, and then flexible services being able to pivot when needed. So having those resources being dynamic, and really being able to say, we need to add x because this needs to happen now. 

Melissa Manion  00:46:16 

Oh, leaving you guys with a quote that says a safe and healthy workplace is not only a fundamental right, but also a prerequisite for productivity and economic development. We truly believe that if you have a worker that is healthy, not only physically but mentally, they are going to be one of the best workers for you. Because they are going to be there, they're going to be ready. And they're going to have their their focus on the task at hand, which makes them safer, which makes the rest of your workforce safer. And we'll leave it open for questions.  

Mallory Hendry  00:46:56 

All right, we've had a few come in here. The first one is if you're providing regular medical care to employees, how do you address privacy issues and the creation of liability for the employer? 

Melissa Manion  00:47:10 

Great question. So if you're providing care to employees on a worksite, the clinic then holds the privacy. So in a work related setting, if someone has a work related injury, what you do is you provide the information related to the work related injury only. So if someone has a cut on their hand, the information we provide to the corporation is this person has been hurt. This is the information. This is the assessment that we provided, this is the treatment that's provided. And this is the follow up plan. So they need to come see me at the next day, we're going to make sure they can return to work. It's always a collaborative effort. In a work related injury, because we want the supervisor to be involved in the plant, we're going to do the assessment, we're going to tell you if there is something that a worker couldn't do anymore, they have a cut on their hand, maybe they can't grasp something in that moment. But then they are able to do all of these other things, the supervisor is going to make that return to work plan for them and modified work plan. If it's primary care, then it's completely confidential, unless it's going to affect the safety of the company. No one knows what's going to happen or what's happening except for the worker and the provider that's providing that care. 

Mallory Hendry  00:48:22 

Thank you, Melissa. There's another one How have onsite clinics and Mental Health Services impacted absenteeism at work sites? 

Melissa Manion  00:48:33 

Koren, I'll let you answer this question. 

Koren Waines  00:48:37 

Sorry, I was unable to mute or unmute for a moment. I think it goes back to what I was saying earlier about employees having support whether that is a physical injury or a mental health concern, knowing that they have a plan to address it, somebody who's in their corner, working with them to get the care that they need, and the support that they need, actually allows them to kind of set that off to the side of it, say a mental health concern, or and better show up to work, right. So I've actually had employees come to me and say, You know what, I got a call last week as I'm far far from home that my best friend lost his life and I am at work until this Friday, I've got four days. And if it weren't for this service and the ability to talk with somebody while I was here, and sort out how I was feeling I wouldn't have been able to show up to my show my remaining shifts, and there's no bigger reward as far as I'm concerned than to see somebody I feel hope at the end, that whatever it is that is going on in their life, they have somebody to talk to they're feeling more confident that they have the skills and the tools to address it better. And to continue on with their life. This is not just it's not preventing them from showing up to work for their family. And ultimately for themselves, they're actually taking care of themselves and have a plan to address it. So we do see absentee, we see people going, Hey, I've got this, I might might be struggling in this area. But I'm still here, I'm showing up to the best of my ability. 

Mallory Hendry  00:50:21 

Thanks, Koren. And the last one here that's come in, what future trends do you foresee in the field of workplace health and wellness, particularly with on site clinics? 

Melissa Manion  00:50:33 

I think a lot of the trends that we're seeing is reducing the impact the local healthcare system, especially with some of the larger scale projects, with the health care system the way it is, with wait times being so obsessive with access to primary care physicians being really difficult, we're seeing a lot of an increase in that level of care, we need a nurse, we need a paramedic, we need someone that really has an understanding of health care, but can provide longer term care, a lot of physician support and things like that. So we're seeing that trend towards we need more clinics, we need them a bigger ability to really support someone because they can't get into the scene. And we want to make sure that they're supportive. So if they're away from home, if they're doing rotational work, they need to have to have somewhere to go if they just don't feel well. So that's I think the biggest thing that we're seeing, as far as that trend, how do we do reduce the impact and take the industry out of the local health healthcare systems and but still provide that care at the same time. 

Koren Waines  00:51:44 

And if I can just tag on that with the mental health and wellness, because I think there's two parts, I think a trend that I'm seeing are employers who don't want to just talk the talk anymore, they want to walk the walk. So yes, we are maybe taking care of the physical needs of our workforce, or we're looking into to that, but there's more to somebody being well than just physically been injured and healthy. Physically, it's the mental health piece. So that's what we're seeing is, is more and more of these on site clinics saying how do we incorporate the mental health and wellness into this? So that if an employee comes into the clinic, and is dealing with some mental health concerns, how can we best support them and partner with, with Medcor Canada to say, You know what, we've got some supports in place, let me help you book a session, it's virtual, you can do this on your own time. You don't have to show up to HR and put my hand up and say, Hey, I need some help. Here it is, to me normalizing talk of mental health in the workplace, which is what we're all about. And ultimately, people are our biggest asset. We want everybody at the end of their shift at the end of their rotation at the end of the day, going home well, physically, mentally, emotionally. So that kind of circle of care approach I'm seeing more and more with adding the mental health and wellness supports, I think is is definitely trending and a way that employers can say we're truly taking care of our people in all the ways. 

Mallory Hendry  00:53:20 

Great. We have another question here, as an injury or issue relates to work, therefore a WCB claim, does your service provide expedited services for diagnostics as required? And does WCB consider your services to be that of OAS or as a primary treatment facility? 

Melissa Manion  00:53:43 

So for the first part of the question, we can, depending on the level of care, provide expedited services, you know, if you some clinics, we use nurse practitioners, for example. So we can get those diagnostics done pretty quickly. And then for doing a little bit of a lower level of care, then what we do is we really try to facilitate those referrals, we provide letters we make contact, and we really work with, with the providers to say we need this done because of this injury. This is work related. But the other piece that we really do is we try to explain to anything, anyone that we're referring that to is this is work related. There is a work plan available, we need to try and make sure that we're not just saying you're offering the next two weeks and make the last time claim. We want this to be something where we're supporting the worker, we're keeping them at work. We're keeping them productive in a way that they can stay productive. So we do try to really facilitate that. We are not an OAS clinic in that we are not someone that anyone can come to but we are recognized by WCB as a provider that can do the first report of injury if we have the right clinician in place and that can help support claims as necessary. 

Koren Waines  00:55:01 

And when it comes to mental health and well being piece of it because we are not diagnosing or treating mental illness, none of our sessions are work related claims, they're not liable for that. So they come and share that maybe my co worker is not easy to deal with and I need some coping strategies or need to learn how to talk to them better, but it will never be recorded as a work related incident. 

Mallory Hendry  00:55:31 

Okay, thank you very much. Those were all the questions that came in. So thank you so much to Koren and Melissa, for sharing your insight and expertise. And, you know, to everyone in the audience for joining us today. You'll see up on the screen right now Melissa's contact information on this last slide. So feel free to reach out to her if you have further questions need more information. She's happy to help. And also just keep an eye out for other upcoming webinars and enjoy the rest of your day. Thanks, everyone.  

Melissa Manion  00:56:00 

Thank you.  

Koren Waines  00:56:01 

Thank you.