If Kids Are Going Back to School, Adults Can Go Back to Work—Can You Help them Do It Safely?

This has been a big week for school districts announcing their plans for the new school year. In some parts of the country, hopes are high that they can start again full-time, on-site, and without incident. Other districts are concocting complex schemes to have children learn in school sometimes and at home others. Either way, this paves the way for businesses to open up again in earnest. The question is, how can employers—some of whom may be your occupational medicine customers—help them do it safely? An article just published by the American Journal of Managed Care suggests that testing, finding ways to facilitate social distancing, and personal protective equipment are all essential to helping employees get back to work (and stay there in good health). Urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services should check in with their clients to see how they can help them hit the ground running. Let them know that you’re ready to dispatch a staff member to conduct temperature checks, assess which ill-feeling workers need a COVID-19 test, and actually conduct those tests with confidence.