DRAFT 11/29/04
AFD WELLNESS CENTER
INFORMATION SHEET
TO: All Fire Department Members
From: Wellness Center Committee
Date: December 4, 2004
Subject: Wellness Center Information Sheet
Continuing with its commitment to the national “Joint Wellness/Fitness Initiative” the Austin Fire Department is proposing to build a wellness center where uniformed members will be able to receive annual medical physicals. It will also house Medical Operations, medical records, and the Department Psychologist. During the course of this project, the wellness center committee wants to disperse key information about the wellness center to Austin Fire Department employees.
The following is a proposal that will be sent to Local 975 E-board on 30 November 2004, and eventually to be voted on by the membership at the union meeting 14 December 2004.
We the members of Local 975 continue to support the national Joint Wellness/Fitness Initiative including the creation of a wellness center and annual medical monitoring for all uniformed members of the Austin Fire Department.
Key information points:
· All medical information gathered will be in accordance with HIPPA regulations and strict doctor-patient confidentiality will be adhered to.
· Personnel who wish to have their private physician conduct their physicals, may do so, as long as it follows the medical parameters of the wellness center physicals as outlined in the JFI and NFPA 1582 and correct documentation as to one’s duty status is submitted; however, those costs will not be covered by the City of Austin.
· If positive medical findings are discovered on an initial screening, a second opinion will be required. In the past the second opinion was strictly “on your own dime”. If the individual gets the second opinion from the proposed AFD contract medical center the AFD’s intent would be to cover the employee co-pay expense. How the AFD would accomplish the co-pay reimbursement is being investigated. Personnel may incur some medical costs if they seek a second opinion from a physician or clinic of their own choosing.
· If the proposed OCMED physician recommends that a member of the Austin Fire Department go through a medical rehabilitation program before returning to operations due to a positive medical finding discovered, the Austin Fire Department provide the employee non-IOJ light duty leave consistent with H-07. Further time off to rehabilitate will be on a case-by-case basis.
· It is not the intent of the Austin Fire Department to use this program to terminate an employee from the job. Every appropriate means will be used to accommodate an employee into a staff position if the employee cannot return to operations duty within a reasonable period of time.
· Currently, the location for the Wellness Center is projected to be at the Pleasant Valley location, in the former Inspections area. The center is tentatively planned to open in March/April 2005. The facility will house the Physical Fitness program currently in place, as well as office space for an occupational/medical physician and examination space for the physicals.
· A Fire Fighter’s fitness for duty status through all ranks will be based on the civil service job description for the individual’s position. This is currently available on the medical operations web page under Worker’s Comp. IOJ.
· Currently the Austin Fire Department is exploring agreements with local cardiology groups and other medical specialists to form a group of practitioners that will be available to Austin Fire Fighters for higher-level diagnostics. These physicians will make their services available to us with in a day at a minimum and no longer than 5 business days. This will be well within the 10 working days that an individual will have to seek a second opinion.
· Under the current plan it will be most beneficial to have a tiered system for administering these physicals. For example ages 20-29 will be examined every three years, 30-39 every two years, 40 and up, annually. With this method of scheduling we can accommodate all fire fighters and allow for follow-up time with the physician.
THIS INFORMATION SHEET BY NO MEANS COVERS EVERY CONCEIVABLE EVENTUALITY THAT COULD OCCUR IN THIS PROCESS, NOR IS IT SET IN STONE. WE, THE COMMITTEE, WOULD WELCOME ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK AND ARE MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.