Sedgwick CMS Clinical Consultation Service Improves Workplace Injury Response

MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Sedgwick Claims Management Services,
Inc. (Sedgwick CMS) has established a new clinical consultation service for
its workers' compensation claims administration clients as an optional program
enhancement. The telephonic nurse triage service makes qualified medical
guidance readily available to workers who suffer occupational injuries, no
matter when or where the incident occurs.

The Sedgwick CMS clinical consultation program benefits employers, employees
and supervisors alike:

-- Employers realize savings in total workers' compensation costs
along with employee relations benefits from the early involvement of
nurses in the efficient facilitation of appropriate care.

-- Injured workers experience reassurance and improved medical outcomes
from having timely and caring assistance in identifying and accessing
the right level of medical care for their situation.

-- Supervisors who lack medical expertise are relieved of pressure to
make
treatment recommendations by access to a professional advisory
resource
that also integrates conveniently, based on employer elections, with
the
workers' compensation claims reporting process.

Clinical consultation begins as soon as a worker reports an injury to a
supervisor. The supervisor and employee together call the Sedgwick CMS
Clinical Consultation Center and speak directly with a registered nurse. The
employee then continues the call privately with the nurse, who evaluates the
injured worker's medical condition, recommends immediate steps ranging from
first aid to urgent care, and when indicated makes an appointment with a
pre-qualified network medical provider in the worker's vicinity. With the
injured individual's permission, the nurse also shares information from the
consultation with the medical provider in order to expedite treatment at the
time of the appointment.

The clinical consultation process minimizes the risk that care will be delayed
or that serious conditions will go unrecognized. It also adds value by
identifying alternatives to unnecessary emergency room trips and costly
over-treatment of minor cases.

"We have already implemented clinical consultation for several of our major
clients with very positive results," said Sedgwick CMS Medical Director Teresa
Bartlett, M.D. "It is making a difference for both employees and employers in
the critical early stages of the medical response through prompt and
appropriate care and referrals. We believe it also establishes a positive
tone for interactions throughout the workers' compensation process that
reinforces a shared focus on healthy recovery."

The Sedgwick CMS Clinical Consultation Center operates around the clock 365
days a year from offices in San Antonio, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee.

Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. is the leading North American
provider of innovative claims and productivity management solutions. Sedgwick
CMS and its affiliated companies deliver cost-effective claims administration,
medical management, risk consulting and related services to clients through
the expertise of approximately 6,400 colleagues in a hundred and fifty offices
in the U.S. and Canada. The company specializes in workers' compensation;
disability, FMLA and other employee absence; general, automobile and
professional liability; and warranty and credit card claims services.
Sedgwick CMS and its affiliates design and implement customized programs based
on proven practices that meet client needs. For more see
http://www.sedgwickcms.com.

Contact: Frank J. Huffman, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications,
901-415-7548, frank.huffman@sedgwickcms.com

SOURCE Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc.

Frank J. Huffman, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications,
+1-901-415-7548, frank.huffman@sedgwickcms.com