1. Having 2 locations in Nampa available 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm and 1 location in Meridian for walk-in injured workers 5 days a week from 8am to 5pm.
2. Friendly and experienced staff available 5 days a week.
3. Getting patients in promptly and back to work quickly.
4. Developing a customized treatment plan for each employer and employee.
5. Case managing from the initital visit throughout the referral process.
6. Dedicated in cost effective return to work.
7. Timely “Return to Work” report turnaround.
8. Insurance authorization with referral coordination if necessary
9. Over 30 years experience.
10.Board Certified in Occupational Medicine combined with a Masters in Health Admininstration.

Because almost all of us have to work within our lifetime, and because that work-span can often exceed 40 years, it is beneficial to know what to do if you should have an on-the-job injury. We may go years without an injury happening to us, but when it does, it is in the best interest not only for ourselves, but also our family to be somewhat informed.

The first important thing to know is that you should always notify your supervisor immediately after an injury occurs. Along with this, make sure that you fill out the proper paperwork. Although you have sixty days to fill out your workers compensation paperwork, it is always good to do it immediately. If not, over time the circumstances surrounding your injury may become more vague thus increasing the chance that you may not get all of the benefits that you are entitled to. Along with this, even though you may believe that what occurred was quite minor, conditions often can and do change. A sprain may worsen overnight, or, a cut may become infected or any number of conditions may arise.

Secondly, seek out a provider, or encourage your employer to offer you a provider highly skilled in occupational medicine. Providers in occupational medicine can vary greatly. Often, providers can range from a mid-level, all the way up to a board certified and residency trained occupational medicine physician. Think of it like this, would you go to an optometrist for a toothache? Of course not, therefore you should try (and you have the right) to see an Occupational Medicine physician for your work-related injury. The reasons for this are numerous, but the most important is that they are the most skilled in identifying what your condition is and how to treat it. In most cases you will feel better, much faster!

Finally, when choosing a qualified provider, take a look at where they work. Are they a part of a multi-care specialty group? This is extremely important because often we may need other forms of specialists for second opinions or referrals. At Saltzer Medical Group we not only have a board certified and residency trained occupational physician (Dr. Howard Shoemaker), but we also offer Orthopedics, Ophthalmology and rehab services, just to name a few specialties. When your providers are a part of a multi-specialty group, communication between providers about you and your condition becomes much easier and thorough which can only benefit the person who is most important, you.

Dr. Shoemaker, an Occupational Medicine Physician, has been at Saltzer Medical Group for over 2 months now. He is very happy to be back in the Treasure Valley working with his “Team”. His “Team” consists of 3 key people.

The Director of Occ Med, Tom, who he met while working in Oregon, chose to move to Idaho to continue working for Dr. Shoemaker. Tom has 20 years experience in various Health Care related positions.
His assistant, Lynn, who had previously worked with Dr. Shoemaker, was delighted to come back to work for him. Lynn has worked in Occupational Medicine for 4 1/2 years and is currently working towards an Associate degree in Health Sciences.
And last but not least, me, Lynda. I also had previously worked with Dr. Shoemaker. I returned to nursing to work for Dr. Shoemaker at Saltzer Medical Group after a short hiatus. I have 20 years of nursing experience and 5 of those years were spent in Occupational Medicine.

Dr. Shoemaker and his “Team” come together with many years of experience. With the combined knowledge of the “Team”, it’s by far one of the best in the Valley.
If you or anyone you know could benefit from a Board Certified Occupational Medicine Physician, get on the phone and call us at 884-2965.

Beginning in May, 2008, Saltzer Medical Group rededicated itself to developing a quality Occupational Medicine program in the greater Boise area. With clinics in both Meridian and Nampa, their hope is to offer quality care and service to both the employers and employees of the Treasure Valley. The first move was to find a board certified and residency trained Occupational Medicine physician. This was accomplished when Dr. Howard Shoemaker took the position with Saltzer Medical Group. Doctor Shoemaker, who had been a part of the Primary Health Occupational Medicine group, left for the rains of Oregon in 2005. During his time in Oregon his wife had continued to operate as a real-estate agent with the Tamarack development in Donnelly, Idaho. Because of this business interest, when Saltzer Medical Group offered Dr. Shoemaker the opportunity to return to Boise he decided that it was time to return to Idaho.

For the past thirty years, Dr. Shoemaker has practiced exclusively occupational medicine. Why is this important to area employers? The reasons are way too numerous for one short blog. However, some of the primary reasons include an aging workforce, getting your workers back to work as quickly as possible, and finally to provide the highest quality of care for the injured worker.

Lets first address the aging workforce. As we age, there is a natural amount of deterioration which occurs within the body. Whether it is cartilage between our bones, or the natural de-calcification of our bones, it is important to have a skilled specialist who can identify between what is a work related injury and what is just a part of being a baby-boomer. As any claims adjuster, safety manager or HR manager will attest to, a miss-diagnosed injury can become a financial nightmare within the Workers Comp system. As Dr. Shoemaker frequently states, “it is 10% of the cases that creates 90% of the expenses”.

Second, getting workers back to work is extremely important to the company’s bottom line. In a study conducted by Lilly Ramphal, MD, MPH, she states that companies pay $62 billion dollars in lost productivity or “lost time”. This translates into approximately 42% of work related injuries expenses in the United States ($140 billion). Without the proper diagnosis of the work-related injury, or the granting of excessive time off due to injury, this number would escalate even further out of control. As Dr. Shoemaker has frequently stated, “you always want to do what is best for the patient, and in virtually every instance what is best for the patient is to get them back to work”. Dr. Shoemaker has told me many times, he believes that a worker is like an athlete and it is his job to get them “back in the game”. By doing so, the employee will heal faster.

Finally, everyone wants the employee to receive a high level of care. By properly identifying the injury, the employee can begin an aggressive regimen of treatment. In doing so, they can get back to work and continue to do what they were trained to do. By having a specialist monitor the worker’s progress, success is more likely to occur.
Because of the above reasons, we welcome Dr. Shoemaker back to the Treasure Valley.