PICKENS – Cannon Memorial Hospital in Pickens was one of six South Carolina healthcare organizations recognized as winners of a Palmetto Hospital Trust (PHT) Transitional Duty Award at the PHT Claims Coordinator Workshop & Awards Luncheon.
Healthcare professionals from around the state attended the July 17 conference, which is a day-long event conducted by PHT Services Ltd. (PHTS), a Columbia-based healthcare risk management services company.
PHTS administers PHT, the workers’ compensation group self-insurance pool in which Cannon Memorial Hospital and other South Carolina hospitals and health systems participate.
Transitional Duty Awards are presented annually to the Palmetto Hospital Trust member, in each peer group, with the highest ratio of transitional duty days compared to lost work days, a measure of the effectiveness of the hospital’s return to work program.
Cannon Memorial Hospital was one of two winners in the category of hospitals with 100 or fewer licensed beds.
“Cannon tries to help employees return to work as soon as it is safe for them and patients,” said Norm Rentz, CEO of Cannon Hospital. “The transitional duty program allows some of our employees the ability to work with some limitations so they are not out of work as long. It is a positive benefit for both the employee and Cannon.”
PHT and its members are known for their efforts toward preventing lifting injuries, trips and falls, injuries from sharp objects, and for helping injured workers return to work as soon as their condition permits. All of these loss-prevention techniques have been instrumental in helping PHT members earn refunds for their contribution to the group self-insurance program’s success.
Palmetto Hospital Trust (PHT) was founded in 1977 by South Carolina healthcare executives as a group workers’ compensation self-insurance pool.
The Trust’s focus on worker safety, coupled with specialized risk management services, emphasis on prompt claims reporting, and superior claims administration, ensures that its members have the best possible solution for their workers’ compensation needs.
Trust members include hospitals, continuing care retirement centers, organizations dealing with special needs individuals, and other healthcare organizations.
PHT is a leading provider of workers’ compensation coverage to the state’s healthcare industry. Workers’ compensation claims services, underwriting, and risk management services are provided to PHT members under a contract with PHT Services Ltd., and through business alliances with other best practices companies.
