North Carolina
Industrial Commission

Workers' Compensation Registry
of Rehabilitation Professionals

It is the responsibility of the Rehabilitation Professional (Case Manager) to exercise independent professional judgment in making and documenting recommendations for medical and vocational rehabilitation for the injured worker without undue influence from either the employers or their representatives or the injured workers or their attorneys.

The purpose of the Rules for Utilization of Rehabilitation Professionals in Workers’ Compensation Claims is to foster professionalism in the provision of rehabilitation services in workers’ compensation cases to assure that the primary concern and commitment of the Rehabilitation Professional in each case is to the medical and vocational rehabilitation of the injured worker rather than to the personal or pecuniary interest of the parties.

The Rehabilitation Professionals providing services for injured workers in North Carolina must be qualified in accordance with our Rehabilitation Rules. Each Medical Professional must have a North Carolina Registered Nursing License to practice (unless they reside in a compact state). Both Medical and Vocational Professionals are required to have at least one of the seven (7) certifications listed in Section IV of the Rules to practice as a Qualified Rehabilitation Professional (QRP), or meet the criteria listed in that Section to practice as a Conditional Rehabilitation Professional (CRP) under the supervision of a QRP while being allowed a maximum of two (2) years to obtain a certification establishing a QRP status.

The Rules are to be interpreted to promote frank and open cooperation among parties in the rehabilitation process. The Rehabilitation Professionals must share information with parties, and they should make a primary effort to keep the plaintiff attorneys abreast of ongoing events and progress in each case. Plaintiff attorneys should not be the last to obtain information concerning their clients and it is the responsibility of the Rehabilitation Professional to keep the plaintiff attorneys in the forefront of the management of each case.

“Cookie cutter” outlines concerning vocational rehabilitation plans are not acceptable. Rehabilitation Professionals are required to devote the time and effort to become informed and to understand the injured worker’s needs to the point that reasonable and realistic individualized plans can be produced. The Rehabilitation Professionals must maintain professionalism and treat each injured worker with respect and dignity.

Telephonic Case Managers have the same responsibilities to follow the Rules as the Rehabilitation Professionals working in the field. Telephonic Case Managers have no greater right of communication with doctors than the field case managers and are not allowed to function as gatherers of information or investigators. The Telephonic Case Manager is expected to provide case management by performing an initial interview with the worker, then developing and coordinating a plan of care. They are to share their notes simultaneously with parties as the cases progress, and remain in close contact with the plaintiff attorneys to keep them in the loop as to the coordination of care.

Following is the Workers’ Compensation Registry of Rehabilitation Professionals. If the name of a Rehabilitation Professional is not on this Registry, or if the name is present without certification information, the Rehabilitation Professional should supply this needed information to the Industrial Commission immediately. When information is not shown by the listed Rehabilitation Professional, it is usually due to the lack of the Industrial Commission’s knowledge of the expiration date. The Industrial Commission will allow one (1) month from the date of the entry of the Registry into the web site for the Rehabilitation Professional to provide this information. If the information is not received within that time, the name will be removed. Rehabilitation Professionals who recognize listed individuals with no certifications or expiration dates should direct them to this website to supply the needed information to remain in the Registry.

The actual numbers of your N.C. Nurses License and/or certification will remain in our master Registry at the Industrial Commission and are not posted on the website. Please forward pertinent rehabilitation information to be added to the Professional Registry retained within the Industrial Commission to either:

E-mail bunng@ind.commerce.state.nc.us;

Fax: Gina Bunn at (919) 807-2699;or

Mail to:

N.C. Industrial Commission
Workers' Compensation Nurses Section
4341 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4341

ATTN: Gina Bunn

Return to the Workers' Compensation Nurses Section Page

Workers' Compensation Registry
of Rehabilitation Professionals

NOTE: This registry will be updated weekly—no later than 5:00 P.M. Friday—with each Friday's update including all changes received no later than 2:00 P.M. Thursday. This list was last updated on 27 June 2008.

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