Occupational Medicine at NWRTW
Northwest Return to Work welcomed Dr. Gabrielle Morris, M.D., M.P.H., in February of this year as our Medical Director with a focus on Occupational Medicine. The goal of our Occupational Rehabilitation program here at NWRTW is to assist clients in maximizing their functional capacities, enabling them to participate as fully as possible in valued occupations and required job tasks – so they can return to work.
The primary focus of Occupational Medicine is the health, safety, and productivity of workers while fostering the prevention and management of occupational injury and illness. This includes, but is not limited to, the medical evaluation and treatment of patients with work-related injuries, as well as claim management, regulatory examinations, impairment ratings, medical surveillance, and barriers evaluations.
The goal at NWRTW is to go beyond the typical Physical and Occupational therapy treatment for an injured worker by providing comprehensive rehabilitation and assistance. When someone is injured at work, unless their injury is severe and needs immediate medical attention, they can come directly to us and we can help them navigate their claim with LNI, work with their employer, and address their individual needs – all under one roof. Dr. Morris and the entire team here at NWRTW are here for the client as well as the client’s family, providing a wide range of services. We offer integrated care with the goal of moving things forward so a client can return to work.
Comprehensive and Collaborative Treatment for Injured Workers
Dr. Morris works directly with the COHE program, which is focused on quality improvement and collaboration for injured workers in Washington. It is all about community experts implementing best practices that ensure workers receive effective physical and occupational therapy services and meaningful improvement in function. The process of determining when and if someone can return to work after an injury varies from case to case. By taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach, each situation can be handled with the client’s specific needs taken into consideration. For example, Dr. Morris offers Barriers Assessments to patients under their LNI claim, who are not, for some reason, recovering at the rate they should. This could be for a variety of reasons, but a good example is someone who, in addition to their injury, may also have mental health complications such as depression. These complications can then become “barriers.” The goal is to identify the barrier and recommend to LNI that they could benefit from additional health assistance. Other issues such as transportation, previous injuries, and legal issues, can all become barriers.
We help patients find the help they need. We don’t just treat their injury; we offer comprehensive care.
What sets us apart at NWRTW
NWRTW is unique. With our comprehensive approach, we can help injured workers at every level all under one roof. From claim assistance to brain injury rehabilitation, we have experts in every area.
“I feel privileged to be part of such a great team here at NWRTW,” explains Dr. Morris. “Our mission is to see each patient as a unique individual and to impact their quality of life in a positive way. Enabling them to lead a life that matters to them and those they love.”
Learn more about Occupational Medicine at NWRTW.
About Dr. Gabrielle Morris, M.D., M.P.H
Dr. Morris earned her BS Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Maryland, attended Medical School at the University of Vermont, and completed her Master of Public Health Degree and Occupational Medicine Residency/Fellowship at the University of Washington. She is Board Certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and helps patients with work-related injuries by providing Occupational and Environmental Medical evaluations and treatment, Claim Management, Barriers Assessments, and Consulting. Additionally, she supervises mid-level Occupational Medicine providers, supports ancillary programs such as our Brain Injury Rehab program (BIRT), and works with the Centers of Occupational Health & Education (COHE).
Prior to coming to NWRTW, Dr. Morris was an Occupational Medicine Physician and Informatics Champion for the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group of Washington (formerly Group Health) for twelve years. Prior to that, she was a staff physician for US Healthworks, a consulting physician for the Seattle-King County Department of Health Occupational Medicine Program, a staff physician for Virginia Mason Medical Center, and co-chief resident and senior fellow physician for the University of Washington Department of Environmental Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine in Seattle.
