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Importance of Referred Specialists When Treating Patients Injured In Accidents

In the 25 plus years treating patients involved in all kinds of accidents (work accidents, construction accidents, automobile accidents, slip and falls, etc.), Dr. Mollins has ALWAYS worked with a large network of referred specialists to provide his patients with comprehensive care. Working with referred specialists is extremely important for many reasons. Here are just a few of the advantages of working with a competent group of medical specialists.

1. By working with a vast network of referred physicians, Dr. Mollins is able to provide care for any accident patient regardless of the injury. Even if imagesthe injury is outside his scope of practice, there is always a doctor that can treat that particular problem. For example, if a patient injures his/her hand in a work accident, Dr. Mollins (although he does not treat that particular part of the anatomy) can refer to a competent hand specialist that can properly treat that area effectively.

2. Many injuries that occur as a result of an accident require the care of more than one physician. For example, a back injury can be treated effectively by Dr. Mollins but he will regularly refer that injured patient to a board certified neurologist to confirm the diagnosis and also to give medication if needed.

3. Some conditions, treated by Dr. Mollins, may not respond adequately to conservative care, thus the need to refer to other physicians. For example, a patient may have suffered a serious back injury at work which has not improved after ample chiropractic care. This patient may have to be referred to a pain management doctor, or possibly an orthopedic for the consideration of surgical intervention.

4. Finally, having a network of medical professionals to refer to is extremely important for the purposes of documentation. Documentation becomes crucial for patients injured in accidents. All of Dr. Mollins’ referred doctors are New York State Workers Compensation certified. Proper documentation describing how the accident occurred, were there any preexisting conditions, and level of disability will justify proper compensation that all accident patients may receive. So having several doctors providing documentation (not just one), with different areas of expertise is extremely important to the patient.

Here are just some of the referred specialists that Dr. Mollins will refer his injured patients to:

1. Neurology – Some of the most common injuries that occur with work and automobile accidents such as head trauma (causing headaches, dizziness, etc.), neck and back injuries (which can possibly be due to a pinched nerve and may also cause arm and/or leg pain with numbness and/or weakness), and many others require immediate evaluation by a neurologist.

2. Orthopedic Surgeon – It is very common for patients who are injured at work or involved in various types of accidents (including automobile accidents) to require the services of an orthopedic surgeon. An orthopedic surgeon is a doctor that deals with the treatment of disorders or injuries of the bones, joints, and associated muscles. Anytime an extremity is involved (shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle) and often when there is a neck or low back injury, an orthopedic surgeon is necessary to provide needed care and documentation.

3. Pain Management – If a patient’s condition does not respond well to conservative care (usually 3 months) than Dr. Mollins will refer his patients to a quality, compassionate, doctor of pain management. Pain management provides an alternate, more aggressive approach to alleviating the pain which has resulted from injuries sustained by patients involved in accidents.

4. Diagnostic Testing – Proper diagnostic testing enables Dr. Mollins and his referred specialists to accurately ascertain a working diagnosis, render an effective treatment regimen, and have concise documentation of the injuries sustained. Some examples of the diagnostic tests that are utilized by Dr. Mollins and/or his referred medical specialists are general radiology, mri study, emg/ncv study, vng,ans, and eeg study as well.

5. Physical Therapy – Utilizing modern, physical therapy in conjunction with other treatment regimens (like chiropractic care), enables Dr. Mollins to provide true comprehensive care for his injured patients. All referred physical therapists are kept abreast of the latest technology and therapeutic modalities and have expertise in accurate documentation which is essential in the treatment of patients injured in accidents!

So working with a competent group of referred medical professionals enables Dr. Mollins to treat just about any injury that can result from an accident, provide a comprehensive treatment regimen, and in addition establish uncontestable documentation of all injuries!

Posted in: Injury Treatment