Scott Kantenwein joined our December Risk Control Webinar to discuss how nurse triage has become a vital tool for organizations focused on both employee well-being and operational efficiency. Kantenwein is the Executive Director of Telehealth Partnerships at Medcor, a company that provides occupational health services through evidence-based medical triage, onsite clinics, and virtual health navigation.
According to Kantenwein, the U.S. Workers' Compensation system faces a staggering $171 billion in annual costs, surpassing the gross domestic product (GDP) of many countries. This figure includes lost wages, medical expenses, and administrative fees, highlighting the critical need for effective injury management solutions.
In the past, "supervisors often found themselves in situations where they had to make medical decisions they weren't qualified to make," Kantenwein said. "This created a gap where risk existed, and poor outcomes happened for both employees and employers."
Today, nurse triage programs have emerged to cover that gap. These programs connect injured workers directly with registered nurses. Kantenwein emphasized that this approach has transformed from a simple injury assessment tool to an integral part of the Workers' Compensation ecosystem, now handling over 2 million calls annually.
Medcor's data shows that approximately 40% of employees who use the triage service return to work without requiring off-site care. However, Kantenwein stressed that the program's value extends beyond reducing unnecessary medical visits.
"Triage was misunderstood for many years as just being about helping employees self-treat," he said. "It's more important to identify who needs off-site care quickly and where they need to go."
The service has evolved to address common Workers' Compensation challenges, including delayed reporting, inappropriate emergency room utilization, and poor network penetration. Kantenwein noted that industry executives now view nurse triage coupled with case management as a best practice for handling workplace injuries.
Medcor delivers better results by providing their clients with direct-to-nurse access from the start of an injury. The direct-to-nurse model's effectiveness is reflected in its metrics:
All calls are recorded and documented, with reports typically delivered within 15 minutes of call completion. Kantenwein highlighted that the service operates as a pre-claim intervention rather than post-claim management. This distinction allows for immediate medical guidance while streamlining the claims process for adjusters who receive detailed documentation of the incident.
As workplace health management continues to evolve, nurse triage programs represent a critical tool for organizations focused on both employee well-being and operational efficiency. The approach helps bridge the gap between injury occurrence and appropriate medical care while providing valuable documentation for claims management.
This presentation was part of Captive Resources’ Risk Control Webinar Series — regular installments of webinars to educate the group captive members we work with on topics like workplace safety, organizational leadership, and company performance. The thoughts and opinions expressed in these webinars are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect Captive Resources’ positions on any of the above topics.
