The Center of Occupational Health & Education (COHE) Community of Eastern Washington is a public-private partnership between the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane, WA.  COHE is a joint venture unlike any in the nation and the results are impressive, far exceeding expectations for patient outcomes - including cost savings and satisfaction by providers, patients, and employers.

How COHE Works:

Community health care providers participating in COHE receive education on occupational health best practices and incentive pay for following best practices.  Health Services Coordinators (HSCs) work directly with the injured worker, employer, health care provider, L&I, and others to coordinate the care and return-to-work activities for injured workers.

Program Goals:

• Reduce disability and help injured workers return to work when medically appropriate;
• Early identification of high-risk claims and improved coordination of care;
• Foster adoption of occupational health best practices among providers, particularly with conditions contributing to higher rates of time loss compensation;
• Increase employer, worker and provider satisfaction with the workers’ compensation system; and
• Sustain and enhance quality outcomes for injured workers.

Outcomes:

• Injured Workers are more likely to receive benefits more quickly & experience a lower incidence of disability.
• Employers experience less lost time from valuable workers and receive support in return-to-work activities.
• Medical providers receive incentive pay and valuable occupational health education.

COHE saves our Eastern Washington communities approximately $62 million in medical & disability costs every year. 

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