Work Hardening/SMART Program

We work with employers, case managers and insurance companies to provide comprehensive work health services focusing on:

Injury Prevention
On-site Physical Therapy
Return-To-Work

Injury Prevention

Pre-Employment Assessment
Pre-Employment Assessments focus on determining whether an individual is physically capable of performing a specific job to proactively minimize the risk of injury. In the past, employment decisions have been based on stereotypes or medical conditions such as: age, gender, “healthy” appearance, arthritis or degeneration as seen on X-ray, high blood pressure, etc. None of these are good indicators of an individual’s physical capacity to actually perform a job. Pre-Employment Assessments use specific, valid, job-related tests that measure the individual’s physical abilities.

What are the employer’s needs when hiring?

To comply with all federal legislation
To hire healthy and productive workers
To ensure workers are placed in jobs they are capable of performing
To prevent and reduce injuries and associated costs

Prevention Programs

We work closely with safety professionals to identify where and to whom musculoskeletal injuries may occur. We then customize educational programs to promote a safe working environment.

Our prevention programs include:

Employee education and management to recognize musculoskeletal risks
Identifying ways to eliminate risk
Increasing awareness through education to minimize accumulated physical stress of the job
Providing customized stretching/warm-up programs to target the muscles employees use most throughout the day
Ergonomic assessment and training including workstation set-up

On-Site Physical Therapy

Advent Physical Therapy provides complete rehabilitation management for patients who are injured or experience acute or chronic pain while at their place of employment. A multitude of services are offered to expedite the patient’s full return to functional activities, including their return to work. Our staff of physical therapists works directly with patients, employers, physicians, and other health care providers to deliver the best possible patient outcomes allowing a fast but safe return to work. For more information contact us at Ada, Byron Center, Caledonia, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Hastings, Rockford, Walker, Kentwood & Jenison, MI Centers.

This place is great! Everyone there works hard to create a fun yet professional atmosphere, and they made me feel right at home. They took the time to get to know me and tailored my experience to exactly what I needed. Becky is my girl!

Rachel C

Return-to-Work

Work Hardening and SMART Program
When injured workers meet established short- and long-term goals via physical therapy, but are unable to return to work due to remaining functional deficits or deconditioning, they may benefit from a higher level of therapeutic intervention.

Work Hardening
A highly structured, goal-oriented, individualized intervention program designed to return the employee to work. Our Work Hardening programs utilize real or simulated work activities designed to restore physical, behavioral and vocational functions. Work Hardening addresses the issues of productivity, safety, physical tolerances and worker behaviors.

SMART Program
Specific Measurable Activity for Return to work Tasks (SMART) is a structured physical conditioning program that focuses on key components of cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and strength, as well as work simulated activities to promote a safe return to work.

Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)

A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) provides a comprehensive evaluation that measures strength, endurance, physical demand work level and positional tolerance. The data gathered through this evaluation objectively defines the injured employee’s physical capabilities.

The FCE is an important tool used to assist employers, physicians, insurance companies, attorneys, case managers and vocational consultants to determine safe, functional levels for an individual to either return to work or to establish functional ability. The evaluation assists referral sources by offering information for arbitration of claims in short/long-term disability, provides return-to-work capabilities and determines ability levels for liability cases using appropriate medical standards. For more information, Contact Us Today at Grand Rapids, Hastings, Jenison, Grandville, Byron Center Kentwood & Walker, MI Centers.