Injured at Work, Waiting to See a Doctor

**Bighop173** · 12-15-2011, 05:51 AM

I work at the VA hospital in Gainesville. I've been a CNA there for approx 4 years. I was injured initially on 18/nov/10. I was niave and gullible and thought that the VA would take care of me via employee health. Well I was wrong. I was stuck on light duty status for 8 months. 3 1/2 of these months I got another job which provided what I needed and was able to do. Then we got a new nurse manager. His first week he pulled me back to the floor still on light duty status. Keep in mind this is a medical/surgical floor. During this time the only thing Employee health would do is xrays and some PT. Stating I still had Range of motion so there was no need for an MRI. Not to mention they stopped giving me pain medications. It took 2 months of PT for them to actually physically touch me. Then 2 weeks into that he stopped stating he didn't want to do more until I recieved an MRI because he didn't want to cause more damage. This was while I was still in a secretary position. So I requested to change my doctors via workers comp lady. This paper work was never turned in or I never received notification. Not sure which. My wages have been garnished this passed year to pay for all the treatments. I had to go to my Primary care doctor to obtain medicines and an MRI which showed severe tendonopathy. So after being put back on the floor I stuck it out for abot 4 more months. Then I decided to get off of light duty because it was doing nothing and I wasn't able to transfer out of my current unit while on Light duty. I got off and then bam no transfers..budget crisis. Blah blah. So again 18/nov/11 this year I was reinjured. My charge nurse informed the night shift supervisor that I was sick not injured so a CA-1 didn't get generated. I came in on 22/nov/11 and started my part of it. Well my nurse manager stated, "this isn't a drive through I'm gonna take my sweet ass time filling this out because I wasn't here when this happened and i didn't witness the incident"...which nobody did because I was the only tech with 30 patients. Needless to say it took a phone call to the union, congressman, patient advocacy, DAV and anyone else I could get to make this man sign this report. Finally it gets signed and completed on the 30th of NOV. This makes it too late to get a CA-16 which I requested on the 22nd of november and because my boss refused to sign it I have still yet to see a doctor. As of the 14 of December the Department of labor still does not have my information and my shoulder feels like it's being held in an electric socket. NOw they are telling me this has been one big mess up and it's nobodies fault. My hard copy CA-1 was faxed yesterday evening after pursuing the HR chief ALL DAY. I went to my PCP on 1 December in immense pain for help and she has been the one providing medical documention for this incident. I still do not know if I'm going to be accepted nor do I know if I'm even going to be paid because I haven't worked since the 18th of November. It is getting me severely upset as I've been an outstanding employee to this hospital and I'm a combat veteran. I do not deserve this treatment ...err lack there of. Please help any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm having trouble finding a lawyer.

**Mr. Knowitall** · 12-16-2011, 07:05 PM

I appreciate that this is frustrating, and that your employer has been anything but diligent with your paperwork, but from what you're saying the paperwork was just filed; you should now be on track to get treated for your work-related injury.

Did you ever try addressing your initial injury and the lack of report of that injury with your union? To what effect?

**Bighop173** · 12-17-2011, 03:07 PM

I fought the first one enough to get a new assignment and then when I got put back on regular floor still on light duty, I waited until a response from an application in a different area of the VA where I found out there were no transfers while on light duty, so I got off light duty to transfer and now because of budget crisis people are stuck where they're at. The Department of Labor as of yesterday afternoon still does not have my paper work. My initial paper work was sent 30/Nov. I started the paperwork on 22/Nov. But my nurse manager refused to sign it. Then after many phone calls they faxed a hard copy of the CA-1 to the DOL around 4pm Wednesday afternoon. As a whole, any help at the VA I work at for employees is just a big joke.

**ritu** · 12-21-2011, 12:54 AM

For the first ten days, your employer has the right to select a health care provider to treat your injury. After the first ten days of treatment you may choose a different health care provider. You do this by telling your employer that you wish to have a different person treat your injury.

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