Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

September/October, 1999

Industrial Medicine Associates, PC

by Barbara Young, IMA Government Services Representative

INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE ASSOCIATES, PC IS a Gold Corporate member of NADE and has attended the NADE Regional and Bi-Regional conferences; including the National Conference in South Dakota and has taken the time to meet with and understand the needs of Disability Examiners. Barbara Young, the Director of Government Services participated in conferences in New Mexico, Mississippi, Maryland and South Dakota and is a former DDS employee, having served as a Medical Relations Officer, Disability Hearings Officer and Disability Adjudicator. Industrial Medicine Associates (IMA) has ten offices, geographically located across New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey. IMA first began as a Consultative Examination Provider in 1989. Dr. Pulver, our President, has been providing Consultative Examinations since 1979. IMA provides a full range of services, including medical, psychological, speech and language services; as well as X-ray, EKG, Treadmill, and Pulmonary Function Testing. This full service CE provider is able to coordinate claimants whom may require more than one type of exam and testing all on the same visit. Thus reducing transportation issues, costs and processing time. IMA offices are located with access to public transportation. The offices are aesthetically pleasing and resemble one’s own physician office. Disability Claimants are treated with respect and dignity. David Pulver, MD., President and Founder of Industrial Medicine Associates, is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Areyh Klahr, MD, Vice President and Co-Owner of IMA is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. IMA provides a comprehensive level of service that stands out among CE providers. IMA begins the process by selecting, credentialing and training physicians who are willing to make the commitment to provide quality CE’s as an integral part of their professional lives. IMA employs full-time physician recruiters to facilitate this process. IMA schedules the appointments and employs professional schedulers to negotiate appointment dates and times for claimants. IMA employs their own transcription service and reports are received electronically. IMA has their own Quality Assurance review, for content, format and timeliness. Dr. Kathleen Acer, Director of Psychological Services and Dr. Karl Auerbach, Director of Medical Services, oversee this process. Reports are then delivered to the DDS within the required timeframes. IMA has worked cooperatively with the DDS and facilitated the electronic transfer of CE data between the New York DDS and IMA. Consultative Examination (CE) orders are received electronically at IMA allowing appointments to be scheduled within 24 hours. IMA transmits appointment history information to the DDS, including appointment dates, times and show/no-show information. Both IMA and the NY DDS hope this will include the transmission of CE reports in the near future. IMA plans to expand to other states in the near future. Their expansion efforts are focused on cooperative relationships with the Disability Determinations Services to meet the need for quality, timeliness and accuracy in the CE process.