Workers' Compensation

If you are involved in an accident at work, whether or not you are injured or treatment is required, you must notify your supervisor immediately.  The Employee Report of Injury or Occupational Illness form (also known as an accident report) should be completed and sent to the Occupational Health and Safety Manager at Campus Environment and Operations, on the Kent Campus within 24 hours of the incident. This office will conduct a follow-up investigation of the incident and take steps to ensure the condition which led to the incident is corrected.

If you are injured in an accident at work and require treatment, you can go to any medical provider for your initial treatment. You (and the provider) will need to complete a First Report of Injury form in addition to the accident report. This form can be obtained from the HR Forms Library, the DeWeese Health Center or most health care providers.

The DeWeese Health Center and the medical professionals who practice there are certified by the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC). Initial assessment and treatment for on-the-job injuries at the Kent campus can be completed at the Health Center during its normal hours of operation which are:

· Monday and Thursday - 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

· Tuesday and Friday - 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

· Wednesday - 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

· Summer and During Breaks - 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (M- F)

Ongoing follow-up treatment and physical therapy, which may be required by injured employees who have returned to work, can now also be provided by the Health Center. The Health Center has a supply of all necessary BWC forms as well as the Employee Report of Injury or Occupational Illness (commonly referred to as an accident report). Supervisors are encouraged to inform their employees that they can seek care from the Health Center as an approved and certified BWC facility.

Kent Campus employees are encouraged to seek treatment at the Health Center if the injury is not life threatening and occurs during Health Center hours of operation. This assures prompt, quality care and allows for your safe return to the work site in a timely manner. Remember, you always have the right to seek care from any medical provider but by seeking treatment at the Health Center you will receive more timely care in a non-emergency situation than traveling to the Med Center or one of the local hospital emergency rooms.

The provider who delivers your initial treatment should fax the completed First Report of Injury form to University CompCare (800-654-3849), the managed care organization which handles workers compensation claims for Kent State University. The completed First Report of Injury form can also be returned directly to the Benefits Office in Heer Hall. While your initial treatment can be delivered by any provider, any follow-up treatment must be provided by a BWC certified provider. No benefits will be paid until your claim is filed and it is approved by the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

A listing of occupational medicine clinics near the eight Kent State campuses as listed below.