Cab Drivers Fare Well in Brain Study
Findings Can Be Applied to Head Injuries
A recent study of London cab drivers offers evidence that learning new tasks is healthy for the adult brain. This is especially good news for rehabilitation after a brain injury.
The study included people training to become licensed taxi drivers in London, with its complicated grid of 25,000 streets and 20,000 landmarks. The researchers gathered brain images of the taxi trainees over the three- to four-year period it takes to learn to navigate the city, and tested their memory.
At the start of the study, there were no differences between groups of new taxi drivers and non-drivers. After three to four years, however, successful taxi trainees showed an increased in gray matter in the back part of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is important in spatial navigation and memory.
These changes did not occur in trainees who failed or in people in the non-driving control group. The findings show that the human brain remains "plastic" even in adult life, enabling it to adapt when people learn new tasks and skills, said University College Londonm researchers Eleanor Maguire and Katherine Woollett.
But, why does learning new streets and destinations change brain activity in cabbies? The simple answer is that learning new things may also strengthen connections between existing neurons. The challenge the London cabbies face also may increase the production of new neurons in the brain, the researchers theorized.
The findings also offer incentive for adults to be lifelong learners. More information about brain health can be found at The Society of Neuroscience web site.
New Name for Florida Workers' Comp Conference
The Florida Workers' Compensation Educational Conference has a new name that reflects the growth in attendance and national interest in the show, the organizers announced.
"Today, I am proud to announce that we are a truly national conference, and a name change and other initiatives in 2012 will reflect that. While FWCI will continue as a state-specific organization, we have created the National Workers‟ Compensation Institute (NWCI) as an umbrella organization, and have formally renamed the conference the National Workers' Compensation Educational Conference," said James McConnaughhay, the general chair.
Information About April 28 QME Exam
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Embassy Suites Garden Grove
11767 Harbor Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92840
714-539-3300
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
South San Francisco Conference Center
255 South Airport Blvd
South San Francisco, CA 94080
650-877-8787
The California Qualified Medical Evaluator examination will be administered on April 28 at locations in Southern and Northern California. The test sites and start times are:
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Embassy Suites Garden Grove
11767 Harbor Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92840
714-539-3300
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
South San Francisco Conference Center
255 South Airport Blvd
South San Francisco, CA 94080
650-877-8787
Registration begins at 9:30 am. The exam begins at approximately 10 am. After instruction is given, candidates have three hours to complete the 200 multiple choice exam.
Call the DWC at 510-628-2004 for more assistance or visit their web site. For details about preparing for the exam, go here.
Topics Added to the Online Catalog
Three webinars recorded in 2012 are available this month in the online catalog:
1) EDEX, EAMS and the Public Search Tool: Unlocking California Claims Information.
Presented by Susan Gard. 1 CE Credit for California Claims Professionals, Attorneys
Cost: $24.19
Summary: Susan Gard, who oversees workers' compensation process and automation for the City and County of San Francisco, explains how EAMS, EDEX and the new Public Search tool differ and complement one another. She also will demonstrate EAMS and the new public search tool, while addressing whether EDEX is obsolete because of the rollout of the DWC public search tool.
2) Demystifying Workers' Comp Claims in California.
Presented by attorney Michael Sullivan, author of Sullivan on Comp.
2 CE Credits for California Claims Professionals and Attorneys/Legal Specialists.
Cost: $41.09
Summary: Attendees will gain an understanding of the legal and med-legal processes, medical treatment, litigation and substantive issues that arise in the administration of a workers' comp claim. Two resources form the basis of this instruction by experienced attorney, speaker and author Michael Sullivan - the California Workers' Compensation Flowchart 2012 and the legal practice book series, "Sullivan on Comp."
3) Medicare Set-Aside Update - What You Don't Know Can Hurt You.
Presented by MSA compliance expert Kim Wiswell of CompProjections.
1 CE Credit for Calif. Claims Professionals and Attorneys/Legal Specialists.
Summary: The latest trends from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), including the most frequent reasons your submitted allocations are delayed in the approval process, and how you can avoid these delays. Plus, suggestions for ensuring your cases are "submission ready" prior to even requesting an MSA.
Whole-Person Approach to Treating Addiction
PRIUM's Medical Director Speaking on Next Free Webinar, April 2
PRIUM Senior Vice President of Business Development Mark Pew will interview PRIUM’s Medical Director, Sankar Pemmaraju, DO, about “whole-person” treatments for claimants who are dependent on opioids or addicted to them. The free webinar will be Monday, April 2 at 1 p.m. (Pacific), 4 p.m. (Eastern).
- Physical medicine
- Functional capacity evaluations
- Alternative therapies, such as acupuncture
- Occupational therapy and retraining claimants when job duties exacerbate pain
- Psychological counseling
- Personal trainers and nutritional counselors
PRIUM Medical Director Sankar Pemmaraju, D.O. works with physicians to incorporate the latest scientific literature and evidence-based medical guidelines into their treatment of workers’ compensation patients. He maintains an active practice in his functional restoration clinic in Southlake, Texas. His board certifications include a Diplomate of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners and Diplomate and Fellow of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and a Consultant of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.
Rating Event Features Guides Sr. Orthopedic Editor
Dr. Gunnar Anderssen Joins Expert Panel on April 28 in Studio City
Dr. Gunnar Anderssen, the senior editor of the orthopedics chapters of the AMA Guides Fifth Edition, will make a rare speaking engagement in California on April 28 to discuss controversies with the Guides, and answer audience questions. It marks his return to California since 2004 when SB 899 was adopted.
Dr. Anderssen heads a distinguished speaker panel about Guides rating, issues and case law. Applicant and defense perspectives are represented, plus conflicting rating opinions by doctors who evaluate injured workers. A full list of topics for discussion is found here.
He will be joined by presenters from the medical, legal and rating professions. Ken Kingdon is moderator of the seminar at The Sportsmen's Lodge Empire Room, 12825 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604. Ken writes "KIngdon Rating Newsletter" and has written three books about Guides rating, including the AMA publication, "A Medical-Legal Companion to the AMA Guides Fifth."
Call 805-484-0333, ext. 1 to learn more. Online registration here.
California Requirements for Adjusters, Bill Review
To legally perform the duties of a Claims Adjuster, the California Claims Professional Designation (CCPD) must be earned. This verifies he or she has completed at least 120 hours of training as set forth in Section 11761 of the California Insurance Code.
To legally handle medical billing or review for an insurer or medical billing entity, an agent must earn a Medical Bill Reviewer Designation Form that verifies he or she has completed at least 40 hours of training as set forth in the regulations (Title 10, Section 2592.04).
If you are handling claims or reviewing medical bills and need to be certified, contact us. We have credential programs that can be taken online, which meet California requirements.
To speak with a California credential adviser, call 805-484-0333, ext. 113 or 133.
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