Paradigm is pleased to announce that Amber Ceccarelli, a Paradigm Catastrophic Care Management Network Manager, has been nominated for a 2020 Comp Laude Award. She received this nomination for her dedication and commitment to helping our injured workers and their families recover and achieve the best possible outcomes. As a nominee, Amber will be invited to attend an awards gala, as well as networking and educational events, which will be held virtually this year on October 22nd, October 29th, November 5th, and November 12th.

According to award creator and gala host WorkCompCentral, the Comp Laude Award aims to “Change the narrative of the workers’ compensation industry to a more positive one, including all industry stakeholders.” Nominees consist of individuals and companies across the industry who are dedicated to advocating for injured workers and doing the right thing in the workers’ compensation system. A committee consisting of industry experts thoroughly verifies, vets, and judges each nominee by reviewing materials and conducting outreach to ensure that only the most qualified and dedicated candidates are selected.

Network management that personifies Paradigm’s core values
Amber was nominated for both her hard work and absolute commitment to ensuring catastrophically injured workers get the care they deserve. One case in particular, involving a seriously injured pedestrian who was struck by a motor vehicle while on the job, was highlighted in her nomination and exemplifies the mission of the Comp Laude award. In addition to ensuring the patient received the best care, Amber went above and beyond to connect with the family and integrate them into a multiphase treatment plan, despite coming from another country and speaking a different language.

While working in a sales position, the patient was struck by a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and thrown approximately 20 feet. She suffered a loss of consciousness that was followed by three weeks of post-traumatic amnesia. Brain imaging studies revealed severe damage, while multiple orthopedic and internal injuries required her to be non-weight bearing of all four extremities.

When Amber initially received the referral and visited the hospital to see the patient and discuss next steps with the family, she was still in a comatose state. Upon arrival, the patient was placed in an isolation room in the trauma unit due to her large family and their emotional responses to the critical state they found her in.

“At the time of my first visit, her family was at her bedside and sobbing uncontrollably and I was immediately overwhelmed with the sadness and fear this family faced,” Amber recounted. The patient and her family came from Bangladesh, and only her brother-in-law spoke or understood English, making him the initial spokesperson for the family. “I did everything I could to ultimately overcome any language barriers to offer comfort to the injured worker’s family and explain my role as a Paradigm Network Manager. It was clear to me that it was of the utmost importance that the patient and her family were comfortable with my knowledge and the medical options that were being presented.”

Personalized and dedicated care for a long road to recovery
Amber would spend many days at the patient’s bedside with her and her family—and a strong rapport was built over time. Once the patient was medically stable, Amber worked closely with the care team to research acute rehabilitation locations that were appropriate for the severity of her state of injury.

To ensure she got the assistance she needed, Amber reached out to local Barrows Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona and Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado for onsite evaluations of the patient’s medical appropriateness for their programs. After attending both evaluations with the patient’s brother-in-law, who was the primary family decision maker, he told Amber that he trusted her and her knowledge and they would do whatever she felt was best for her ongoing care. Says Amber, “I knew at that moment they had handed me a very large responsibility to assist this family with making the best decisions for the patient.”

The patient was flown via air ambulance from Arizona to start her long rehabilitation process at Craig Hospital in Colorado. Both the patient and her brother-in-law participated in her rehabilitation process daily for the next four months while her sister was in Arizona caring for her young son. Amber worked closely with Dawn Whitehurst, the Paradigm Network Manager in Colorado who acted as the patient’s Network Manager while she was in Craig Hospital, attending onsite visits and conferences and keeping the patient’s Paradigm Management Team informed of her progress and condition. It was critical that the transition back to Arizona to continue rehab services go smoothly—and Dawn played an important role in the patient’s transition back to home just three months later.

Amber met with the patient and her family again when she returned to her home and discussed ongoing therapy options to ensure everyone was empowered to make informed choices. The patient initially participated in the Rehab Without Walls home and community based program and was then transitioned to their day program. There, she continued both physical and neurocognitive rehabilitation.

Transitioning to a positive outcome
Amber worked closely with the patient and her family to address any issues or concerns regarding her rehabilitation and her resuming normal family duties. The patient worked extremely hard during her rehabilitation and was very motivated to rehab to her fullest potential.

“She always had strength and persevered through the toughest of situations,” remembers Amber. “Her mood was always light and her entire rehab team loved working with her.”

Amber, the patient, and her brother-in-law attended all provider follow-up visits and rehab conferences together to ensure all issues were addressed and her treating medical providers and therapies remained cohesive and collaborative.

Along with the patient’s extensive physical and neurocognitive rehabilitation, she participated in return-to-work initiatives and was tested and cleared to drive independently. She was eventually discharged from Rehab Without Walls and returned to working full time and driving.

“It has been highly satisfying to see that the patient and her son continued living with her sister and brother-in-law, both of whom were extremely supportive throughout this entire process,” says Amber. “It certainly takes a village to provide quality care and intensive support to injured workers and their families. I was only one small part of a very large village.”

Learn more on how our nurses provide on-the-ground support and coordination for injured workers, their families, and care providers.

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