By: Nic Hayes
As Work Right celebrates 10 years in business, one thing has stayed the same and remained true through the test of time – its mission to make an impact on the traditional healthcare system. As said by Mindy Patee, CFO and Principal of Work Right, “We’re not chasing a different vision every year. The mission of the company remains unchanged. Work Right is still steadfast in its goal of putting a dent in healthcare. It’s been the primary focus from our inception, remains so, and is meant to scale.”
Work Right is an industrial injury prevention company that provides preventative care and education to the industrial athlete for both work related and non-work related issues. Recognizing that employees in the industrial setting are athletes is key to Work Right’s approach to early intervention. Although the industrial athlete isn’t breaking world records at the Olympics, the tasks they do on a daily basis - moving, pushing, pulling, twisting, and lifting is similar to that of a sports athlete.
Additionally, just like any athlete, as people move, they also wear down and are prone to repetitive motion or overexertion injuries. With that in mind, the most common cause of workplace injuries are sprains and strains, and these conditions are a top 3 cause of company loss. By viewing employees as industrial athletes, Work Right applies a sports medicine approach to the industrial sector, prioritizing prevention to put a dent in healthcare and keep the athlete as mobile, strong, and healthy as possible.
The Individual, The System, The Culture
Work Right’s solution works to prevent injuries before they happen. While other companies in the space provide similar services, Work Right’s approach to culture and unwavering long-term vision sets it apart. A cultural change is where Work Right seeks to make the largest impact in the traditional healthcare system. On this cultural shift, COO Ty Gilmore added, “Work Right focuses on three key areas - the individual, the system, and the culture. When we focus on these three aspects we’re able to generate change within an organization.” By bringing a tone of prevention, Work Right is able to set a trajectory of injury prevention and wellness that permeates from employee to employee and shows them that their employer genuinely cares and is concerned for their safety. In turn, this cultural approach increases morale, productivity, and efficiency. From a monetary perspective, employers see reduced absenteeism and a reduction in claims as well as associated non-occupational medical costs when implementing Work Right’s services.
Another key component to Work Right’s mission of impacting the traditional healthcare system is the fact that they are wholly focused on injury prevention. This means they have no conflict of interest and do not make money in other places like PT referrals or independent investors. Instead, by focusing solely on injury prevention, Work Right provides employees with care and expertise that they can trust to help them be their best selves. Through this singular focus, Work Right has continued to improve its onsite health and wellness services. Their early symptom intervention services, preventative education and exercise, ergonomic training, and performance training (workplace observation and coaching) in addition to wearable technology and computer vision tools combine to allow Work Right to act as a front line for any and all musculoskeletal issues that may present themselves to the industrial athlete.
Continued Success
Work Right’s culture of prevention and care is truly revolutionary in an industry that has traditionally been reactive. This sentiment is echoed by Founder and CEO Nic Patee who added, “We shouldn’t wait for people to break before we give them access to care. We shouldn’t work to be a world-class sick care system. We should be world-class at keeping people healthy.” In keeping the industrial athlete healthy and happy, Work Right has innovated a unique perspective and onsite model that has led to its continued success over the past ten years and many more to come.
We are proud to feature Work Right on the Granite List.
