St. Petersburg, FL – IMCS Group (IMCS), recently announced it has rebranded to Ascellus, to reflect further expansion in telebehavioral health programs and enhanced clinical pathways offering evidence-based and personalized care to injured workers.
Already the leading national behavioral health provider focused on workers’ compensation and disability cases, the Company has a proven record of reducing claims costs by an average of 50% through early identification and targeted intervention. Recent advances in the logistics of telehealth, a growing nationwide network of licensed clinicians and technology breakthroughs that enhance speed and integration of personalized care, have allowed Ascellus to reinvent conventional treatment and launch an individualized care treatment protocol to improve return to work results.
“When a worker gets injured, both the worker and the employer want a full and quick recovery, so they can get back to work. The missing piece is often the behavioral health treatment of the individual,” said Lori Daugherty, Ascellus, Chief Executive Officer. “I’m so proud that our service delivers essential behavioral healthcare for the injured workers, providing them with the skills to manage pain and lead more fulfilled lives. I’m incredibly pleased that the expansion of our business will reach many more people.”
The company has also launched a new solution, Ascellus Connect, an all-in-one technology platform that delivers a full suite of cognitive behavioral therapy programs delivered via video call by clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and licensed clinical social workers. Clinicians use this innovative, intuitive system to address and treat psychosocial issues that escalate pain and prevent recovery.
“Through Ascellus Connect, we’re able to meet injured workers where they are,” said Daugherty. “Our evidence-based treatment programs are tailored to each injured worker’s unique situation, empowering them to get better and stay better so that they – and their employers – can get back to business.”
The Ascellus platform provides treatment plans for pain management, workplace trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), COVID-19, and California Stress Claims. Approximately two-thirds of treatment goals – set by the employee and provider and consistent with the claim’s examiner objectives – are reached on average within seven weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy.
The concept of utilizing behavioral health in Workers’ Compensation isn’t necessarily new, but it hasn’t been widely adopted. Daugherty says that, by supporting healthcare providers to help patients, Ascellus benefits workers, companies, and clinicians themselves.
“Ascellus integrates with care coordination teams to provide behavioral health solutions and clinical guidance throughout the claim lifecycle”, added Daugherty. “By simplifying and streamlining the behavioral health claims management process, we help companies reduce costs and accelerate return-to-work recovery.”
More workers are absent from work due to stress and anxiety than physical illness or injury combined, causing enormous financial strain both to themselves and their employers. However, early identification and targeted intervention with injured workers results in significantly reduced total claims costs and supports workers return to work sooner. The company’s integrated, transformative approach to behavioral health drives meaningful and measurable results – for employers and employees alike.
For clinicians, Ascellus acts as an extension of their practice, referring patients while simplifying and handling many of the administrative processes associated with workers’ compensation cases. Ascellus affords clinicians more time dedicated to what matters most: providing quality care.