Workers' Compensation Orthopedic Care in Key West
Nonsurgical orthopedic care for authorized work injuries, with X-ray and ultrasound in the office and written work status after every visit.
- Ask your employer or adjuster to authorize the visit
- Walk in Monday through Thursday once authorized
- Written work status after every visit
- DWC-25 work status after every visit
- MMI dates and impairment ratings
- Fax for authorizations and claim paperwork
Orthopedic Care for Work-Related Injuries
A work injury affects more than a knee or a shoulder. It affects your paycheck, your schedule and the coworkers counting on you.
Key West Concierge Orthopedics gives injured workers a local orthopedic evaluation and a clear plan. You also leave with written work status your employer and adjuster can act on.
Your workers' comp doctor here is Jason Pirozzolo, DO, a sports medicine physician who focuses on nonsurgical orthopedics.
Visits happen in our office at 1111 12th Street, Suite 108. Workers from Stock Island to the Lower Keys can be seen close to home instead of driving up the Overseas Highway.
To start, request an authorized evaluation or call (305) 294-1779.
Work Injuries and Conditions We Evaluate
Key West runs on hands-on work. Hotel housekeepers, line cooks, dock hands, roofers, landscapers, boat captains and city crews lift, twist, kneel and climb every shift. These are the on-the-job injuries we see most often.
Back and neck strains
From lifting, carrying, or a twist on a ladder or a boat deck.
Back pain treatment in Key WestShoulder injuries
Rotator cuff strains and overuse from overhead work, stocking shelves or hauling lines.
Shoulder pain careKnee injuries
Sprains, meniscus tears and kneecap pain from kneeling, stairs or a slip on a wet floor.
Seeing a knee doctor in Key WestAnkle and foot injuries
Rolled ankles on wet docks, uneven sidewalks and busy kitchen floors.
Ankle injury careWrist and hand injuries
Falls on an outstretched hand, sprains, and strain from gripping tools all day.
Wrist injury careFractures that do not need surgery
Broken bones that can heal in a splint, brace or walking boot with close follow-up.
Fracture care in Key WestElbow tendon pain
Tennis elbow and similar tendon strain from repeated gripping, lifting and tool use.
Overuse and repetitive strain
Tendon and joint pain that builds over weeks of doing the same motion at work.
X-Ray and Ultrasound in Our Key West Office
Most work injuries start with a careful exam and a clear picture of what happened inside. Digital X-ray is available in the office, so a possible broken bone can be checked at the first visit. Read more about X-ray in Key West.
Diagnostic ultrasound shows muscles, tendons and ligaments moving in real time, right in the exam room. Dr. Pirozzolo also uses ultrasound to guide injections when the carrier authorizes them, so the needle is placed with the injured tissue in view.
When an injury needs an MRI or another test, we request authorization through the claim before it is scheduled.
Nonsurgical Treatment Options
Many work injuries heal without surgery. The plan is to calm the injury, protect it while it heals, and rebuild strength for the job you do.
- Work restrictions that match the injury, such as a lifting limit or seated duty
- Bracing, splinting or a walking boot when a joint needs protection
- A physical therapy program, with referral to a local therapist when hands-on care is needed
- Ultrasound-guided injections, once the carrier authorizes them
- Medication guidance and a home exercise plan you can do around your shifts
- Fracture care without surgery, with follow-up X-rays to check healing
If an injury does need surgery, Dr. Pirozzolo explains why and refers you to an orthopedic surgeon your carrier authorizes. Key West Concierge Orthopedics does not perform surgery. See more nonsurgical pain management options.
How Workers' Compensation Authorization Works
In Florida, your employer's insurance carrier must authorize care before a doctor can treat a work injury. Sending us a web request does not authorize care, so these steps keep your claim moving.
- Tell your employer right away. Florida law gives you 30 days from the injury to report it, and sooner is better.
- Get your claim number and adjuster's name. Your employer has 7 days to report the injury to its carrier, which assigns an adjuster to your claim.
- Ask your adjuster to authorize a visit with Dr. Pirozzolo. Give them our phone, (305) 294-1779, and our fax, (305) 294-3931.
- Come in once the visit is authorized. Walk in Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or book a Friday appointment.
Already seeing another doctor for your claim? Florida lets you ask the carrier in writing for one change of physician. The carrier must authorize a new physician within 5 days, and you can ask for Dr. Pirozzolo.
This is a general guide to the process, not legal advice. Your adjuster can answer questions about your own claim.
Request an authorized evaluationInformation for Employers, HR and Adjusters
Contact our office to coordinate an authorized workers' compensation appointment. One call or one fax puts an injured employee on our schedule, and you get work status you can plan around.
What we need to schedule
- The carrier's name and the claim number
- The adjuster's name, phone and email
- Written authorization, including the injury or body part authorized
- The date of injury
- An employer contact for work status and light duty questions
What you get from us
- A DWC-25, Florida's uniform treatment and work status report, after every visit
- Restrictions written in plain terms, such as a lifting limit in pounds
- Maximum medical improvement (MMI) dates and permanent impairment ratings when the claim reaches that point
- Ultrasound-guided injections and other treatment requested through authorization first
- Walk-in visits Monday through Thursday for authorized employees
Send authorizations and claim documents by fax to (305) 294-3931. When our workers' compensation staff reply, they confirm the secure route for anything else. Please do not send medical records, claim documents or Social Security numbers through the web form or by regular email.
Employers and carriers who want a local orthopedic option for future work injuries are welcome to set up a referral path with our office.
Coordinate an appointmentReturn-to-Work Assessments and Documentation
Getting back to work safely is part of the treatment plan, not an afterthought. At each visit Dr. Pirozzolo checks strength, motion and how the injury handles the tasks your job requires.
Work status is written down every time, on the DWC-25. It says whether you can work full duty, work with restrictions or need time off, and when you will be seen next.
Restrictions are specific so a supervisor can use them. They set limits on weight, time on your feet, ladder use or use of one hand. As you heal, the restrictions step down until you are back to full duty.
Maximum medical improvement means the injury is not expected to get better with more treatment. When you reach it, Dr. Pirozzolo records the date and any permanent impairment rating your claim requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I choose my own doctor for a Florida workers' comp claim?
Usually the carrier authorizes the doctor, but you can ask your adjuster to authorize Dr. Pirozzolo. If you already have an authorized doctor, you may request one change of physician in writing.
Do I need an appointment after a work injury?
Once your visit is authorized, you can walk in Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Fridays are by appointment. Calling ahead at (305) 294-1779 helps us have your claim details ready.
What should I bring to my first visit?
Bring a photo ID, your claim number, your adjuster's name and phone number, and your employer's contact. A list of your medicines and any recent X-rays are helpful too.
Will my employer know my work status?
Yes. After every visit we complete the DWC-25, Florida's work status form, so your adjuster and employer know your restrictions and your next visit.
Can I send claim paperwork through the website?
No. The request form is for contact details only. Fax authorizations and claim documents to (305) 294-3931, and our staff will confirm the secure route for anything else.
Does Key West Concierge Orthopedics do surgery?
No. Care here is nonsurgical. If surgery is needed, Dr. Pirozzolo refers you to an orthopedic surgeon your carrier authorizes.
Request an Authorized Evaluation
Tell us who you are and how to reach you. Our workers' compensation staff answer every request within 24 hours. For anything urgent, call (305) 294-1779.
Sources
- Florida Statutes section 440.185, notice of injury
- Florida Statutes section 440.13, medical services and change of physician
- Florida Division of Workers' Compensation, Form DFS-F5-DWC-25, Uniform Medical Treatment/Status Report (myfloridacfo.com)