Occupational Health for Local Employers: Keeping Your Team Safe and Working
When an employee gets hurt on the job, the clock starts. Every hour that person spends figuring out where to go, sitting in an unfamiliar ER, or waiting for someone to call you back is an hour of lost work, mounting cost, and unnecessary stress — for them and for you.
It doesn't have to work that way. A good occupational health partner turns those moments from a scramble into a routine. At Burds Family Practice, we work with employers across the Peosta, Dyersville, and Dubuque area to keep teams healthy, compliant, and on the clock.
Why partner with a local family practice for occ health
Plenty of employers default to sending workers to the emergency room or a distant urgent care. It's understandable — but it's often the most expensive, slowest, and least coordinated option available.
Working with a local clinic changes the math:
Your people are seen by someone who knows your business, not a rotating cast of strangers
Care is coordinated — the same clinic that handles the pre-employment physical can handle the injury, the follow-up, and the return-to-work clearance
You get a real point of contact instead of a phone tree
It's close — less time off the floor, faster answers, fewer surprises
That continuity matters most when something goes wrong. The provider treating an injured worker already has context, and can move quickly toward the goal everyone shares: getting that person healthy and back to work safely.
What we handle for employers
We build occupational health around what actually shows up in a working business:
Pre-employment and compliance exams
Pre-employment physicals
DOT physicals from a certified medical examiner
Fit-for-duty and return-to-work evaluations
Vision and hearing screenings
Drug and alcohol screening
Pre-employment, random, post-accident, and reasonable-suspicion testing
Coordinated with DOT exams when both are needed, so drivers make one trip
Work injury care
Prompt evaluation and treatment of on-the-job injuries
Coordination with your workers' compensation process
Clear, timely documentation for your records
Return-to-work and prevention
Return-to-work clearances with realistic work restrictions
Guidance on light-duty options so you can keep people contributing while they heal
Injury-prevention conversations before problems start
The part employers underestimate: return-to-work
The most expensive stretch of any workplace injury is often the gap between “hurt” and “back to work.” Vague restrictions, slow paperwork, and no plan can turn a minor injury into weeks of lost productivity.
We treat return-to-work as part of the treatment, not an afterthought. That means clear restrictions you can actually staff around, honest timelines, and documentation that lands when you need it. Often the best outcome isn't full time off — it's a thoughtful light-duty plan that keeps a valued employee engaged while they recover.
Built for the way local businesses actually run
You don't need a big corporate contract to get organized occupational health. Whether you've got five employees or fifty, we can set up a straightforward arrangement — scheduled physicals, on-call injury care, coordinated screening — that fits your operation and your budget.
We're independently owned and rooted right here in western Dubuque County. That's how we approach the employers who keep this area running: as neighbors, not accounts.
Let's talk. Call (563) 588-6659 or email bfpstaff@burdsfamilypractice.com to set up a short conversation about what your team needs. You can also see our full occupational health services for employers. We'll build something practical, not a binder full of services you'll never use.
Frequently asked questions
What does an occupational health provider do?
An occupational health provider handles the health side of employment — pre-employment and DOT physicals, drug and alcohol screening, on-the-job injury care, and return-to-work clearances — coordinated in one place.
Is it cheaper than sending injured workers to the ER?
In most cases, yes. Routine work injuries treated in a clinic setting are typically faster and less costly than an emergency room visit, and the coordinated follow-up helps employees return to work sooner.
Do you work with small businesses?
Yes. We set up occupational health arrangements that fit businesses of all sizes across the Peosta, Dyersville, and Dubuque area.
Can you handle DOT physicals and drug screening in one visit?
Yes. When a driver needs both, we coordinate them in a single appointment to save time.