Meet Allyson Ziolko, RN, BSN, Field Case Manager
Allyson Ziolko transitioned from acute care to field case management for the one-on-one time with patients. While she may be looked up to as a teacher in this field, her curious nature affords her the ability to learn new ways to make a difference for her team and the injured employees they support every day.
A memorable moment
Allyson was recently assigned to a claim supporting *Kate, an injured employee with a hearing impairment who did not have access to a field case manager at the time. She was also experiencing a myriad of issues with the clinic she was receiving treatment from. The biggest concern: the clinic had one interpreter for all languages, including American Sign Language (ASL). Kate expressed her frustration to Allyson about the communication barrier at her appointments. She felt deprioritized without having the appropriate translation resources available to her.
Making a difference
After speaking with Kate’s claims examiner, a transfer of care to a specialist at a different facility for her injury was approved. Allyson was able to add ASL interpretation services to all of Kate’s appointments, physical therapy sessions, and before and after surgery. Allyson’s team lead also helped set up efficient technology that Kate could continue to use as a way of communicating with Allyson.
A positive outcome
While Allyson felt that these initiatives were essentials for a proper care plan, Kate felt overwhelming grateful for the consideration and support. She went as far as to hand Allyson a thank you card at an office visit that moved her to tears.
“It is amazing to know what an impact we can make in someone’s life through even the smallest of gestures. There is no place I would rather be.”
*Name changed for privacy purposes