Since 1997, Care Medical Group has provided Whatcom County with high-quality urgent and primary care. Now a multi-specialty clinic, CMG has expanded into physical therapy and occupational medicine through current owner and medical director Dr. Richard Wei’s expertise in the area.
“In medical school, Dr. Richard Wei developed an interest in occupational medicine,” says Occupational Lead MA Katie Petterson. He pursued a fellowship in the specialty at the University of Illinois and was then able to establish two occupational medicine clinics in New Orleans. “Unfortunately, in 2005 these two clinics were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, which led Dr. Wei to Bellingham, an area where he felt his expertise could be utilized.” CMG now serves and meets the needs of over 200 employers in our region.
“The Occupational Medicine department provides services that help to ensure workers are healthy and properly equipped to perform their job safely,” says Petterson. “This includes pre-employment, annual and asbestos physical exams, drug and alcohol testing, and a variety of X-rays and blood tests. We provide onsite services for many of these things.”
Serving Whatcom’s Employers
Staying in compliance with workplace health and safety codes not only protects employees, but also employers. CMG’s Occupational Medicine department serves a diverse range of industries that employ manual labor.
“We work with many different clients throughout the community,” says Petterson. “This includes fire and police departments, refineries, construction and manufacturing companies, and CDL holders throughout the county.”
The Occupational Medicine department works with employers on a regular basis and provides ongoing services to employees to address health and working conditions as they arise.
“Making a connection and building a good relationship with these clients is something we strive to execute,” Petterson says. “This is especially important so we can better understand all their needs and help make sure we’re providing the services they need for their employees to stay safe on the job.”
Employers can sign up with the Occupational Medicine department by calling 360.734.4300 extension 4, visiting the clinic, or emailing Patterson at kepetterson@hinet.org. “I’d love to answer any questions that you have about getting an account set up with us,” says Petterson.
Serving Whatcom’s Employees
Workplace health and safety for the employee is the Occupational Medicine department’s top priority. Employees who need medical attention can trust the department’s Medical Assistants to provide high-quality and comprehensive care.
To meet OSHA and WISHA compliance, the department offers comprehensive testing, medical exams, and screenings, such as the Titanium Respiratory Questionnaire, to ensure workers are able to safely perform their jobs.
“The most important part of occupational medicine is having expertise and knowledge and applying OSHA standards to ensure a healthy workforce,” Petterson says. “This is accomplished by using job analysis, work capacity evaluations, physicals, lab work, pulmonary function testing, audiograms, blood and asbestos testing, drug and alcohol testing, and fit testing.”
“Certain services are offered on a walk-in basis, like DOT physicals, drug and alcohol testing, hearing tests, and respiratory fit tests.” says Petterson. “We like to ensure that all of our clients are happy working with us, so we ensure timely responses and results from physicals and other testing. We also offer additional services such as physical therapy, urgent care, and primary care,”“
Serving Whatcom’s Community
CMG receives most of its clients by word of mouth. The Occupational Medicine department’s network of companies regularly connect employees and business partners with their services.
“One of my favorite things about occupational medicine is seeing all the companies we provide services for out and about doing various jobs,” Petterson says. “Whether they’re the firetruck or ambulance that you drive by, , or City of Bellingham working to keep our parks looking nice.”
“We even had a local business and client of ours, RAM Construction, build our new clinic in 2020,” says Petterson. “It’s rewarding to be able to directly see the work we do and the impact it holds on Bellingham and the surrounding areas.”
Care Medical Group’s variety of services and extended hours makes it convenient for patients to access a thorough treatment plan that works around their schedule.
“We can usually schedule patients one to two days out, so we have openings to get more patients in for any additional services that are needed,” Petterson says. “Our goal is to continue to provide excellent quality and occupational medicine services to the local business communities.”
Care Medical Group is located at 4043 Northwest Avenue and is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 7p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on occupational medicine, you can visit their website, www.caremg.com, call 360.734.4300 and dial extension 4, or email Petterson at kepetterson@hinet.org.
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