Employee physicals run to your company’s policy
Baseline, periodic, and annual exams for the roles your policy covers, with drug screening, vaccines, hearing, and vision testing available in the same visit.
Before you come in
What to bring and how to prepare
The visit is faster when you arrive with your employer’s authorization and know which add-ons your company has ordered.
Good to know
- Wear clothes you can move in.
- Eat normally and drink water unless your employer’s protocol includes fasting labs.
- Tell us about prior work injuries; the baseline protects you later.
Bring
- Photo ID
- Employer authorization or referral form
- The job description, if your employer provided one
- A complete list of medications and doses
- Glasses, contacts, or hearing aids you use at work
- Immunization records, if vaccines or titers are ordered
The visit
What the employee physical includes
Health history
A questionnaire covering conditions, medications, prior injuries, and anything relevant to the role.
Vitals and vision
Height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and a vision screen.
Physician exam
General exam with a musculoskeletal focus for physical roles: range of motion, strength, and prior-injury findings.
Add-on testing
Audiogram, spirometry, drug screen, TB test, or vaccines as your protocol requires, in the same visit.
Written result
Fitness determination to the employer; results and follow-up recommendations to the employee.
Need employee physicals for your team?
Monday–Friday, 7am to 5pm at Denver, Lakewood, Parker, and Thornton. Hablamos Español.
What it is
An occupational exam, not a substitute for a family doctor
Many employers require a physical at hire, at set intervals, or when an employee moves into a more demanding role. The exam confirms the employee can meet the demands of the position, establishes a baseline for future comparison, and catches conditions that would make the work unsafe.
Injury Care Associates is an occupational medicine practice. We examine employees for the job. If the exam finds something that needs ongoing care, we tell the employee and refer them to their own provider; we do not provide primary care.
After the exam
A clear result for HR, full results for the employee
The employer receives a fitness determination for the position, not the medical record. The employee receives their results and any recommended follow-up with their own provider.
- Fit for duty
- Meets the demands of the position as described.
- Recommendations
- Fit, with follow-up items for the employee to address with their own provider.
- Restrictions
- Specific, actionable limits for HR to evaluate; rare for a periodic exam.
- Baseline on file
- Findings kept for comparison if a work injury occurs later.
For employers
One protocol for every job class
We map exam content to each of your job classes, add the testing your policy requires, direct-bill the account, and return results to HR.
Common questions
Employee physicals, answered
Answers from our front desk and examiners. General information, not medical or legal advice.
Is this a replacement for my annual check-up?
No. An employee physical is scoped to your job and your employer’s policy. It is not primary care and does not manage ongoing conditions. If we find something that needs care, we refer you to your own provider.
What does my employer see?
A fitness determination for the position and any restrictions or recommendations relevant to the job. Diagnoses and medical detail stay with the clinic and with you.
Can drug testing and vaccines be done in the same visit?
Yes. Drug and alcohol screens, TB tests, and workplace vaccines can all be added to the visit when the employer’s protocol calls for them.
How often does an employee need a physical?
That is set by the employer’s policy or by a regulation that applies to the role. Many employers run them at hire and then annually for physically demanding positions.