Perrotin Cadena v. Vulcano Carpentry: Compelled Doctor Visit Denied

In Perrotin Cadena v. Vulcano Carpentry, LLC/Southern Owners, OJCC Case No. 24-014548JW, Judge Jonathan E. Walker considered whether the claimant could compel a follow-up appointment specifically with Dr. Watt, the authorized orthopedic physician, rather than being seen by physician assistant Lauren Flowers at Orthopedic Associates.

The JCC noted that the employer/carrier had authorized Dr. Watt's office, paid for prior care, and agreed to authorize follow-up visits, while the claimant had previously relied on PA Flowers' recommendations for medical benefits such as physical therapy and imaging. The remaining dispute was not over compensability or a new physician, but over whether the authorized physician had to personally enter the room for the follow-up visit.

The claim was denied. The order found no expert medical evidence showing that PA Flowers' care failed to satisfy the workers' compensation medical-care standard, rejected the argument that the one-time-change statute barred physician delegation to a PA, and concluded that the OJCC would not micromanage Dr. Watt's clinical staffing decisions without competent medical evidence requiring a different result.

Source: Compensation Order