We started out in the early 1980s providing on-site occupational health nursing services for local industry, then launched an employee assistance service for our own employees. By the mid-1980s, we were also providing new-hire physical exams for companies, as well as OSHA and Department of Transportation exams, and had begun offering our Employee Assistance Program to other employers in the area.

In 1989, we opened our first occupational injury management clinic, and, by 1996, had combined the occupational health programs of United Health Services Hospitals and our affiliate, United Medical Associates, P.C., to form United Occupational Medicine. UOM then moved to its current home in the Summit Building at 33 Mitchell Ave. in Binghamton, across from Binghamton General Hospital.

UOM offered quality patient service and communication with employers. But in New York State, employers were not permitted to direct their injured workers to a particular clinic for the care of work-related injuries. In 1993, legislation was proposed for the first time that would allow employers to direct care and remove many of the barriers and delays employees experienced in the traditional workers' compensation system.

The legislation was approved as a pilot program and was known as the New York State Workers' Compensation Managed Care Organization. United Health Services Hospitals was certified as a WC MCO in 1996, serving 11 local employers during the pilot program phase. In 1996, permanent managed care legislation was voted into the state workers' comp law, called the Workers' Compensation Preferred Provider Organization. United Health Services Hospitals then became a certified WC PPO in 1997 and has served over 40 different local employers in the PPO. The PPO has been a very successful strategy for local employers who want to control their workers' comp costs.

In November 1999, United Occupational Medicine responded to the needs of local employers and opened Express Care, the area's only dedicated, walk-in, no-appointment-necessary location for work-related injury care. The convenience of Express Care has been well received by local employers and their workers.