Mission and Goal
The Center for Injured Workers, Inc. (“CIW”), is a non-profit corporation whose mission
and goal are to contribute to the development and implementation of a workers’
compensation system that employees, health care providers, employers, and insurance
carriers can accept as a workable, equitable, and fair means of caring for employees
injured in the course and scope of employment and safely returning them to work in the
most expedient manner. CIW is committed to working with health care providers,
support services, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC), employers, attorneys, and
insurance carriers to optimize prompt and reasonable and necessary services to
injured employees as provided by the Workers’ Compensation Act and the
Administrative Rules.
The CIW Board of Directors concluded that the best way to accomplish CIW’s mission and goal was to encourage
injured/non-injured employees, health care providers, and the insurance carriers). CIW earmarked 6 objectives.
These are: (1) Safeguard the well being of injured employees by providing workers’ compensation information,
education, training, guidance, and assistance to not only the injured employees but also to the employers and
health care providers so they can make informed decisions on health care so employees can be treated and
rehabilitated in the most expedient manner; (2) Work with injured employees, DWC, health care providers,
employers, and insurance carriers to facilitate indemnity payments and health care to improve return to work
opportunities; (3) Work with insurance carriers to minimize adversarial situations; (4) Work with attorneys to
expedite adjudication of workers’ compensation cases; (4) Promote the advantages of working together with
DWC, injured employees, health care providers, employers, and insurance carriers; (5) Champion the efforts to
establish dialogue between DWC and the Stakeholders who have felt they have no say-so in the workers’
compensation regulatory process; and (6) Lead the way to the establishment of a San Antonio Advisory
Committee on Workers’ Compensation that is composed of 2 injured employees, 2 health care providers, 2
employers, 2 non-injured employees, and a representative(s) from DWC, CIW, TMA, PCT, and ICT to funnel
recommendations, concerns, questions, and other issues to the Governor of Texas, the Texas Department of
Insurance, and DWC.
CIW hosted the first WC Town Hall Meeting for employers, health care providers, and injured/non-injured
employees in San Antonio on December 14, 2005. The event consisted of presentations on an overview of HB7,
The Role of Texas Medical Association, The Requirements and Benefits of Health Care Networks, and The Keys
to Navigating HB7. This was followed by a Q&A Panel discussion that gave Stakeholders an opportunity to get
questions answered. Other Town Hall Meetings and Seminars have been conducted periodically.
The Founders
CIW was founded by John and Carolyn Arambula. In June 2001, they filed an Assumed Name Certificate, DBA,
the Center for Injured Workers. John is a physicist with biomedical and engineering research experience and
over 20 years in workers’ compensation, risk management, safety, accident prevention, property & casualty,
training, and a host of multi-disciplines in cost control. Carolyn is a human resource executive with
comprehensive experience in employment-related matters, workers’ compensation, safety, and training. They
funded the activities and offered their professional services free of charge to labor-intensive unrepresented
injured workers who not only lost their work-ability, their job, and their dream for a better life, but also ended up
without a home, a car, their family, and/or divorced.
John and Carolyn filed to incorporate CIW as a Texas Non-Profit Corporation because the financial demands
exceeded their ability to cover the expenses needed to help the ever increasing number of injured workers
seeking help. On August 12, 2003, CIW received its IRS Tax Exempt Status under section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code. CIW is the only injured worker, non-profit advocate organization that is not financed by
attorneys, healthcare providers, or any other special interest party.
Scope of Clients
CIW has helped unrepresented injured workers from San Antonio, New Braunfels, Austin, Pflugerville, San
Marcos, El Paso, Uvalde, Eagle Pass, Laredo, Cotulla, Dilley, Selma, McAllen, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Beeville,
Mission, Rockport, Houston, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Waco, Wichita Falls, Lubbock, Amarillo, Floresville, Hondo,
Castroville, Jourdanton, Natalia, Boerne, Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Beaumont, and Niederwald. CIW has also
helped injured workers from California, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Florida. Injured workers who come to CIW have
difficult and complex cases who no one wants to handle because the injured worker has no wage benefits or only
have medical, laboratory, and/or clinical benefits. Their ignorance of the Act, inability to express themselves, the
complexity of the law, and the adversarial approach taken by the insurance adjusters makes it hard to resolve the
issues. Many of these unrepresented injured workers have not only lost their work-ability, their job, and their
dreams for a better life, but also end up without a home, a car, their family, and even in divorce. By teaching and
educating injured workers, they have been able to resolve approximately 90% of the cases. CIW does not
advertise. It is all word of mouth and the website. Many injured workers, who are not aware of CIW, give up hope
after experiencing humiliation, embarrassment, intimidation, abuse, harassment, and total disregard for their well
being. Some end up committing suicide.
Tax Deductible Charitable Contributions
Charitable tax-deductible contributions are welcomed. CIW knows first hand that injured workers, whose only fault
is that they inadvertently got injured on the job, are the most forsaken, despised, stereotyped employees. Injured
workers who are delayed or denied workers’ compensation benefits need a helping hand so they can get back on
their feet. If desire to help click on the Donate PayPal Logo on the left side and follow the instructions. For more
information, please call Carolyn at 210-995-4430, send a facsimile to 210-257-8161, or send an email to
carambula@centerforinjuredworkers.org.
Center for Injured Workers, Inc. A Non-Profit Corporation
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DIGNITY -- EQUITY -- RESPECT
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