"Officer Needs Help."
By: Kerry Hennessy
ISYS Director of Customer Relations
A frantic radio call pierced the night sky June 3, 2006.... "Officer Needs Help.Shots Fired.Officer Down!" After an intense foot pursuit, LAPD Officer Kristina Ripatti was in the process of apprehending a career criminal, who had moments earlier robbed a gas station at gunpoint.
Under the cover of darkness, neither Officer Ripatti, nor her partner, noticed the small handgun the assailant was holding. In a moment that would change her life forever, Officer Ripatti was struck twice. Although she wore a protective vest, a single bullet struck her in a vulnerable area under her left arm. It was later confirmed that the bullet severed her spinal cord, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down.
Within hours of the injury, ISYS Senior Case Manager, Angie Jung, RN, was assigned to the file by an experienced claims handler serving City of LA-Sworn Officers. Her job: to assist with Officer Ripatti's recovery.
The first days and weeks following the injury were a frenzy of phone calls and visits from every medical provider imaginable, all working to assist Officer Ripatti, her husband and fellow LAPD Officer, Tim Pearce, to work through a very complex healing and rehabilitation period.
When asked about her experiences working with ISYS Case Manager, Angie Jung, Officer Ripatti said, "She has been really great. I call her about all kinds of things, all times of the day. If I have a question or concern, if there is something going on with my body, anything we need, Angie has been really responsive. She does things without even asking, continuously following up, doing the next step before we even know there is a next step."
Asked if nurse case management services have been beneficial, Officer Ripatti answered, "Hugely, because there is that middle man to deal with all that stuff... We have a billion things going on. The fact that Angie can call and get all these things done.it has been a big help. Otherwise, I would be behind all the time with getting supplies, the equipment and dealing with doctors."
The LAPD is a tight knit community and they have provided strong support to Officer Ripatti and her family. According to Officer Ripatti, "The Department has been really, really great with us.a lot of support, calls all the time and checking in."
Similarly, the city's nurse and claims handlers, ".have been good with me. They met with Tim early on and told him you don't have to worry, we are going to provide for you."
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the City of LA-Sworn Officers workers' compensation claims handlers, the LAPD Police Protective League, and various medical professionals, including the ISYS Nurse Case Manager who continues to facilitate and coordinate services, eight months post injury, Officer Ripatti is back to driving and in the process of being fitted with reciprocating gait leg braces that are spring-loaded, and will assist with her standing exercises.
Grateful for her post-injury care, Officer Ripatti continues to have PT visits three times a week, with visits to the gym in between. ABC's Extreme Makeover-Home Edition became aware of her story, and in October 2006, Officer Ripatti, her husband Tim, and their two-year-old daughter, Jordan, were presented with a new home, courtesy of the show and thousands of volunteers who were moved by her story. The new home goes a long way in accommodating Officer Ripatti's physical limitations and has helped in her recovery.
For those who have been fortunate to meet her in person and assist along the way with her rehabilitation, it is Officer Ripatti who is inspiring. In the face of a life altering injury, she has not become bitter or resentful. Rather, she appreciates, and is grateful for the care and concern she and her family have been shown. "That's what surprised me during all of this, how so many people are genuinely good. As police officers, we see all the bad stuff and get jaded... people just giving out of love. We couldn't believe it. We're fortunate to experience that. It is amazing to be a part of it.
ISYS is a company founded on the principles of providing high quality and timely services to all our customers and their clients. We put people and resolving their problems first. As case managers, we are proud to have a role in Officer Ripatti's rehabilitation. She is an example of an injured worker, caught in a catastrophic circumstance, who is thankful for the benefits of the workers' compensation system. She refuses to become a victim. With the help of many, she is taking back her life one day at a time.
*This article and photo have been printed in this newsletter with the permission of LAPD Officer Kristina Ripatti
*ISYS wishes to thank Century Pacific Medical, DME provider, for their assistance with our handling of this case.