OWCP Doctors in The Bronx, NY — DOL-Enrolled Care for Federal Injury Claims
Federal Injury Specialists is an OWCP-enrolled medical clinic at 531 West 235th Street in Riverdale, Bronx. Our attending physician evaluates your federal work injury, writes the narrative reports OWCP requires, completes Forms CA-16, CA-17 and CA-20, and prescribes physical therapy delivered in the same building — while our case manager helps you file your CA-1 or CA-2 and keeps your OWCP claim moving.
OWCP, FECA and Why Your Choice of Doctor Decides Your Claim
OWCP is the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, the division of the U.S. Department of Labor that administers workers' compensation for federal civilian employees under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). An "OWCP claim" is a federal workers' compensation claim; an "OWCP doctor" is a physician enrolled with the Department of Labor to treat injured federal employees and bill OWCP directly.
OWCP does not examine you. It decides your claim from paper: the CA-1 or CA-2 you file, your agency's response, and — above all — your attending physician's medical reports. A claims examiner needs to see a diagnosis, objective findings, a clear medical opinion that your work caused or aggravated the condition, and your work restrictions. If the physician's report is vague, unsigned by a qualified physician, or never says "causal relationship," a legitimate injury can be denied. That is why federal employees search for an OWCP doctor rather than any doctor.
Federal Injury Specialists is built for this. Our Medical Director, Eugene Liu, MD — a fellowship-trained spine and musculoskeletal specialist — serves as attending physician of record. Charles Andola, PA-C handles follow-up under his supervision, and our licensed physical therapists, led by owner Alex Sherman, PT, deliver prescribed treatment on site. One chart, one plan of care, one consistent set of reports to OWCP.
Key OWCP Terms
- OWCP
- Office of Workers' Compensation Programs — the Department of Labor office that adjudicates and pays federal workers' comp claims.
- FECA
- Federal Employees' Compensation Act — the law that provides medical care and wage-loss benefits to injured federal civilian employees.
- DFEC
- Division of Federal Employees' Compensation — the OWCP division that handles FECA claims.
- ECOMP
- The DOL's online portal where CA-1, CA-2 and CA-7 forms are filed and tracked.
- Attending physician
- The qualified physician (MD, DO, podiatrist, dentist, clinical psychologist, optometrist, or chiropractor for spinal subluxation) who treats you and whose reports OWCP relies on.
- Causal relationship
- The physician's reasoned medical opinion that your employment caused, aggravated or accelerated the diagnosed condition.
- COP
- Continuation of pay — up to 45 days of regular pay from your agency after a traumatic injury reported on a CA-1 within 30 days.
- Schedule award
- Compensation for permanent impairment of a listed body part, rated under the AMA Guides.
Two Kinds of OWCP Injury Claims — and How We Document Each
Traumatic injury claims (Form CA-1)
A traumatic injury is caused by a specific event or events within a single work shift: a letter carrier who slips on ice on the route, a mail handler who feels a pop lifting a sack, a VA nurse injured moving a patient, a TSA officer hurt in a bag-check incident, a federal officer injured in a use-of-force encounter or a vehicle accident on duty. File Form CA-1 within 30 days to protect continuation of pay, ask your agency for Form CA-16, and see us promptly. Our physician documents the mechanism of injury exactly as it happened, the objective findings, the diagnosis and the causal link — the four things OWCP checks first.
Occupational disease claims (Form CA-2)
An occupational disease develops over more than one shift because of your work: carpal tunnel from years of casing mail, tendinitis, a degenerative disc aggravated by repetitive lifting, hearing loss from a plant floor, plantar fasciitis from walking a route. These claims are harder because OWCP requires a detailed narrative explaining how specific job duties, over specific time periods, produced the condition. We take a full occupational history, correlate it with your findings, and write the report to that standard.
Recurrences and consequential injuries
If an accepted injury flares up (Form CA-2a) or leads to a new problem — a limp from a knee injury that causes back pain, for example — the medical report has to tie the new complaint to the original accepted condition. We document these carefully so OWCP expands the accepted conditions rather than treating them as a new, unrelated claim.
OWCP Forms Explained: CA-1, CA-2, CA-7, CA-16, CA-17, CA-20 and More
Every federal workers' comp claim runs on the "CA" forms. Here is what each one does, who completes it, and what we handle for you. Official forms are available from the DOL OWCP forms library and are filed through ECOMP.
| Form | What it is | Who completes it | What we do |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA-1 | Federal Employee's Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay — for injuries from a specific event during one shift. | You (employee section) and your supervisor; filed in ECOMP within 30 days for COP. | Help you describe the injury accurately so the CA-1 matches the medical record; the physician's report supports it. |
| CA-2 | Notice of Occupational Disease and Claim for Compensation — for conditions that develop over more than one shift. | You and your supervisor, with a detailed statement of job duties and exposure. | Take a full occupational history and write the causal-relationship narrative OWCP requires for CA-2 claims. |
| CA-2a | Notice of Recurrence — when an accepted injury flares up or disability returns without a new injury. | You; agency section by supervisor. | Document how the recurrence relates to the original accepted condition. |
| CA-7 | Claim for Compensation — for wage loss after COP ends, for leave buy-back, and for schedule awards. | You, usually every two weeks; agency completes pay data. | Provide the medical evidence of disability for each period claimed; support schedule-award requests. |
| CA-16 | Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment — guarantees payment for initial care of a traumatic injury for up to 60 days. | Your agency issues it; the physician completes Part B. | Complete Part B at your first visit and bill OWCP under the authorization. |
| CA-17 | Duty Status Report — the physician's statement of your work restrictions and ability to return to work. | Agency completes side A (job requirements); attending physician completes side B. | Complete side B at each visit with specific, defensible restrictions; keep it consistent with the record. |
| CA-20 | Attending Physician's Report — history, findings, diagnosis, treatment and the causal relationship to work. | Attending physician. | Complete it and attach a full narrative report written to OWCP's evidence standard. |
| CA-35 series | Evidence checklists for specific occupational-disease claims (hearing loss, carpal tunnel, asbestos, etc.). | You and your physician, as applicable. | Make sure the medical evidence on the checklist is in the report. |
| OWCP-957 | Medical Travel Refund Request — reimbursement for travel to authorized medical appointments. | You. | Front desk provides the form and visit verification. |
Forms and requirements are set by the Department of Labor and change periodically; always use the current version from the DOL website.
How Our OWCP Claims Assistance Works, From Injury to Return to Work
We are a medical practice, not a law firm — but the medical side is where most OWCP claims are won or lost. Here is exactly what our team does at each stage.
Report & file
We help you determine CA-1 vs. CA-2, describe the injury accurately, file in ECOMP, and request a CA-16 from your agency.
Physician evaluation
Dr. Liu examines you, orders imaging, documents diagnosis and causal relationship, and completes CA-16 Part B and CA-20.
Authorization & treatment
Our case manager submits treatment authorizations; prescribed physical therapy starts in our clinic under the accepted claim.
Duty status & wage loss
CA-17s are completed at each visit; we supply the medical evidence for CA-7 wage-loss claims and light-duty decisions.
Resolution
Return-to-work documentation, recurrence reports, and the medical basis for a schedule award when impairment is permanent.
Dedicated OWCP case manager
One person tracks your authorizations, ECOMP filings, CA-17 deadlines and claims-examiner requests so nothing lapses.
Direct DOL coordination
We communicate with OWCP claims examiners and your agency's injury compensation specialist (ICPA) on the medical side of your claim.
Denial support
If a claim is denied for medical reasons, we provide the supplemental narrative reports a request for reconsideration typically needs.
Looking for an OWCP Doctor Near You in the Bronx, Manhattan, Yonkers or Westchester?
Our clinic at 531 West 235th Street sits in Riverdale/Kingsbridge, a short walk from the 231st Street and 238th Street 1-train stops and minutes from the Henry Hudson Parkway. We see OWCP patients from every Bronx neighborhood, from Inwood and Washington Heights in Manhattan, and from Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and across Westchester County — including many USPS carriers and clerks, staff of the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, and TSA and federal law-enforcement officers.
- DOL / OWCP-enrolled — treatment billed directly to the Department of Labor
- Attending physician who meets FECA's definition of "physician"
- Physical therapy prescribed and delivered under one roof
- Narrative reports written to OWCP's medical-evidence standard
- Prompt new-patient appointments
- English and Russian spoken
OWCP Doctor & Claim Questions
Quick answers on OWCP doctors, injury claims and forms. For the full list, see our federal workers' comp FAQ.
📞 Call (718) 432-1323+What is an OWCP doctor?
An OWCP doctor is a physician enrolled with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs who treats federal employees under FECA and bills OWCP directly. To act as your attending physician, the provider must meet FECA's definition of "physician" — an MD or DO, podiatrist, dentist, clinical psychologist, optometrist, or (for spinal subluxation) a chiropractor. At Federal Injury Specialists, Eugene Liu, MD, is the attending physician.
+Can I see an OWCP doctor before my claim is accepted?
Yes. For a traumatic injury, Form CA-16 from your agency authorizes examination and treatment for up to 60 days while OWCP decides the claim. For an occupational disease (CA-2) claim, there is no CA-16; we will discuss options and risks with you before treatment.
+Do I need a CA-16 to be seen?
No. A CA-16 guarantees payment for a traumatic injury, so ask your agency for one, but you can be seen without it. If you have a CA-16, bring it — our physician completes Part B at the first visit.
+What is the most common reason an OWCP injury claim is denied?
Insufficient medical evidence: no rationalized medical opinion connecting the diagnosed condition to the work injury, or reports signed by someone who is not a "physician" under FECA. Late filing and inconsistencies between the CA-1/CA-2 and the medical record are next. Most medical-evidence denials can be addressed with a proper narrative report and a request for reconsideration.
+Which OWCP forms does the doctor complete, and which do I complete?
You (with your supervisor) file the CA-1 or CA-2, and later the CA-7 for wage loss or a CA-2a for a recurrence. Your attending physician completes CA-16 Part B, CA-17 side B and the CA-20 with a narrative report. Our case manager helps with all of it.
+Does OWCP pay for physical therapy at your clinic?
Yes, when prescribed by our physician for an accepted condition and authorized as required. Physical therapy is delivered in the same clinic by our licensed physical therapists, and OWCP is billed directly — no co-pay or out-of-pocket cost to you on an accepted claim.
OWCP Appointment — Bronx Office
Injured on the job as a federal employee? Request an OWCP appointment and our team will confirm your visit and tell you exactly what to bring: photo ID, your CA-16 if issued, your claim number if you have one, and any imaging or records.
- 📍531 West 235th St. Bronx, NY 10463
- 📞Call: (718) 432-1323
- 💬Text: (347) 697-5583
- 🕘Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–5:00 PM · Sat 9:00 AM–3:30 PM
Request an OWCP Appointment
Complete the short form below and our OWCP team will contact you to schedule your evaluation.