NWCDC 2019

Gary Franklin
Medical Director, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries;
Research Professor, Departments of Environmental Health, Neurology and Health Services, University of Washington


Dr. Franklin has served as the Medical Director of the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) from 1988 to the present, and has more than a 25-year history of developing and administering workers’ compensation health care policy and conducting outcomes research. He is a Research Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and in the Department of Medicine (Neurology), as well as Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Health Services, at the University of Washington (UW). He has served as Director or Co-Director of the NIOSH-funded ERC Occupational Health Services Research training program since its inception. Dr. Franklin is also Director of the Occupational Epidemiology and Health Outcomes Program at the UW, which is the most productive program of its kind in the U.S. This program houses and facilitates primary research as well as the secondary use of workers' compensation data in order to improve medical care and reduce the disability related to occupational injuries and illnesses. Because of his unique dual directorship roles, he is in a unique position to conduct meaningful policy-relevant health services research, and provide leadership in this area. Dr. Franklin’s research has focused on (1) evaluating a major quality improvement program within L&I to reduce worker disability and improve outcomes; (2) identifying predictors of long-term disability among workers with back sprain and carpal tunnel syndrome; (3) assessing the risks associated with opiate use for chronic pain; and (4) evaluating outcomes of lumbar fusion. In addition, since the epidemic of opioid deaths became apparent earlier in the decade, Dr. Franklin has conducted several studies related to opioid prescribing practices, has translated this research directly back into state health care policy, and is leading a statewide effort to educate physicians about best practice use of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain.

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