Office of the Medical Advisor

Texas Labor Code requires the Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) to review the quality of health care provided in the workers' compensation system and take appropriate action as needed. In addition to reviewing health care providers that deliver services, DWC is also required to review actions of peer review doctors, designated doctors, utilization review agents, and independent review organizations.

The Medical Advisor advises DWC about the adoption of rules and policies, reviews complaints on quality of care, and establishes the Medical Quality Review Panel (MQRP). The panel assists the Medical Advisor in conducting evidence-based medical quality reviews and recommends to the medical advisor the appropriate action of doctors, other health care providers, insurance carriers, utilization review agents, and independent review organizations in the workers' compensation system.

Health Care Quality Review | Medical Quality Complaints and Reviews | Designated doctor resources and information | Other resources

DWC Medical Advisor

Graves T. Owen, M.D. became the DWC Medical Advisor, effective June 1, 2019. Dr. Owen’s association with DWC reaches back to 2010, when he was appointed to the Medical Quality Review Panel (MQRP). In that role he served as case reviewer, participated in informal settlement conferences, attended arbiter meetings, provided MQRP training, assisted in the development of plan-based audits, and served as an invaluable resource of best practices in the subject of pain management.

Dr. Owen graduated from UT Houston Medical School in 1991, remaining in Houston for his internal medicine internship and residency in anesthesiology. He then completed fellowships in interventional, interdisciplinary rehabilitation, and the pharmaceutical management of acute and chronic pain conditions in Pittsburgh. Back in Texas, Dr. Owen went on to practice interdisciplinary pain management in Round Rock for 24 years. In addition to his active practice, Dr. Owen published numerous articles and frequently lectured on pain management topics. He also served as president of the Texas Pain Society, board chairman for the Texas Pain Foundation, and pain management medical director for Paradigm Outcomes.

Health Care Quality Review

Medical Quality Review Panel

The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) is looking for medical experts to serve on the Medical Quality Review Panel (MQRP).

DWC needs doctors or other health care practitioners who are board certified, preferably in the areas of:

Family practice
Pain management
Occupational medicine
Physical medicine and rehabilitation

Orthopedics
Internal medicine
Infectious disease
Neurological surgery

MQRP members are paid to prepare reports that help DWC's Medical Advisor monitor compliance with the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act and DWC rules. The panel also helps ensure that injured employees in the workers’ compensation system receive medically necessary and appropriate health care that is timely and cost-effective and facilitates functional recovery and appropriate return-to-work outcomes.

MQRP members are used on an as-needed basis. If interested, please send an email to OMA@tdi.texas.gov.