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Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) indicates that an individual's condition has stabilized and that substantial additional recovery is not expected with further medical treatment. However, reaching MMI does not automatically mean the employee cannot continue working. A fundamental responsibility of the CDMS professional is to determine whether the employee can safely perform the essential functions of the position through reasonable accommodations.

This process includes reviewing permanent work restrictions, comparing them with essential job requirements, consulting with the employer, and considering accommodations such as modified equipment, adjusted work methods, altered schedules, or task redistribution where appropriate. The focus remains on functional ability rather than medical diagnosis.

Retirement or permanent disability should only be considered after all reasonable return-to-work options have been evaluated. Likewise, employers are generally expected to consider reasonable accommodations but are not automatically required to create entirely new positions. Therefore, evaluating the match between functional capacity and essential job duties is the most appropriate first step in accordance with disability management principles.