This page describes how WC Providers Directory sources, normalizes, verifies, and updates provider data. The goal is to make every listed fact auditable against a public source.
1. Data sources
State medical licensing boards. We start with each state's public licensee database to confirm a provider is currently licensed in good standing.
Employer-published Medical Provider Network (MPN) rosters. MPN administrators (e.g., Sedgwick, CorVel, ESIS) publish provider lists per California Labor Code §4616 and equivalent state statutes. We periodically harvest these and reconcile against licensing records.
Verified intake from listed practices. Practices can claim their listing and submit corrections directly. Submitted info is cross-checked against licensing-board records before publication.
Public NPI registry. The CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) is used to confirm provider identity and primary practice locations.
2. Normalization
Source data varies in format. We normalize:
Names. Stripped of honorifics where ambiguous (e.g., "Dr."), preserved where they're part of how the provider is publicly listed.
Specialties. Mapped to a standardized list (e.g., "Ortho Surg." and "Orthopedic Surgery" collapse to one specialty).
Addresses. Geocoded via OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Failed geocodes are queued for manual review rather than guessed.
Networks. Network names are matched against our MPN dictionary (10 supported as of last review); unknown networks are reviewed before being added.
3. Verification status
Each provider carries one of three badges:
Verified WC Provider. Active license confirmed within the past 12 months and MPN affiliation confirmed within the past 6 months.
Accepting New WC Patients. Practice has confirmed availability within the past 6 months. Status can change — always confirm by phone when booking.
Featured Provider. Practice has claimed their listing and contributes verified intake. Featured status does not change ranking in search results. See Editorial Standards.
4. Update cadence
License-status checks: quarterly bulk sync against state boards.
MPN roster reconciliation: every 30 days where rosters are published.
Intake from claimed listings: applied within 5 business days of submission and verification.
Address/geocode updates: rolling, triggered by user-reported errors or licensing-board record changes.
5. Corrections
If a listed fact is wrong, please contact us with the provider name and the specific field. We aim to verify and correct within 5 business days. Confirmed corrections include the verification source in our internal audit log.
6. What we do NOT do
We don't accept payment in exchange for ranking or visibility.
We don't synthesize provider data from large language models.
We don't list providers without at least one public-source confirmation of identity and license.
We don't share submitted contact information with third parties.