ROTH, Judge:
¶ 1 On October 22, 2009, Martie Breivik, who was employed at the time as a medical secretary at Utah Valley Specialty Hospital, fell while walking in to work and hit her right hand on the cement ground, causing her to "hyper extend[ ] her right small finger [and] right ring finger." There is no dispute that her fall was an industrial accident covered by Utah's Workers' Compensation Act. The following month, an MRI revealed ligament damage to her hand but no fractures. In December 2009, Breivik was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, anxiety, and depression, all of which originated from the fall. Breivik continued to work for Utah Valley Specialty Hospital in a light-duty capacity until October 31, 2011, when she was terminated "because she did not have a full work release." In August 2013, Breivik applied for permanent-total-disability compensation. See generally Utah Code Ann. § 34A-2-413 (LexisNexis Supp. 2015).
¶ 2 Ernest Health, Inc.
¶ 3 Ernest Health asserts that "[s]ection 63-46b-8(1)(a) of the Utah Administrative Procedures Act requires that ALJs obtain full disclosure of relevant facts" and argues that the Commission should have granted its motion to reopen the evidentiary record and admit additional evidence. Specifically, Ernest Health argues that the Commission erred by not remanding the case to the ALJ to consider newly obtained video surveillance of Breivik in conjunction with the accompanying supplemental medical report from Ernest Health's independent medical examiner.
¶ 4 Approximately four months after the evidentiary hearing on Breivik's permanent disability petition (and approximately three months after the ALJ's order), Ernest Health moved the Commission to reopen the evidentiary record, stating that "[i]n anticipation of the hearing on the reemployment plan" it had "conducted surveillance of [Breivik] on various dates [during July and August of 2014]."
¶ 5 In its order affirming the ALJ's decision, the Commission stated,
Ernest Health filed a Motion for Reconsideration, and the Commission again re-affirmed that "the late-submitted evidence was properly excluded [by the ALJ] ... and cannot be the basis for referral to an impartial medical panel."
¶ 6 Rule 602-2-1 of the Utah Administrative Code sets forth the pleading and discovery procedures for an adjudication of workers' compensation benefits before the Commission. See Utah Admin. Code R602-2-1. It provides that "the evidentiary record shall be deemed closed at the conclusion of the hearing and no additional evidence will be accepted without leave of the [the ALJ hearing the case]." Id. R602-2-1(I)(8). We "will not disturb the agency's interpretation or application of one of the agency's rules unless its determination exceeds the bounds of reasonableness and rationality." Brown & Root Indus. Serv. v. Industrial Comm'n of Utah, 947 P.2d 671, 677 (Utah 1997) (citation omitted). In addition, the Commission is afforded broad discretion in determining how best to conduct its inquiry into each case: "The commission may make its investigation in such manner as in its judgment is best calculated to ascertain the substantial rights of the parties and to carry out justly the spirit of the chapter." Utah Code Ann. § 34A-2-802(1) (LexisNexis 2011). In particular, "whether further findings are made is a matter of discretion with the Commission." Jones v. Ogden Auto Body, 646 P.2d 703, 705 (Utah 1982) (per curiam).
¶ 7 We are not persuaded that the Commission's decision to exclude Ernest Health's late-submitted evidence exceeded the bounds of the Commission's discretion. The Commission concluded that Ernest Health had not provided a "sufficient explanation" of why it could not have obtained similar evidence prior to the hearing and, indeed, did not demonstrate that it had even made any attempt to do so. Instead, Ernest Health simply stated to the Commission that the surveillance on Breivik was conducted "[i]n anticipation of the hearing on the reemployment plan," without further elucidation. And on review Ernest Health has not provided any more of an explanation than it did to the Commission for its delay in obtaining the surveillance video, stating only that it "obtained the video in order to prepare for the second step proceeding." Neither the statement made to the Commission nor the statement made in its briefing make any attempt to explain why Ernest Health was unable to obtain the surveillance video during the period prior to the evidentiary hearing before the ALJ. As a consequence, before this court, Ernest Health has simply reinforced the Commission's conclusion that it "has not provided sufficient explanation as to why it waited until after the close of the record to obtain the proffered evidence."
¶ 8 Furthermore, the Commission's broad discretion to "make its investigation in such manner as in its judgment is best calculated to ascertain the substantial rights of the parties," Utah Code Ann. § 34A-2-802(1), seems to encompass both a determination whether new evidence is significant enough to require further factual inquiry into the claimant's condition and, as particularly pertinent here, whether "the proffered evidence ... was unreasonably late ... to warrant reopening the evidentiary proceedings," Timpanogos Hosp. v. Labor Comm'n, 2011 UT App 106, ¶ 5, 251 P.3d 855 (internal quotation marks omitted); see also Carradine v. Labor Comm'n, 2011
¶ 9 Here, Ernest Health has failed to persuade us that the Commission abused its discretion by finding the surveillance video and accompanying supplemental medical report to be untimely. Instead, Ernest Health merely argues that the proffered new evidence itself justifies reopening the evidentiary record. But this is insufficient to demonstrate that the Commission abused its discretion when it determined to "not consider such evidence."
¶ 10 Ernest Health next argues that the Commission erred by not remanding the case to the ALJ for referral to a medical panel, because "the medical records show a conflict of opinion" between Breivik's treating physician, Dr. Chung, and Ernest Health's independent medical examiner, Dr. Colledge. The decision to refer medical aspects of a disability compensation case to a medical panel is generally a matter of discretion. See Utah Code Ann. § 34A-2-601(1)(a) (LexisNexis Supp. 2015). "[R]eferral to a medical panel is mandatory only where there is a medical controversy as evidenced through conflicting medical reports." Brown & Root Indus. Serv. v. Industrial Comm'n of Utah, 947 P.2d 671, 677 (Utah 1997) (citation omitted); see also Utah Admin. Code R602-2-2(A) ("A panel will be utilized by the [ALJ] where one or more significant medical issues may be involved. Generally a significant medical issue must be shown by conflicting medical reports."). "Whether there are conflicting medical reports is a question of fact." Brown & Root, 947 P.2d at 677. "We must uphold the Commission's factual findings if such findings are supported by substantial evidence based upon the record as a whole." Id. "An administrative law decision meets the substantial evidence test when a reasonable mind might accept as adequate the evidence supporting the decision." Martinez v. Media-Paymaster Plus/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2007 UT 42, ¶ 35, 164 P.3d 384 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted); see also Hurley v. Board of Review of the Indus. Comm'n, 767 P.2d 524, 526-27 (Utah 1988) ("An agency's findings of fact, however, are accorded substantial deference and will not be overturned if based on substantial evidence, even if another conclusion from the evidence is permissible.").
¶ 11 Here, the Commission considered Ernest Health's argument that "the medical aspects of Ms. Breivik's claim must be referred to an impartial medical panel according to Commission rules" because "there are significant medical issues regarding ... Ms. Breivik's claim for permanent total disability compensation." In its ruling affirming the ALJ's order, the Commission adopted the ALJ's extensive findings of fact. Those factual findings included a summary of the medical evidence related to the industrial accident and a detailed discussion of the medical problems the ALJ determined were a result
On review, Ernest Health has not engaged with the Commission's reasoning and has therefore failed to carry its burden to demonstrate that the Commission's decision was not based upon substantial evidence. Likewise, Ernest Health has not persuaded us that it was unreasonable for the Commission to determine that there was no actual conflict between Dr. Chung's opinion and Dr. Colledge's opinion. Instead, it merely re-argues the evidence in favor of its position that Breivik is employable with accommodations and leaves it to us to consider whether the Commission's contrary conclusion is the result of medical reports that actually conflict. Cf. Timpanogos Hosp., 2011 UT App 106, ¶¶ 3-4, 251 P.3d 855 (recognizing that although the reports submitted by various doctors may have been "somewhat incomplete," "limited," demonstrated "varying degrees of conviction," or failed to "challeng[e] the existence of the condition head on," the Commission did not abuse its discretion because there was "no actual conflict").
¶ 12 In fact, Ernest Health's entire argument that there is a conflict between the medical opinions is as follows:
¶ 13 In this argument, Ernest Health relies on three reports from Dr. Chung to assert that Breivik is employable: first, a
¶ 14 But based on the argument Ernest Health has presented on judicial review, the significance of any conflict that it perceives between Dr. Chung's opinion and Dr. Colledge's opinion is obscure at best. In fact, although Ernest Health emphasizes an apparent disagreement between the two doctors regarding whether Breivik's symptoms are entirely consistent with her injury, Ernest Health's characterization of the opinions of both Dr. Chung and Dr. Colledge appears to a significant degree to find them in agreement: with accommodations, Breivik is employable. And while Dr. Chung ultimately opined that Breivik had become unemployable and the Commission recognized this in its decision to uphold the award of permanent total disability, Ernest Health's cryptic analysis does not include that information or analyze how any divergence in the medical views of the two doctors actually contradicts the Commission's finding that "the opinions of Dr. Chung and Dr. Colledge do not necessarily conflict with each other."
¶ 15 Further, our own review of Dr. Chung's and Dr. Colledge's medical reports corroborates the Commission's factual determination that there was no significant conflict of medical opinion between the reports. If an agency's findings of fact are supported by substantial evidence, we will decline to disturb those findings "even if another conclusion from the evidence is permissible." Hurley v. Board of Review of the Indus. Comm'n, 767 P.2d 524, 526-27 (Utah 1988). Ernest Health has not satisfied the burden of showing that there is no substantial evidence to support the Commission's decision that the medical reports were not in conflict. Therefore it has not persuaded us that the Commission erred in deciding not to refer the matter to a medical panel.
¶ 16 Finally, Ernest Health argues that the ALJ's order "requir[ing] [Ernest Health] to submit a re-employment plan" is
¶ 17 "Our rules clearly state that a petitioner's brief must `contain the contentions and reasons of the [petitioner] with respect to the issues presented ... with citations to the authorities, statutes, and parts of the record relied on.'" A & B Mech. Contractors v. Labor Comm'n, 2013 UT App 230, ¶ 21, 311 P.3d 528 (alteration and omission in original) (quoting Utah R. App. P. 24(a)(9)). "To satisfy rule 24(a)(9), the argument `must provide meaningful legal analysis.'" Wilson v. IHC Hosps., Inc., 2012 UT 43, ¶ 121, 289 P.3d 369 (quoting West Jordan City v. Goodman, 2006 UT 27, ¶ 29, 135 P.3d 874). Ernest Health has not met its burden here.
¶ 18 The ALJ made specific findings that Breivik "experiences severe pain in several of her extremities" including "the right shoulder, left hand, hips, thighs, knees and feet"; that she "has difficulty gripping, lifting and writing"; that she "can't use the last 3 digits of her right hand" or "the pointer finger and thumb on her left hand"; that she "suffers from anxiety and depression" and that she "has difficulty with her memory and concentration" as well as "emotional ... problems" as a result of the industrial accident. Ernest Health does not refer to or even acknowledge these findings, much less point out how they fall short of what is required by law under the circumstances of this case. Indeed, Ernest Health has not directed us to any statute, rule, or case law that addresses the level of specificity the law requires in the context of a re-employment plan order. Further, Ernest Health has not explained in any detail what additional findings would be necessary as a practical or legal matter for it to prepare a reemployment plan. In fact, Ernest Health fails to explain what a re-employment plan is or where it fits within the statutory or regulatory scheme applicable to the kind of disability at issue here. Accordingly, Ernest Health has failed to develop its argument or provide any meaningful legal analysis. As a consequence, we are not persuaded that any claimed shortcomings in the ALJ's findings substantially impeded Ernest Health's ability to submit a re-employment plan.
¶ 19 For the reasons stated above, we decline to disturb the Commission's order.
Ameritemps, Inc. v. Utah Labor Comm'n, 2007 UT 8, ¶ 13, 152 P.3d 298; see also Ameritemps, Inc. v. Labor Comm'n, 2005 UT App 491, ¶¶ 11-16, 128 P.3d 31 (articulating the difference between a "final order" for enforcement purposes and a "final agency action" for purposes of appellate judicial review), aff'd, 2007 UT 8, 152 P.3d 298; id. ¶¶ 17-19, 25 (concluding that the Labor Commission's finding of permanent total disability constitutes a final agency action subject to appellate judicial review).