At the 2015 National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference & Expo, a panel discussed how one employer’s workers’ compensation experience aligns with future healthcare models. The panel was: Kimberly George, SVP and Senior Healthcare Advisor of Sedgwick Lisa Kelly, Senior Workers’ Compensation Manager for Boeing Greg Moore, President and CEO of Harbor Health Systems Employers are starting to look beyond just their health costs to the experience of their employees in their health system. The thought is employees who are engaged in their healthcare will be not only healthier, but more engaged in their jobs. Right now, the healthcare system
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Data analytics and predictive modeling are quickly becoming workers’ compensation industry staples as more employers recognize that the technology can positively impact their operations by improving claims management, risk assessments and loss costs. This session at the 24th Annual National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference illustrated key elements to include in workers’ compensation predictive models. Speakers included: Frank Murray, Senior Vice President of Claims at ESIS Tim Starks, Director of Casualty at Georgia-Pacific Predictive modeling is a commonly-used statistical technique to predict future behavior. Claims are defined by broad categories and treated with a common set of best practices. The
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At the 2015 National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference, a panel presented a session titled “Physical Function Pre-Work Screens and Fitness-For-Duty Evaluations. The panel included: Darin Hampton, Regional Coordinator, International Paper Gia Schneider, Esq. Shareholder, Haworth, Bradshaw, Stallknecht & Barber Tony Silva, Director, Atlas Injury Prevention Solutions It’s important to remember to match the work and the worker. A functional job analysis is a systematic procedure to quantify and evaluate the physical, cognitive, and environmental demands of the essential tasks of the job. Identify the physical requirements to perform the job. Observe and interact with workers who perform the selected
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At the 2015 National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference & Expo, Tom Robinson (co-author of Larson’s Workers’ Compensation Law) presented a session discussing some of the strange cases seen in the workers’ compensation industry this year. Demperio vs Onondaga County, 2015 NY App. Div LEXIS 2561 In New York you cannot file a stress claim for witnessing a suicide. The claimant who was a secretary in a doctors office saw a patient jump out a window and die. She was one of the first people on the scene and her boss told her to go get an oxygen tank for
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As claims drag on, injured workers may start believing that their injuries, disabilities and chronic pain are worse than they actually are. They may perceive the workers’ compensation system is treating them unjustly and withdraw from work and social activities, fueling further catastrophic thinking and fear. This session at the 24th Annual National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference showed how such psychosocial risk factors common in delayed-recovery cases can be identified early and mitigated with evidence-based interventions that improve return-to-work results. Speakers included: Darrell Bruga, Founder and CEO at LifeTEAM Health John T. Harbaugh, M.D., Occupational Medicine Physician Director at
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At the 2015 National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference, Mary O’Donoghue, Vice President, Medical Services, Helmsman Management Services and Stephanie Perilli, Senior Director, Medical & Health Management, The Home Depot discussed how nurse case managers can add value to your data and to create a successful strategy to improve return-to-work outcomes, lower costs and deliver the best care possible. Some major healthcare challenges are high costs. Global healthcare is slowing but not in the US, 5.4% increase in US health spending, about $8000 a year per person. The environment is dynamic, technology is advancing but the people who are using
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During this session at the 2015 National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference Albert B. Randall Jr., President, Franklin and Prokopik, and Lori A. Serverson, CSP, Vice President, Lockton Companies discussed workplace violence. “Run, Hide and Fight” is the new motto being taught in schools not “Stop, Drop and Roll.” There are nearly 2 million employees reports of workplace violence each year. The United States is the leader of mass shootings. Violence on the job risks include: working alone interacting with public  handling money delivery late or early hours guarding care teaching high crime areas The costs associated with workplace violence
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This session at the 24th Annual National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference illustrated how Walmart analyzed its overall prescription cost drivers, found alternatives and reduced the prescribing of other pharmaceuticals threatening employee health within their organization. Speakers included: Mark Pew, Senior Vice President at PRIUM Janice Van Allen, Director of Workers’ Compensation at Walmart Stores, Inc. Due to the rapidly-growing prescription misuse issues among Walmart’s associates in pain-management programs, the company decided to think differently about drug regimens used by their associates. Initially, the overall problem was anecdotal based on individual claim experience. This later became data driven when Walmart
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At the 2015 National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference, Lee Blitstein, Partner, Altman, Lunche and Blitstein and Sharon Weissinger, Senior Occupational Health Manager, Hyatt Hotels discuss employer strategies, clinic strategies, insurance carriers, and judicial considerations for claim prevention, protocols and defense strategies. Employer strategies: work to ensure employees feel comfortable reporting any incidents show compassion and concern for their safety and well being constantly educate managers and supervisors on proper accident investigations and reporting emphasize the open door policy and be visible around the work environment meet with employee as soon as possible discuss the right-to-work procedures work restrictions have
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Opportunities to manage workplace injuries to their optimal conclusions evaporate when claim handlers ignore medical intervention’s power. Important elements may be lost, including the potential to identify risk factors that can delay recovery, the ability to uncover non-work injury causations, and the efficient coordination of claims-service providers. In this session at the 24th Annual National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference, medical directors from two large workers’ compensation insurers and a self-insured employer provided strategies for unlocking medical intervention’s capacity. Speakers included: Mel Belsky, M.D., Medical Director, Workers’ Comp Program at Safeway Inc. Marcos Iglesias, M.D., VP and Medical Director at
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