Winning Strategies for Workers’ Compensation Risk Management
This session at WCI’s 2023 Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference highlighted program strategies from the three winners of National Underwriter’s 2023 Excellence in Workers’ Compensation Risk Management Award.
Bryan Conner, Manager of Workers’ Compensation, American Airlines
American Airlines has a massive workforce, employing over 100,000 workers. These jobs are physically-demanding, including roles ranging from ticket agents to bagging handlers on the tarmac. With the specialization of these roles, Bryan knew that their workers’ compensation program would need to be highly customized to meet the needs of each individual in their workforce. Bryan expanded the program to include a 24/7 support line for injured workers, so they always had the support necessary for their recovery. He attributes the program’s success to the appreciation and respect of their team members.
Sharon Dressel, Risk Manager, City of Beverly Hills
The pandemic created a host of new risks for the City of Beverly Hills, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increased anxiety, and added stress. Sharon knew that the city’s 1,200 workers would need access to mental health services to assist through all of the events impacting them from public backlash to civil unrest and lockdowns. Her two-tiered program offered services for workers whose trauma resulted from the pandemic and for those struggling with other catastrophic events. Since introducing this program, the city’s claims frequency was reduced by 16%, with stress claims down an additional 27%.
Randy Jouben, Risk Manager, Fairfax County
The overhaul of the risk management program in Fairfax County was built around a four-pronged approach to improve outcomes, including on-site physical therapy, expanded networks, wellness checks and pharmacy integration. On-site physical therapy was used to improve triage services and early intervention to enhance work readiness. Expanded provider panels built an extensive network of specialized treatment to get the care injured worker’s need to aid in their recovery. Wellness checks were used to identify any potential barriers to recovery. Lastly, the pharmacy program helped to build claims transparency and recognize dependency issues.