LexisNexis is pleased to announce the finalists for voting purposes in the following categories: Risk Managers, Insurance Professionals, and Industry Vendors. The summaries of these nominees are set forth below. Only members of the Work Comp Analysis Group on LinkedIn can vote. If you’re not already a member of that LinkedIn group, apply here to join. A link to the ballot has been posted on the Work Comp Analysis Group site on LinkedIn. Voters can select two individuals from each of the three categories. The voting period runs from January 23, 2011 through February 4, 2011. Thank you Work Comp Analysis Group LinkedIn members for your participation!
RISK MANAGERS:
Nominee: Karen Caterino, Risk Manager
Organization: Nevada Department of Administration, Risk Management
Karen started with the State in January 2009 and has made a remarkable impact in a short time. With state and local governments facing increased public scrutiny, Caterino has successfully demonstrated the ability for a risk management division to operate efficiently with over 80% of its functions outsourced or privatized.
Caterino utilizes a network of insurance brokers, loss prevention and control consultants in addition to a third party administrator to help manage statewide risk exposures, with minimal staff to manage consultant contracts and services.
Caterino restructured the worker’s compensation program including the introduction of a non-affiliated, URAQ-accredited managed care organization. The MCO utilizes a select panel of credentialed, statewide providers that are mandated to follow evidence based medicine while adhering to ACOEM guidelines, particularly in the areas of cervical and spine. In return, panel providers are minimally discounted from the state fee schedule thereby encouraging providers to spend time with the injured worker and communicate with the employer. This process ensures a qualitative approach to care and treatment of the injured worker while providing quantitative cost savings.
Caterino has begun work on an innovative risk financing alternative for the state’s long term obligations with respect to public safety presumptive benefits which include heart, lung and infectious diseases and certain cancers. The proposed alternative is a segregated cell captive or statewide public entities to collectively adopt best practices while managing the long term financing related to these benefits.
Nominee: Dan Kugler, Assistant Treasurer, Corporate Risk Management
Organization: Snap-on Incorporated
Dan Kugler joined Snap-on Incorporated in 1979. Mr. Kugler is responsible for directing all risk management activities worldwide at Snap-on Incorporated. He is also responsible for security and loss prevention programs for the parent and all subsidiary companies worldwide.
Mr. Kugler is the President of Snap-on SecureCorp Global Companies: Snap-on SecureCorp Inc., the US internal insurance agency, Snap-on SecureCorp Sales Ltd. London based insurance agency and two captive insurance companies, Snap-on SecureCorp Insurance Company, Ltd., Bermuda-based and SN SecureCorp Limited, Dublin Ireland-based.
In 2010, Dan and his risk management team received the Risk and Insurance Magazine Theodore Roosevelt Workers’ Compensation and Disability Management Award. In 2009 the team received the National Underwriters Excellence in Workers Compensation (Honorable Mention). Dan was selected for the 2002 Risk Manager of the Year Award from Business Insurance and RIMS.
He currently serves on RIMS and Spencer Educational Foundation Board of Directors. He is a member of the Insurance Advisory Council of the Indiana State University College of Business since 2002. He is a past member of the CPCU Society Board of Governors.
As an educator Mr. Kugler currently is an Adjunct Professor at Concordia College for Risk Management Studies, an instructor for National Alliance, ICCIE in Captive Insurance studies, and RIMS Professional Development courses (Fundamentals of Insurance, Entrepreneurial Risk Management Practices).
Mr. Kugler received his bachelor degree of business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, MBA from Loyola University Chicago and Advanced Management certificate in Enterprise Risk Management from Georgia State University. He holds the following designations: ACI, CPCU, ARM, AIC, and CEBS. He is a licensed insurance agent and claim adjuster in over 40 states.
Snap-on Incorporated a Fortune 500 company is a leading global developer, manufacturer, and distributor of professional hand and power tools, diagnostic and shop equipment, and tool storage products with annual sales of more than $2.6 billion.
Kugler’s 2010 Accomplishments:
Innovators and educators – words defining members of Snap-on’s risk management team. 2010 marked historically low WC claim counts and costs for Snap-on, yet team members were not satisfied. The team undertook a project to learn how injuries could be prevented and mitigated. The project was an upgrade to their current on-line, internal incident reporting system. Sites now use a single portal to report OSHA information, initial safety investigation findings, document Snap-on’s WC management process, and track initial corrective action plans. Prior to this enhancement, sites had a minimum of 3 places to record or track findings. Sites can trend their root causes, devise corrective plans and track progress, electronically and in a single location. Corporate risk and safety can do the same enterprise-wide. Leadership reports are more powerful and trends can be directly tied to specific workplace incident data. Incident reporting and trending has been streamlined as a result of this project. The project required support from business unit safety leaders (paying for claim via allocation system) and corporate safety staff.
A life long learning philosophy is held by all team members. Dan Kugler expects the team to be aware of emerging trends and approaches potentially benefiting Snap-on. He encourages debate among the team and promotes continuing education by including the item as a performance review metric. Dan and his team members are frequent speakers at the national conferences (RIMS, American Society of Safety Engineers) and are active in professional associations.
The 2010 results of the implemented program (start of the safety initiative 2005) demonstrate the effectiveness of Snap-on’s focus on safety. Workers compensation cost metrics of the program: Total incurred losses 2005 $1,727,995 vs. 2010 $771,923 a 55% reduction in total costs. TPA expenses reduced 59% ($137,000 vs. $56,063). The Ultimate Workers Compensation Loss Analysis (per million dollars of payroll) a 59% reduction ($5.60 vs. $3.08 per million payroll). Snap-on has experienced over a 50% reduction in its cost metrics as indicated from 2005 to 2010 and each year incremental improvement have been noted.
The cost reductions have been significant but in addition the 2010 claim frequency metrics have also improved as a result of the safety and workers compensation programs implemented from 2005. Total number of claims reduced by 68% (406 vs. 130), the number of loss time claims reduced by 74% (114 vs. 30), and number of litigated claims reduced by 96% (51 vs. 2). The focus and success of the program at Snap-on has been based on a top down and bottom up approach of the organization. The culture has significantly changed and the momentum is catching hold. The Snap-on mission states it simply “We deeply believe in Non-negotiated Product and Workplace safety” it is ingrained in the culture. The mission also focuses on “Rapid Continuous Improvement” and safety and workers compensation is committed to the mission.
Nominee: Amy Middlebrooks, Head Occupational Health Nurse
Organization: Big Lots
Situation: When Amy Middlebrooks first became Head Occupational Health Nurse at Big Lots in November 2009, she saw two primary issues – aging claims and paying for workers’ compensation medical treatments that weren’t appropriate for the claim.
Note: All references to Big Lots transforming its workers' compensation medical claims management process is to its warehouses only.
Solution: Middlebrooks worked with the Risk Management team to develop a clear process of handling medical claims. Medical professionals who run each warehouse’s Occupational Health Clinic are now trained to medically manage cases and every injured associate is seen by a medical director who provides insight on the injured party’s treatment.
Medical professionals were also trained on the accident investigation process to help them understand how accidents occur and injury mechanics. It also ensures they order a detailed investigation of a claim. This has led to denials of several inappropriate claims and reductions in repeat injuries by educating employees on preventive measures.
Big Lots’ nurses now work closely with its TPA to ensure that nurses are fully medically managing the claims. It also eliminated the expense of telephonic nurse case management for all warehouse-related cases. Middlebrooks’ efforts also included establishing criteria to automatically approve allowable claims, helping injured parties receive treatment faster.
The results are phenomenal, enabling Big Lots to medically manage warehouse claims, get injured parties back to work faster, and close claims more quickly. By becoming involved with the field nurses at all of Big Lots’ warehouse facilities throughout the country, aging claims have also been dramatically reduced.
Starting the latter part of 2010, Big Lots really began to see positive changes due to the reduction of claims across the board and decreases in open claims.
Nominee: William Zachry, Vice President, Risk Management
Organization: Safeway, Inc.
While serving on California’s Fraud Commission, Bill Zachry was involved in a study to review workers’ compensation payment accuracy. A major finding was the state’s consistent payment for treatment that was not medically necessary, related to the injury or authorized. Based on the findings, Zachry conducted a similar audit and found that Safeway’s situation echoed the California study.
Zachry moved quickly to balance providing injured employees the treatment they required to get them back to work without compromising the company balance sheet. His efforts led to creating a formal treatment authorization program.
Initially piloted in Southern California, the program was implemented in Northern California in May 2010. In just one year, Safeway realized a 20% reduction in medical expenses but believes its long-term cost savings could be greater.
Program highlights include:
− Reviewing every medical document received to see if it’s a treatment request.
− Processing treatment requests within 8 hours after receipt. In-house utilization nurses review all requests, determining if treatment is appropriate for the injury and follows ACOEM guidelines.
− Requesting treating physicians to complete a form on the recommended treatment. Follow up occurs with physicians not completing the form.
− Flagging all requests that are either inappropriate or do not follow ACOEM guidelines and then having on-staff medical team contact the physician’s office to discuss treatment. When necessary, partnering physicians speak directly with the treating physician.
− Determining each bill’s accuracy and ensuring it’s inline with the original or modified treatment request reviewed by Safeway’s medical team.
INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS:
Nominee: Greg Krohm, Executive Director
Organization: IAIABC
For several years, Greg has been one of the most influential leaders in the workers' compensation world. In 2010 alone, he accomplished the following:
1) Presented paper entitled “Experience Rating Systems in the US” at a conference hosted by the International Social Security Agency in Baku, Azerbajan, May 2010
2) Participated as invited international observer at a conference of the Turkish Social Security Administration in May 2010, Ankara, Turkey
3) Participated in two programs of the International Social Security Agency in Dresden, Germany: 1) International Benchmarking Survey, and 2) Estimating the Returns on Prevention Survey Project, June 2010
4) Keynote Speaker at the NCCI Regulatory Forum held in conjunction with the NCCI Annual Issues Symposium, Orlando, FL, May 6, 2010
5) Served on Planning Committee for International Forum on Disability Management, which hosted the Forum in Los Angeles, CA, September 2010
6) Presented “Nanotechnology and Workers’ Compensation Claims” AMCOMP Seminar on Challenges to WC Systems, New York City, September 14, 2010
7) Presented “Implications of Federal Health Reform for Workers’ Compensation,” at AASCIF National Issues Forum, June 14, 2010.
8) Delivered three papers at the IAIABC Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA, September 2010: “Emerging Disease Issues in Workers’ Compensation,” “Benchmarking International WC Systems,” and “Implications for WC from Affordable Health Care Act of 2010”
9) Wrote papers, contributed to blogs, and conducted an IAIABC Webinar on the topics of: 1) Impacts of Recession on Workers’ Compensation Systems, and 2) How the Affordable Health Care Act Will Impact Workers’ Compensation Systems”
10) Submitted written testimony to the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, regarding Recent Trends in Workers’ Compensation Law, November 17, 2010.
11) Wrote paper “Privatization of Workers’ Compensation Systems in the US”, forthcoming in the IAIABC Journal, Fall 2010
12) Wrote “History of Workers’ Compensation” for the NCCI Annual Report 2010, forthcoming.
Greg will be stepping down as Executive Director of the IAIABC at the end of 2011. He will be missed.
More comments: He is quite insightful and, as the list shows, has lots of good energy.
Nominee: Danielle Lisenbey, Chief Operating Officer, Medical Management Division
Organization: Broadspire, a Crawford Company
Danielle Lisenbey has established herself as a leader in the industry by developing strategies in controlling the medical cost of workers’ compensation for employers and insurers.
Throughout 2010, Danielle led the development and deployment of innovative services and solutions that complimented Broadspire’s breadth of claims and medical management services that provides customers with a Total Loss Cost (TLC) approach. This approach focuses on helping the employer reduce their OVERALL loss costs and administrative cost as well. By using their analytical expertise, Broadspire is able to model the cost drivers of loss and develop specific programs to address those costs with open transparency. This is where Broadspire is able to provide real value to the customer with an open architecture around the components of the process.
Key strategies for 2010 included the creation of a multi-dimensional, multi-layered PPO network strategy, Broadspire's Original Landmark Design (BOLD) Network, which coordinates care with regional networks across the country to create better coverage and better savings than traditional networks. By using this by-jurisdiction approach, employers were able to see penetration rates with savings exceeding the national average. Coupled with the network strategy was the development of a DME (durable medical equipment) formulary program using technology and clinical protocols to revolutionize the DME process. By applying the cost management principles of a pharmacy formulary to DME, the medical needs of the injured worker are met while at the same time ensuring a measurable reduction in total costs for medical equipment and supplies.
Another key strategy Danielle employed in 2010 was a comprehensive Chronic Pain Management program. With chronic pain costing employers over $60 billion annually, Danielle spearheaded Broadspire’s interdisciplinary approach which maximizes the injured worker’s quality of life and improves productivity while reducing medication dependence and controlling medical and lost-time costs.
Danielle, her Chief Medical Officer and team of clinical experts developed a Medical Cost Analysis (MCA) tool, which utilizes years of medical bill review and pharmacy data from Broadspire. The MCA takes the client’s medical data and trends the cost and utilization patterns of the client’s specific medical cost drivers. This allows the client and Broadspire, in partnership, to develop key action items to further reduce their clients’ total loss costs.
With Broadspire having its own medical management services comprised of case management, nurse triage, utilization management, medical bill review, and peer review services, Danielle and her team are easily and effectively equipped to develop customized innovative solutions to the client that drives down their medical costs. Having had the opportunity to tour many of Danielle’s operations, the overall client-focus is evident in every aspect of the operation.
With Danielle’s industry-leading efforts, Broadspire has become a clear thought leader in cost containment solutions and strategies. Her leadership and vision in this area is changing the market paradigm for all. Danielle is also an excellent photographer and an enthusiastic weekend warrior, enjoying kayaking, cycling and running. Although she would never say this, Danielle excels at whatever activity she is involved in.
Nominee: Marc Miller, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Organization: SeaBright Insurance Company
Dr. Miller has been with SeaBright since August of 2004 and has personally shaped SeaBright’s medical management strategy, substantially increasing its effectiveness throughout the U.S. Marc has pioneered many medical management innovations at SeaBright, including a customized Medical Provider Network comprised of occupational medicine experts and other providers with a proven track record of producing outstanding treatment results, and a preferred access network that makes pre-injury arrangements with top-performing orthopedists and other specialists to provide treatment to SeaBright claimants within a specified time frame from request, assuring prompt treatment with minimal delay.
Most recently, Dr. Miller launched SeaBright’s BrightCurePDQ™ (Physician-Directed Quality) program that uses staff physicians to actively manage the medical aspects of severe claims identified via predictive modeling. These physicians work directly with medical providers, the injured worker, and the employer in pursuit of the best possible medical outcome.
For SeaBright policyholders who took full advantage of these and other medical management services spearheaded by Dr. Miller, SeaBright’s net medical cost savings in 2010 lead the industry, averaging 61% nationwide and 73% in California, the company’s largest state.
Marc is also a highly-regarded public speaker, having recently made presentations at the IRMI Annual Construction Conference and the AGC of California 2010 Safety Awards of Excellence. He has a wry wit and is a team player, making him an inspiration to his coworkers and SeaBright’s customers.
INDUSTRY VENDORS
Nominee: Cara Barde, President & Chief Operating Officer
Organization: Total Medical Solutions
Cara Barde is an extremely focused and effective leader in the workers' compensation industry. Last year, for the second consecutive year, TMS received the Inc. 5000 award for fastest growing private companies. Not an easy task to make this list at all, much less make it for two years in a row.
Cara leads an outstanding team of the "best of the best" in workers' compensation complex care. Her team members are some of the most experienced professionals in the industry. She encourages her team to stay ahead of the curve, focuses a great deal of effort on top-notch education -- TMS is a leading provider of continuing education for the workers' comp industry -- and fosters a family-oriented work environment. Employee turnover rate at TMS is extremely low.
TMS employees, with Cara's blessing and encouragement, received media attention in 2010 for developing an employee-designed weight loss program that follows the popular "Biggest Loser" television show. This is but one instance of Cara's "lead by example" leadership. Obesity is a huge factor in workers' compensation-related costs and will continue to be a major contributor to wc costs well into the future.
Cara and her executive team are focused on providing quality service to clients, getting the right care to injured employees from the onset of the claim, and they are committed to helping clients save considerable amounts of money on their workers' compensation costs.
About TMS: Services provided by Total Medical Solutions improve the quality of care for injured workers while containing costs for carriers. Services include home health care, complex care products and services, home infusion therapy, custom mobility, home modifications, and durable medical equipment and supplies. Additionally, TMS is a leading certified provider of Continuing Education Courses for nurses, case managers and adjusters.
Nominee: Jim Bowers, Workers' Compensation Claims Leader, and Jennifer Burkhart, Workers' Compensation Medical & Cost Containment Program Leader
Organization: Westfield Group
Under the combined leadership of Jim Bowers and Jennifer Burkhart, Westfield Group developed a number of innovative WC programs to deliver on the core Westfield product of peace of mind and promise of protection.
An updated approach to Medical Bill Review resulted in a reduction of 78% in average days to process medical bills; a 40% reduction in processing costs; and a net savings increase of 25%.
An industry first program deploys medical resources on the front end of potential surgical back claims, to provide injured workers access to timely medical care with some of the most renowned back specialists in the country. The results: 12% surgical rate on high risk cases; overall return to work (RTW) rate of 83%; average RTW of less than 16 weeks post surgery; and no failed back syndrome diagnoses.
A pioneering approach on Medicare Set-Asides (MSA) delivers peace of mind and protection to injured workers, injured worker attorneys, employers, as well as Medicare, by providing professional administration to assist with compliance, reporting, and management of the MSA funds; while also maximizing the funds by providing access to PPO and MBR discounts; and funding savings that average 40%.
A Return to Work (RTW) solution was developed in 2010 to provide injured workers and employers additional options for successful RTW with anticipated program RTW rates exceeding 90% while maximizing income to the injured worker and reducing lost time days and indemnity costs for employers.
All of the initiatives discussed in the nomination were accomplished in the calendar year 2010. Jim and Jennifer both create and implement the vision of the Workers' Compensation unit at Westfield Group.
Nominee: Jeffrey D. Miller, Chief Operating Officer
Organization: Paladin Medical Management Services
When Jeff joined Paladin in June of 2009, he immediately set out to pursue innovation to set Paladin’s services apart from those of competitors. Paladin, known previously as Total HealthCare Management, was involving physicians in the utilization review (UR) process. This is unique in the industry, as the more common practice is to use nurses in this role. Jeff noted that the company was getting materially better UR results using physicians, and in 2010, he expanded their use throughout Paladin’s suite of services, including medical bill review, case management and claim diagnostic.
Jeff reasoned that having doctors drive key medical management practices at Paladin would be more cost effective and produce even better results, as their superior medical expertise would both improve identification and selection of appropriate treatments and enhance communications with treating physicians and other providers.
This strategic move has begun to produce materially better results for Paladin’s clients. Physician-driven medical management has produced bill review results that are nearly 6 percentage points better than those of the leading national vendor and an ROI for UR services that’s nearly twice that of the same vendor.
Besides being an innovator, Jeff is also a very effective leader and executive at Paladin, having recently spearheaded a successful renaming/rebranding initiative aimed at sharpening the Paladin message and creating greater market awareness.
Nominee: Jon Seymour, MD
Company: Reed Group
Jon Seymour, MD is nominated for his work in 2010 with outcome-based medical criteria.
One of Dr. Seymour’s major accomplishments in 2010 is his extensive effort to help all workers' compensation stakeholders more easily adopt state-specific guidelines for New York, Colorado and Washington. Reed Group's navigation software for the New York Treatment Guidelines allows stakeholders to browse the NY guidelines by clicking on the links to the guidelines for the four published body parts. The software also links the NY guidelines to the relevant ICD-9 CM and CPT® codes and includes links to the appropriate fee schedules. MDGuidelines tools make it easier for legislators, state committees, regulators, payors, insurers and physicians treating injured workers to accomplish their objectives effectively and efficiently.
In 2010, MDGuidelines was adopted globally by the US Department of Defense for use in its return-to-work programs and for use with active troops and civilians in all four branches of the military: Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines and other DOD employees.
Reed Group’s return-to-work reference toolset, MDGuidelines; customized solutions; and case management services help improve productivity and efficiencies in the legal community while helping all stakeholders improve return-to-work outcomes and get employees back to normal, healthy lives and full productivity.
MDGuidelines includes treatment and RTW duration guidelines, a predictive modeling tool, medical monographs, state treatment guidelines and occupational treatment guidelines by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
According to Rebecca Shafer, “I have been using the Reed tools since I was in-house counsel developing a workers' comp cost containment program over 20 years ago; they helped me show over 80 operating units how to "take control" of their workers compensation programs.”
Nominee: Rebecca A. Shafer, JD, President
Organization: Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc.
Rebecca Shafer looks beyond her peers in how companies can reduce workers' compensation costs. An industry leader for 25 years, the nominee has invented a patented web-based application for workers’ compensation scoring, benchmarking and improvement. It's very innovate and will save companies time and money.
WC Score – The online system contains a best practices scoring system that measures employers’ business practice proficiency in workers’ comp cost containment, much like a credit score. Employers obtain their National Workers Compensation Management Score® that provides a numerical index of how well they are managing their workers’ compensation program based on 87 best practices. It is a predictive indicator of workers’ comp management success when analyzing all key cost drivers that can be used proactively by a company or by carriers to establish a threshold risk profile for premium calculations.
Multiple divisions of a company get individual scores that are ranked from best-to-worst (or worst-to-best) thus providing the risk manager with an overall corporate needs assessment within a few hours. This ranking provides insight into how resources should be allocated most effectively.
Each division receives a Stoplight Report indicating which best practices are most critical. All divisions’ results are compiled into a Gap Analysis identifying, corporate-wide, which best practices have not yet been implemented and a Best Practice Profile showing current best practices for all divisions cumulatively. These allow training to target areas that are currently deficient.
Rebecca also manages the Workers Compensation Cost Reduction Resource Center at www.LowerWC.com
In 2010, a patent was issued (December, 2010) on her workers compensation scoring system which enables companies to find out where they stand compared to other companies in implementing organizational best practices. Rather than simply blaming their insurance companies and finger-pointing, companies can now look in the mirror to see what they should be doing internally to improve their practices (improving employee communication, telling employees they are a valued member of the team, offering transitional duty assignments, visiting their claims administrators, etc). "Looking in the mirror" is a major shift in focus. Becki's workers comp scoring system is a completely new concept (thus the patent was awarded). This system also generates "recommendations" for each operating unit instantly so they can immediately begin improving their processes. The focus is on what the COMPANY "can do." Final justification for the patent was provided to the USPTO in 2010.
Also in 2010, she developed several new online tools to include tools for "multiple-location companies". These new tools, Gap Analysis and Best Practice Profile, enable companies to perform a corporate-wide needs assessments whether for 5 or 500 locations. In the past this would have been impossible - now it can be done in less than one hour.
In 2010, she also wrote a book on cost containment. She toured medical cost containment services across the country, learning about new techniques so the most up-to-date information can be available to employers both in her book, “Manage Your Workers Compensation” and on her website and blog. The book is provided in bulk to brokers to give to their clients to help them reduce their costs.
In 2010, she has taken her knowledge and used it to develop several innovative methods of cost control for employers.
Nominee: Susan Toussaint, Co-founder
Organization: WorkComp Advisory Group
Susan is an effective educator and coach to Insurance Advisors who wish to acquire better communication skills and knowledge about how employers can take control of their workers’ compensation costs.
She is co-creator of the DAPPER Process which helps employers to discover the causes and cost drivers that are increasing, or contributing to, the costs of their workers’ compensation insurance. This process also guides employers to solutions of these issues in an understandable and meaningful way so they may regain control of their costs.
Susan’s 15 years of healthcare and workers’ compensation experience, provides a wealth of useful knowledge that helps both Advisors and employers to have improved efficiencies and greater outcomes.
The practical knowledge shared by Susan is most useful in the real world of meeting employers and demonstrating how we, as Advisors, can help to provide practical solutions to workers' compensation issues. The road maps laid out for Advisors by Susan allow all of us to use our time more efficiently and to be more effective in our practice. The open exchange of ideas that Susan creates allows Advisors to question and evaluate current techniques and strategies in an effort to improve our skills and those of fellow Advisors. She has been involved in the training of over 1,000 Insurance Advisors.
Susan is not just a vendor, but truly a business partner. Susan is highly recommended as the selected resource to any Advisor to help improve their abilities to more effectively help your clients, to grow your practice and to receive appropriate compensation for your efforts.
You can be assured, working with Susan, your employer clients will achieve better results and you will obtain more success in your practice.
Here is a partial list of Susan's accomplishments for 2010:
*Developed a turn-key consulting program (The Employer’s STEP Advantage) for brokers that assists employers and risk managers in identifying and reducing the number, cost and duration of employee injuries.
*Conducted WorkComp WorkShops for brokers to assist them in gaining the technical knowledge necessary to engage with employers in a consultative manner, allowing for greater success in reducing the costs associated with their workers’ compensation program.
*Consulted with Insurance Brokers around the USA in integrating safety, human resources and claims management to improve employer outcomes.
*Developed Supervisor Training Program for Insurance Brokers to implement at Employer sites (called Supervisors Matter)
*Hosted a 2 day event for Brokers, Vendors, Insurance Companies and Educators in the Workers’ Compensation field to discuss strategies for improving workers’ compensation strategies. (entitled Knowledge & Networking 2010- held in Chicago)
*Published several articles in Insurance Trade Journals that focus on improving the sales process for Insurance Brokers that lead Workers’ Compensation.
*Conducted Webinars for Insurance Brokers on topics relevant to improving outcomes in Workers’ Compensation for employers.
All of these activities have created additional opportunties for employers to control their costs, to increase productivity and to make the task of insurance easier. This has allowed employers to focus on their goals and objectives and contributed to increased profits. Experience Modifications decrease, as well as, direct and indirect costs.
Employees have become more knowledgeable about how the workers' comp system functions, and with that information they are more prone to work with claims adjusters and their employers, and thus do not see the need to seek legal representation.
Further, Susan's work has allowed insurance carriers to experience lower claims costs and improved efficiencies when dealing with injured workers and their employers.
Susan has bestowed upon all of us a wonderful gift of her knowledge and experience that has a postive impact on the insurance community and employers.
More comments:
Susan is a consummate professional, extremely effective in helping agencies develop new and more productive ways of working with employers and working with work comp insurers as they seek to differentiate their service in what has become a far-too-commoditized business.
Susan's experience in the occ medicine industry coupled with her deep understanding of what employers want - as opposed to what they THINK they want, provide her clients with a perspective they simply can't get from anyone else.
As a result, her clients have been able to expand their revenue base, maintain current client relationships, and keep their employer customers focused on assertively managing their work comp exposure throughout the longest soft market in recent memory.