IAIABC Perspectives

Perspectives

2019 Awards Spotlight Meet the people and organizations that are leading the industry.

INSIDE Editor’s Note / PAGE 4 2019 NextGen Award Recipient Profiles / PAGES 6-25 Excellence Award 2019: NewYork Virtual Hearings / PAGE 26 IAIABC 2019 President’s Awards Summary / PAGE 30

Table of Contents

Perspectives / December 2019

Table of Contents

About the IAIABC The IAIABC finds solutions to reduce harm and aid recovery from occupational injuries and illnesses. The IAIABC is the largest trade association of workers’ compensation jurisdictional agencies in North America. Along with these government entities, various private organizations involved in the delivery of workers’ compensation coverage and benefits participate in the IAIABC. Since it was founded in 1914, the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions, or IAIABC, has been providing information and education on workers’ compensation policy, regulation, and administration. Perspectives The goal of this publication is to provide various perspectives on contemporary workers’ compensation topics and to promote discussion and sharing of ideas. The IAIABC’s Perspectives digital magazine is published quarterly.

Guest Editor’s Note Jennifer Wolf

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NextGen 2019 Award Recipients

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Stephanie Arkelian Magnum Dampier

Ryan Duke Brad Morse

Claire Muselman Marques Torbert Caitlin Smith DerekWest

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Excellence Award 2019: NewYork Virtual Hearings

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IAIABC 2019 President’s Awards Summary

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Guest Editor’s Note

Perspectives / December 2019

One of our NextGen recipients, Magnum Dampier, started an online business as a child selling exotic chicken eggs. Ryan Duke keeps chickens and bees. Caitlin Smith’s grandmother had chickens as well. This common thread kept us entertained but it also became a starting point for deeper connection. These were all accomplished professionals moving the workers’ compensation system forward. And yet, these NextGen recipients freely shared vulnerabilities. They talked about challenges – sickness, insecurity, lack of direction, professional setbacks - and how they overcame. They were authentic and candid with one another. Beyond position, education, and background they came together with a desire to understand and experience together. Our dinner was just the beginning of the powerful stories shared at the IAIABC 105th Convention. In her welcoming address, IAIABC President Abbie Hudgens shared how decisions made in the best interest of her family ultimately led to the relentless pursuit of better for the workers’ compensation industry. Keynote speaker, Bill Strickland, shared his life’s work to create better futures for underserved people around the world. And each of the 2019 NextGen recipients shared their passion for improving the system in service to those who unexpectedly find themselves with a workers’ compensation claim. My time in Pittsburgh reinforced that workers’ compensation must always remember its humanity. We are an industry in service to those who are harmed from an occupational injury or illness. The best outcome can be achieved when we recognize the needs of the injured worker and their family, their supervisor and employer. These needs might be relatively straightforward – medical treatment and time to recovery. These needs might also be complex

– medical treatment, community support, job accommodations. As the industry looks to the future, it must leverage talent and technology to connect and deliver individualized service to those harmed. The 2019 NextGen recipients will be leading the way. These are leaders with a deep sense of purpose and the ability to build meaningful connections. They are also smart and sophisticated, using data, technology, and skill to transform the experience within workers’ compensation. During our conference conversation it was evident each of these professionals is personally motivated to change both the perception and reality of workers’ compensation. #Magicalthings indeed. I want to express my personal thanks and gratitude for the opportunity to learn from these individuals. I now want four Cuckoo Marans for my backyard and will absolutely let them free range. Even more than chicken facts, I am encouraged by the important work these leaders are doing to move the system forward. I am confident their contributions will be felt across the workers’ compensation industry. Even more importantly, these individuals will touch numerous lives.

Guest Editor’s Note Jennifer Wolf, Executive Director, IAIABC

I recently learned a lot about chickens. It wasn’t knowledge I sought or expected to appreciate, but it was a conversation topic that instantly created friends. It’s a memory that will last a long time. In some ways, it was a little like a workers’ compensation claim. No employee ever expects to learn about the system. And their experience following a work injury can be a positive or negative imprint on their life. Let me explain. At the recent IAIABC 105th Convention, the IAIABC had the pleasure of hosting dinner for the 2019 NextGen recipients. It was an opportunity for everyone to meet and get to know one another. It turned into a very special evening.

As the Executive Director of the IAIABC, Jennifer builds community, creates value, andmotivates change. The actions and innovations of IAIABCmembers work to reduce harmand aid recovery for those impacted by an occupational injury, illness, or fatality. In her role, Ms.Wolf connects with industry professionals fromaround the globe to identify emerging issues, develop resources, and reinforce the social purpose of workers’ compensation programs.

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NextGen Profiles: Stephanie Arkelian

Perspectives / December 2019

NextGen Profiles: Stephanie Arkelian PRODUCT MANAGER, HEALTHESYSTEMS

Quick Facts • First Job: Westfield Nursery, watering plants at the age of 15. • FirstWork Comp Job: Adjuster • FavoriteTravel Destination: Santorini, Greece • Favorite Social Media Platform: Facebook • Hashtag: #liveeverydaylikeitsthelast appointments, facilitates discussions amongst multiple MDs, and is there to listen and support you. This role was critical tomy experience and recovery and I see it similar to the role of the adjusters and nurses working with the injured workers who not only have to navigate the healthcare systembut also potential lost time fromwork, lost wages, fear of losing their job and the corresponding stress that puts on a family. It has fueledmy passion as a product manager ten-fold to identify solutions that can enhance the experience for the injured worker and give adjusters and nurses the tools they need to better support them . Often, adjusters and nurses are spending a lot of their time on tactical administrative work, and we need to free up their time as much as possible to be the injured worker’s advocate. Personally, I’ve learned that every day in life is truly precious, and tomorrow is never promised. I try not to take the small stuff for granted. I try to extendmore kindness and understanding to others because you have no idea what the person sitting next to youmay be going through and I’mpassionate about spreading awareness to this all too common disease. I want to thank the IAIABC for givingme the opportunity to share my experience during Breast Cancer Awareness month and encourage everyone to do their self- exams once a month, take any changes or symptoms seriously, and get your annual screenings – the earlier you can catch breast cancer the more treatable it is.

analyze andmanage the large amount of unstructured data that exists in worker's comp and apply it towards driving better insight into billing practices -- improving accuracy and identifying areas of fraud, waste and abuse. By applying AI technology we can automate this process with humanmonitoring and scale a system to any size. liaisons, or through objectivemetrics, such as examining vendor utilization data to understand claims staffbehavior.” - Sandy Shtab, Healthesystems How has being a breast cancer survivor shaped you both personally and professionally? Navigating the healthcare system throughmany tests, doctors, multiple surgeries, medications and all of the insurance complexities that come with it gave me a new empathy and keen awareness to how much help people in need when it comes to navigating our complex healthcare system. Luckily, duringmy breast cancer journey, I was introduced to the role of the nurse navigator – a nurse navigator is an advocate of the patient and helps explain things in understandable ways, helps coordinate medical “Stephanie is a big-picture visionary, onewho can connect the dots and gain the consensus and buy-in necessary to orchestrate a large-scale project according to plan. Stephanie’s dedication to quality, to customers, and patients sets her apart; and through her stewardship our organization ensures that user validation is a part of our day-to-day process, whether by interviewing adjusters andmanaged care program

Stephanie Arkelian is the Director of Product Management for Healthesystems’

Ancillary Benefits Management Program. She is responsible for

exploring innovative, strategic, and transformational opportunities and partnerships to deliver products and features that solve customer problems. Stephanie has nine years of experience in the workers’ compensation industry, including two years as a claims adjuster. She works closely with industry stakeholders to fully understand their current challenges, providing invaluable insights into the design of newproducts and features through her front-line perspective. Passionate about launching user-driven solutions to solve everyday challenges, Stephanie has recently been instrumental in the development of innovative solutions for physical medicine and transportation management, which improve service quality for patients, while increasing efficiency for claims professionals and payers. challenges and use the rich pool of data that exists within workers’ compensation to drive better decisionmaking, automate processes, and fuel predictive and prescriptive models. This is a major area of focus for me right now – one of the current projects I have in flight is to use AI to better

How do you see advances inmedical technology (AI, blockchain, advanced healthcare techniques – genetics, exoskeletons, personalized drug regimens) shaping treatment in workers’ compensation? I think it’s important that workers’ compensation embrace medical technology and innovation to help solve industry problems that we’ve been challenged with for years (e.g. cumbersome processes/procedures, inefficient use of adjuster time, vague coding/edits, lack of transparency, etc.) I think the challenge that we face with all the new innovation is to determine what to pursue and how to apply it. Often times, workers’ compensation is behind the curve in reacting to the medical advances being tested out in healthcare which canmake sense from a patient safety standpoint, but we need to start taking advantage of innovative technology such as block chain to apply it to everyday

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NextGen Profiles: Magnum Dampier

Perspectives / December 2019

How do overcome barriers in the workers’ compensation system to use datamore effectively in performancemeasurement and management? First find out the metric(s) you are wanting to put into place, or the understanding that you are wanting to gain; think of this request agnostic of the current data automation systems, leveraging data decisions for existing and new clients in the workers compensation space. Magnum completed his graduate data science certification program through Harvard Extension School recently, and volunteer teaches computer science AP course work through Microsoft TEALS. MagnumDampier is the Director of Information Systems for CompAlliance, and a member of the company’s executive committee. In his position, he oversees the application development, technical support, security, project management, and data science teams. He currently spends most of his team’s efforts on the implementation of NextGen Profiles: Magnum Dampier DIRECTOROF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, COMPALLIANCE

What is the biggest challenge you have overcome to find success professionally? Transitioning from the person doing the work to the personmanaging the people doing the work. Early on inmanagement, I thought helping/fixing problems for my team at the working level was the right thing to do, and it often has the opposite effect. My job was to leverage my technical background to find the best people, give them the tools and authority to do their job, and to get out of the way. This wasn’t something that came natural tome, and I was fortunate enough to be surrounded with several more seasoned leaders/ mentors to always keep that at the forefront. What have you learned in amulti-generational workforce and how has that shaped you as a manager/leader? I’ve learned by managing a multi-generational workforce that the difference of concern should never be generationally based, it boils more down tomixing the appropriate experiences. In the technology world, it’s a constant battle of what language/tool is going tomake us more efficient; and what technologies are truly worth implementing and which are just the hot “buzz”word. My personal belief is you need tomaintain an appropriate amount of experience and green in any group to balance both the risk of driving your car off a cliff, while ensuring you don’t keep the car parked the whole time in the name of staying safe.

Quick Facts • First Job: Bizarrely enough, my first job was a company I created at the age of 10, running a poultry farm that expanded into selling exotic chicken eggs/chicks online via a website called eggbid.com! • FirstWork Comp Job: Current role • FavoriteTravel Destination: U.S. Virgin Islands • Favorite Social Media Platform: LinkedIn • Hashtag: #thedatadoesntsupportthat Magnumhas brought together staff from three of our divisions into a cohesive workgroup, that is accomplishing all of their internal goals within cost and time parameters.” - Linda Van Dillen, CompAlliance “Magnum is a very positive influence at our company and is always looking for ways to elevate CompAlliance to a national best practice standard, within the IT industry. Magnum personifies leadership, cooperation, vision persistence and professionalism far beyond his reach as IT Director.

you have, and more along the lines of what could be available. With this metric understanding in place, map the dependencies for the metric as it relates to the data you have/need. For the data that is lacking, ask the question if a customer/vendor would have this data, is it data I can buy, would this data require another business line, or do I have the capabilities of deriving this data via enhancements to my current process. Once these items are laid out, it’s a simple decision if this metric request is possible and/or plausible. Traditionally speaking however, I would sum up the barrier question with one key phase, persistence in your data relationships.

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NextGen Profiles: Ryan Duke

Perspectives / December 2019

NextGen Profiles: Ryan Duke EDI QA ASSISTANT MANAGER, VIRGINIAWORKERS’ COMPENSATION COMMISSION

broad range of very specific data, we’d be unable to calculate scores and grades.

and others in different demographics than them, and it is our duty to prove them wrong. I’ve never stopped trying to prove people’s absurd (forgive me) philosophies to be untrue, and I’ve also made it a point to encourage others to push themselves out of the box, not only just generational boxes but racial or otherwise. The old teammate later supervised a department along-side of me and was easily one of my favorite people to work with to this day. Compliance Initiative have helped to make Virginia one of the most talked about jurisdictions when it comes to the success of its EDI program. His designs of the report cards were the first on its kind in the nation. The work Ryan puts in every day helps the Commission achieve our vision.” - Stephanie Sweeney, VirginiaWorkers’ Compensation Commission “Ryan is always focused on building positive morale in the workplace in an effort to keep employees engaged and productive. His efforts on the Commission’s EDI Outreach and

Ryan Duke is the Assistant Manager in theVirginiaWorkers’Compensation Commission’s EDI—QA Department. He holds an extensive career within the Commission, including the Customer Contact Center, Awards, Claims Services as well as the Document Management Division.With nearly 14 years of employment at the Commission, amajority of those years included supervision of a large team, evenmore of which specifically managing the EDI team. Ryan played a vital role in implementing a compliance program to bringVirginia’s trading partners in line with state and national requirements for submitting. This included the creation and issuance of quarterly EDI report cards for each EDI submitter. is remarkable. The uses of housed data to allow us to query specific information has made major milestones in Virginia and have been a primary source for various documents like the VWC Annual Report, as well as when requests are made of us to pull very detailed and specific information in a particular format that aligns with other states in order to pull a national set of data. Being able to pull specific claim/injury information from multiple states at once and group it together to show how states line up with one another on a regular basis is one of many ways data is used to positively impact the workers’ compensation system. The ability to pull such data has been detrimental in Virginia’s EDI compliance program. Without the ability to pull a Most recently, Ryan is responsible for many day-to-day functions of the EDI team.

Another specific example is how I’d personally like to see our agreement form process evolved into an EDI process based on the submission of Subsequent Report of Injury (SROI) transactions to automatically enter Award. This would really save a huge chunk of time between mailing forms from one party to the next for signature and then to the agency. What have you learned in amulti-generational workforce and how has that shaped you as a manager/leader? I started as an intern at my agency when I was still in high school. I tracked down files to insert incoming mail into, sorted incoming files awaiting entry of Awards (Virginia is an Award state), and entered medical payments into the claims system. I was very clerical. Upon graduation, a position opened in another department and one of my teammates said “you can’t get that job. They don’t want a young guy fresh from high school, trust me.” This teammate was 50 years of age and had worked at the agency in the same position for many years. I did get the job, and she apologized once a week for at least two years. I learned that day that not only will some people form misconceptions and notions about things like race, religion, sexuality, etc. but also about me

How do you see data being positively used to enhance service/delivery within the workers’ compensation system? Data is simply facts. It’s not theories, estimates or guidelines. If I need to see the number of fatal cases that occurred in Stafford, VA reported to the state in the year 2015, I can formulate a query and am provided data to show me exactly that. The ability to pull something so specific and concrete

Quick Facts • First Job: Flagstop Carwash • FirstWork Comp Job: Intern • FavoriteTravel Destination: Home • Favorite Social Media Platform: None, “I really dislike social media.” • Hashtag: #farmlife

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NextGen Profiles: Brad Morse

Perspectives / December 2019

The Department of Labor and Industry is replacing a custom-built, 25-year-old system. The department still has many staff members who worked on the original implementation of the current system, which is reliable and well-liked by the staff. Identifying why department staff liked the current system, or why they didn’t like the idea of a new system was our top priority. Through staff surveys and a SWOT analysis, we were able to identify their top three concerns. 1. The current system allows them to provide complete and timely service to our stakeholders. 2. The new system will bring new processes and could lead to a loss of job positions. 3. Knowledge of the current system and the history of how the system was developed makes them experts. This information allowed us to build an organizational change management strategy that would address staff concerns by: • Acknowledging the past. • Identifying and addressing fears. • Identifying early adopters and super-users and coaching them to become change ambassadors. • Ensuring buy-in through repeated system demonstrations and conference roompilots. • Building user profiles to quantify the change impacts for each group of users, functions, locations, etc. • Utilizing the executive sponsor to regularly communicate strategy and vision. • Providing training, coaching, and tools to support managers, supervisors and employees through the process of change they experience when the program impacts their day-to-day work. • Creating a communication plan for immediate managers to utilize and prepare their employees for how changes will specifically impact them.

BradMorse has 10 years’experience working in state government and is currently the ProgramManager at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) overseeing the delivery of theWorkers’CompensationModernization Project. Before this role, Brad was the Deputy Director of theWorkers’ Compensation division at the Utah Labor Commission, where he oversaw the implementation of the departments EDI claims reporting systemand online waiver application program. MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY NextGen Profiles: BradMorse PROGRAMMANAGER,

What potential do you see for an agency transforming its use of data to improve the system through performance measurement and management. A focus on data collection will give the agency the ability to change the key performance indicators of the system, shifting the focus from processing to real-time compliance. There are multiple areas where a shift to a data-driven system can help jurisdictions monitor and achieve the goals of the agency. • State agencies now can share data with other state agencies. • Shared data can be used to identify bad actors in the system before there are major issues and agencies can work together to ensure compliance. • Data can now be used to track the journey of our customers in the system. • Pain points can be identified and corrected much more quickly In your role in Minnesota, you are leading a major transformation of the state’s information technology systemwhich requires change management on an enterprise scale. How have your overcome resistance to move the agency forward? The goal of change management is to help staff move through the stages of change to achieve a high level of system adoption. As a project manager, you generally focus on activities that directly affect delivery, scope, or budget. However, a lack of empathy in terms of what people experience through the stages of change often leads to rework, delayed decisions, and in some cases a failed project. As such, it is critical to integrate change management into a project.

• Re-engineering business processes to allow managers and supervisors to determine howwork will be done in the future. • Establishing a culture of continuous feedback, allowing for the ability to quickly pivot to address concerns or issues. The loss of the past and fear of the unknown can make people resist change, but by giving them time, information, training, and reinforcement is key. Ultimately, we strive to provide an environment where transformation creates opportunities that inspire people to think and act differently. Quick Facts • First Job: Lifeguard • FirstWork Comp Job: Utah Labor Commission, Workers’ Compensation Division Manager • FavoriteTravel Destination: Costa Rica • Favorite Social Media Platform: Instagram • Hashtag: #rad “Brad has a reputation for being forward-thinking, composed and unfazed by challenges, many of which he has had to overcome to deliver amodernized technology systemtoMinnesota. He has the drive and qualities needed by theworkers’ compensation industry entering into this next century of policy development and innovation.” - Jessica Stimac, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

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NextGen Profiles: Claire Muselman

Perspectives / December 2019

NextGen Profiles: Claire Muselman Director ofWorkers’ Compensation, Continental Western Group, a Berkley Company

Focus is placed on communication, return to work, and psychosocial elements that may not be communicated on the front end of the claims process. We send cards to injured workers’, provide reminders to insureds to ensure ongoing communication continues at the employer level as well, and we changed the mentality of injured workers that they are not alone, we are a teamwith the same goal: to get injured workers’ back to work; back to life. By focusing on people, purpose, and possibility, the WRU has been able to assist injured workers’with an upfront plan to get back to life. We look at ourselves as human connectors, here to make good things happen for people. By increased communication and doing what we say we will do, we are able to form trusting bonds with injured workers and keep lines of communication open with employers to foster a healthy environment in the workers’ compensation space. Not only does this build trust and increase collaboration, it reduces expenses, reduces litigation, and can improve an overall experience with claims, insurance, and with an individual’s employer. Since rolling out theWRU in March of 2018, litigation rates have dropped within the workers’ compensation line at CWG. It will be fun to see where this goes and how it takes off into the industry. It is my goal that theWorkers’ Recovery Unit will spread like wildfire throughout the insurance industry…starting with workers’ compensation and overflowing into personal health. It is my goal that claimmanagers and claim departments will take a look at how we are interacting with humans, empower our adjusting teams to do what is right, and do what is necessary immediately at the onset of a claim to change the way insurance is handled. The advocacy approach works. It needs to be encouraged and will be a game changer for those who chose to follow the vision.

Tell us about the innovation you have brought to your company? Continental Western Group, a Berkley Company, now has the first everWorkers’Recovery Unit. Every company is able to provide the basics: timely reporting of claims, communication among all parties, timely delivery of benefit payments, ongoing communication, and being aware of new developments. What makes the difference with theWorkers’Recovery Unit is how we do it. This teamwas founded with a newmindset change to impact people’s lives each time they pick up the phone. TheWRU focuses on recovery, taking the dreary to positive, and helping people help themselves. It is time to change insurance for people and understand howmuch impact each person has within their own scope of control. It starts with understanding claims handling process through their interactions with their insureds, injured workers, medical providers, as well as state regulators. The compassion for others that she brings to theworkers’ recovery unit every single day is immeasurable. She truly believes we are all bigger than insurance playing into the greatest part of humanity. The human part. She lives and breathes this every single day!” - Shannon Goodnature, Continental Western Group, a Berkeley Company “Claire and her team, havemanaged to impact the entireworkers’ compensation

Humanity in Claims looking to change the industry one insurance professional at a time. Claire has earned her SCLA Gold, as well as other industry designations including an AIC, AIC-M, AIM, AIS, AINS, ACS, CLP. She is the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished SCLA Designee Award, 2019 IAIABC NextGen Award, 2019Young Guns, and is an Honor Roll recipient of the 2019 Comp Laude Award for Thought Leader. She also holds a bachelor’s degree fromUniversity of Iowa, a Master’s of Public Administration and a Specialist’s of Educational Leadership in Business fromDrake University, and is finishing her Doctor of Education focused on Organizational Leadership in Business fromGrand Canyon University. She is also an Adjunct Instructor at Drake University in the College of Business & Public Administration. Claire heads the Iowa Chapter as an Ambassador for the Alliance ofWomen inWorkers’ Compensation, is a member of the International Association of Insurance Professionals, and in her free time, mentors high school students through the National Leadership Academy (NLA) and Elevate & Evolve.

Claire is the Director ofWorkers’ Compensation and founder of the first everWorkers’ Recovery Unit (WRU) with ContinentalWestern Group, a Berkley Company. Claire built TheWorkers’ Recovery Unit by combining a solid technical foundation with her passion for creating a better customer experience and ultimately, making good things happen for people. This innovative approach to claims handling has provided new value to both Continual Western Group and their insureds. Claire now speaks nationally on the topic of

howwe treat people tomake their recoveries smoother, more effective, andmore efficient.

We elevated expectations, empowered adjusters, became aggressively collaborative with all parties involved, focusing on injured workers as people, not claims; family members, not claim numbers.

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NextGen Profiles: Claire Muselman

Perspectives / December 2019

You are studying engagement across generations for your doctorate. What is one thing that has surprised you in understanding interactions across generations? It is incredible to understand the impact meaning and purpose provide for an intrinsic value to the human spirit when looking at the element of engagement. When employees have an innate desire to cultivate meaningful change within their own scope of control, the power behind this is what drives organizations forward. Organizations are relationship centric where for the past few decades, leaders have been told to not form bonds or build relationships with their teams. This is absolutely not the case based upon research. Performance is driven through relationships, meaning, and purpose. The most surprising piece of this… the generations do not matter. It stems back to the elements of people, the time period

Quick Facts • First Job: Coffee barista at Panera Bread at age 14 & Cheerleading coach for littles at the YMCA. • FirstWork Comp Job: Paralegal/Legal Assistant • FavoriteTravel Destination: Santorini, Greece • Favorite Social Media Platform: LinkedIn • Hashtag: #liveeverydaylikeitsthelast of the age they are at the point of the career they are, and organizational culture. We are looking to see impactful change coming forth as the C-suite begins to change. The world is changed by your example, not your opinion...claims has a less than desirable reputation overall in the insurance industry and it is been far too long to wait another day to change this.

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NextGen Profiles: Marques Torbert

Perspectives / December 2019

NextGen Profiles: Marques Torbert CEO, AMETROS

workers’ compensation regulations and norms. Companies like Uber, Lyft, Postmates, Grubhub, etc. are employing a significant number of people that use those platforms to earn a living and to ultimately “work.” At the end of the day, I do believe there is some responsibility that these companies have to take with regards to occupational safety and I think they are trying but maybe not to the extent that people within occupational safety circles think they should be. The final form of what it will mean for gig related companies to develop, appropriate workplace safety programs, and ways to handle occupational injuries and disputes will be fluid and will take some time to figure out as they have essentially created new ways to work that were not contemplated when the Grand Bargain was created. The risk is that over the past 10 years, these companies have moved at lightning speed while the workers’ compensation laws and regulations still generally operate off of laws established in the early 1900s. I believe companies operating in alternative work arrangements have an advantage in terms of resources and are innovating quicker than any laws are able to change or adapt. This dynamic will most likely cause massive confusion among the new workforce and other stakeholders. It may result in a non-intentional shift in coverage to other payers and parties, and I think that may continue to happen at an accelerated pace as they become bigger and more influential in our society. Eventually, I do believe it will become a big enough problem where legislation will catch up, but workers’ compensation must be proactive and collaborative with those industries in order to make meaningful strides against a heavily funded and quickly moving industry. The companies have a responsibility, but the system also has a responsibility to engage and work proactively to find solutions.

Prior to Ametros, Marques worked as an investor and consultant within the insurance and business services sector. Marques was previously an Associate with Clarion Capital Partners (a private equity firm), and an investment banker with Lazard Freres. He has been instrumental in working with multiple privately held organizations within the claims management solutions and managed care industries. Marques obtained his B.A. in Economics from Columbia University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Ametros and is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Merrimack College, as well as, University School, a private K-12 school in Cleveland. Marques currently resides in Boston with his wife Alexandra and two daughters, Emery and Grace. money that is being invested into the opportunities that are sprouting up. There are great things about alternative work arrangements and what it means in terms of opportunities and flexibility for people to work and driving remarkable innovation. From my perspective, that dynamic will lead to gig related companies moving fast and unfortunately innovating ahead and outside of the current

“Marques is determined to make healthcare as effective and affordable as possible for injured workers. His approach is changing the status quo of what happens to an injured worker once a claim is settled. He is a gifted leader and the workers’ compensation community is a better place because he saw a problem, crafted a solution, expanded on that solution and decided to implement it." - Paul Sighinolfi, Ametros How can the workers’ compensation industry become more diverse and inclusive? Diversity and inclusion is something that all companies should be working on and it’s something that my company is also working on improving, since like most companies we struggle with the execution as well. First and foremost, I think that the most important step is to define what it means to be diverse and inclusive. Is it just the number of women; or is it the number of people of color; or veterans, or the number of people across different ages, generations, or other diverse groups? Should this be measured across the entire organization or specifically targeted at the senior leadership level? If organizations don’t have a good idea of what it means to be diverse and inclusive for their organization, then there will naturally be confusion and a lack of alignment both internally and externally. So first, we as an organization are working on defining what it means to be diverse, gaining buy in across the organization, and then executing on a plan. Additionally, what I’ve learned is that everyone says they want to be more diverse and inclusive just like everyone says they want to lose weight and be

How do changes in the organization of work (alternative work arrangements, platform/gig work) impact the responsibility of the company and/or the worker for both occupational safety and recovery following a work injury? Primarily when you think about the gig economy, things are changing rapidly and there is a lot of

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NextGen Profiles: Marques Torbert

Perspectives / December 2019

example, if we want to hire more diverse people of color candidates, then we should specifically target not just the generic diversity recruiting website, but we should be at career fairs at historically black colleges and universities or specifically sponsoring diverse professional organization groups. The same goes for seeking diversity in gender or sexual orientation. There are very targeted places to find people that will make your organization more diverse and ultimately better but many times we fail to engage appropriately and make excuses. Lastly, make sure that there is someone in your organization that owns the outcome for diversity and inclusion and what you have defined as success – this is one of the very clear goals that results in pay/bonus for our HR team and is something that is routinely discussed, tracked, and measured.

Quick Facts • First Job: Cashier at Arby’s

healthy, but few actually go through the significant and sometimes easy steps right in front of you to reach that goal. And to be fair, my organization was at fault with that as well. However, recently we started looking at things a little differently and are starting to approach it as a real priority, not just something that we expect to automatically happen simply because we have a bullet point on it at a Town Hall meeting. As an • FirstWork Comp Job: Current job • FavoriteTravel Destination: Egypt • Favorite Social Media Platform: LinkedIn • Hashtag: #grateful

SAVE DATE THE

IAIABC 107 TH CONVENTION September 20-23, 2021 Toronto, Ontario

THE FORUM 2021 April 26-29, 2021 Louisville, Kentucky

IAIABC 106th CONVENTION September 21-24, 2020 Denver, Colorado

THE FORUM 2022 April 4-7, 2022 Nashville, Tennessee

THE FORUM 2020 April 27-30, 2020 Clearwater, Florida

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NextGen Profiles: Caitlin Smith

Perspectives / December 2019

What workforce change do you think will have the biggest impact on workers’ compensation? Working remotely. NewYork State (NYS) has implemented the first all virtual hearing system in the nation. It has proven large benefits to claimants, carriers, attorneys and other participants. However, it’s also helps alleviate some staffing issues. Virtually, we can have a judge in Albany, NY remotely cover other hearing sites in the state. A system like virtual hearings has allowed us to accommodate attorneys that work from home or offices that may be far from the hearing location and has cut out the need to travel for claimants. Parties can remotely attend hearings in the comfort of their home or office. NYS has implemented not only a web platform, but also a mobile app for Apple devices so parties can appear from their mobile device. How do you see data being positively used to enhance service/delivery within the workers’ compensation system? The more computerized the system gets, the more information we can track. Those numbers can point BUSINESS SYSTEMANALYST I, NEWYORK STATEWORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD NextGen Profiles: Caitlin Smith

Quick Facts • First Job: Cashier at Hewitt’s Garden Center in Clifton Park, NY • FirstWork Comp Job: AssistantWorkers’ Compensation Examiner • FavoriteTravel Destination: Bar Harbor, ME and KeyWest, FL • Favorite Social Media Platform: Instagram • Hashtag: #startedfromthebottomnowwehere at the Board and I’m looking forward to her involvement in the NYSWorkers’ Compensation modernization project that will begin later this year.” - Deena Jones, New York StateWorkers’ Compensation Board “Caitlin has demonstrated a commitment to improving the workers’ compensation industry as demonstrated by her involvement in the Virtual Hearings project. Caitlin is actively utilizing her knowledge and experience to improve processes Whether you’re learning from a mistake, a peer or something you’ve read, it’s important to be open to learning from multiple sources. You never know when you might need that knowledge someday. 3. Having a growth mindset. Adopting an attitude that you’re always going to constantly be learning.

Caitlin Smith is a Business Systems Analyst with the NewYork State Workers’ Compensation Board Office of Continuous Improvement. She was instrumental in the implementation of the Board’s Virtual Hearing Center (VHC). VHC is a system that manages comfort of their home or office. Caitlin is currently leading the development and implementation of theVHC Mobile Application for iOS (implemented 2019) and Android. TheVHC Mobile App will allow parties to attend virtual hearings from their smartphone or tablet. Caitlin has been with the Board since 2012. She has also earned her ECBA from the Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) and is active in the NYS Forum’s Project Management group. 1200 hearings a day and allows participants to attend from the

out where a system or process is lacking and drive change to improve or automate a process.

What strategies have you found that allow you tomanage professional and personal obligations? 1. Time management. I am constantly researching new and more efficient ways to manage time. Although I appreciate all the advances in technology, nothing beats having a paper planner. It allows me to see a snapshot of my month and helps me prioritize my schedule. There is something cathartic about writing down my tasks and events. 2. Flexibility. Sometimes there are just things beyond your control and can throw off your plans. Being accepting of change and patient really allows you to take those unexpected things in stride.

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NextGen Profiles: Derek West

Perspectives / December 2019

NextGen Profiles: Derek West DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION, OHIO BUREAU OFWORKERS’COMPENSATION Compensation (BWC). He oversees the BWC’s relationship with its core systemprovider and the day-to-day operations of the team supporting the core system. Derek’s time with BWC has spanned several other roles as well. He has served as the director of business transformation and as the director of project governance. His expertise lies in managing new projects and support by working with BWC’s Project Management Office, Change Management Office, andTraining Department while providing oversight on business testing efforts. Outside of work, Derek also is an active leader in his community through his church youth ministry, humanitarian efforts and youth sports. DerekWest manages an IT application team at the Ohio Bureau ofWorkers’

to improve the overall experience to an injured worker, insured, etc. in a difficult time in their life. Even if we automate, someone needs to understand the process to ensure the rules for automation perform key functions correctly. There is still a review process and an opportunity for personal touch. If we can identify how to retool staff and involve them, they will see the value and the fear will begin to dissipate. Now specific to workers’ compensation, faster decisions, increased accuracy, identification of manual review that is necessary, when additional intervention is needed, better detection of fraud are all areas where we can benefit in the workers comp industry. What strategies have you found that allow you to manage professional and personal obligations? Always remembering that family comes first. It is number one no matter the expectations elsewhere. Work matters and what we do in workers’ compensation is vital as it helps others elsewhere continue to support whatever comes first in their lives. Balancing time away for mental rest/recovery with blocking out any personal distractions while on the job have been essential. I must regularly assess where I am and adapt. Pushing for a reduced fear of failure. Being in worker’s compensation we are naturally averse to risk or at least focus on mitigating it. The angle I have taken with new staff as they grow and mature on the job is that growth hurts. I’ve even stated, albeit bluntly but it has made a positive impact, “welcome to the harsh reality of growth, it hurts”. We need to take the same approach in other areas, like innovation. We cannot fear the pain so much What are you doing to actively innovate in the work comp space?

Quick Facts • First Job: Newspaper carrier • FirstWork Comp Job: Customer Service Representative • FavoriteTravel Destination: Clearwater, FL • Favorite Social Media Platform: Twitter • Hashtag: #FullLife that we remain stagnant, so I am trying to change that thinking. Additionally, when staff is having conversations with our business areas I have tried to shift gears from“innovating” to asking the right questions. Innovation is not so much about idea generating as it is about diagnosing the real issues and then working through ideas to bring optimal solutions. We have done some really great things over the last few years, maybe all of them weren’t executed perfectly, but we are further ahead than we were because we have taken chances. We now need to take more. “Derek is a talented and thoughtful public servant who has made a lasting impression on everyone he’s worked with. He is a teamplayer who always looks for ways our agency can improve the way it serves Ohio’s injured workers. Derek’s greatest strengths are his perspective and his focus on efficiency. He helps the people he works with see things at a different angle. He draws on his front-line experience to stay focused on the customer and front-line staff to improve efficiency.” - Stephanie McCloud, Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation

What workforce change do you think will have the biggest impact on workers’ compensation?

Automation and this is more from the impact on workforce than it is specifically workers’ compensation – it seems to be the most enticing and most feared change at the same time. It is often feared by front- line staff as a potential job killer. It is enticing to key decision makers as they see the potential for increased accuracy/efficiency which improves customer satisfaction/success. Some may even see the possible reduction of staff which unfortunately lends itself to the fear factor. I think we need to change the light in which we view it by embracing the core functions that entice us and begin giving attention to how can some of our jobs could change

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IAIABC Excellence Award 2019: New York’s Virtual Hearings

Perspectives / December 2019

IAIABC Excellence Award 2019: NewYork’sVirtual Hearings “This state-of-the-art technology is here to help

Extensive Outreach

Turning the idea of virtual hearings into a reality involved an intensive cross-agency collaboration between the Board and the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS). The two agencies worked together to combine technologies to create a wholly unique experience for stakeholders compared to appearing in-person. Some of the enhanced features virtual hearings offer include: • High-definition video and audio communication between the Board’s administrative law judges (ALJs) and all hearing participants • An extremely simple, intuitive user interface with built-in online help • Automatic recording of all hearings, which are stored on the New York State network for later review by the Board, providing an official hearing record that can be requested as a digital copy by hearing parties • Flexibility, as the solution is available from anywhere on the Internet While those features provide for a positive user experience, the most transformative elements the Board and ITS delivered for this project were the custom internet-basedVirtual Waiting Room/ Queuing solution for external parties, along with the development of the ALJ’s backend hearing dashboard. The combination of these two components allows ALJs to see, in real-time, the availability of all parties as they sign in and attend hearings. The system continuously tracks parties’availability throughout the day and notifies the judges when hearings can be called. This real-time, dynamic tracking and continuous monitoring of participant availability has resulted in tremendous efficiency gains daily for the Board and thousands of parties involved in the hearing process. The Board has also leveraged this technology for attorneys who still choose to appear personally at hearings, by having them check in ahead of their scheduled hearings using the virtual hearings web application.

In addition to the creative and technological efforts that went into building the necessary structures, launching virtual hearings required extensive outreach and education to all potential participants. Virtual hearings were first tested in the Capital District Office in Menands in November 2017. After a very successful pilot, the Board then rolled out virtual hearings at 24 other locations across the state in the months that followed. By the end of 2018, virtual hearings were available at all of the Board’s hearing locations. Ahead of the rollout at each hearing location, the Board conducted educational webinars for attorneys and licensed representatives to teach them about their new option and how it works. These webinars were attended by more than 500 attorneys/licensed representatives statewide. During the first two days of the rollout at each new hearing location, the Board sent staff to provide hands-on support for those attorneys who elected to appear in-person and needed help using the new system to check in to their hearings.

thousands of injured workers who previously needed to travel to a hearing location in order to resolve issues that may have delayed their benefits,” said Board Chair Clarissa Rodriguez. According to Rodriguez, “Virtual hearings have made it easier on these workers, as well as employers who may have trouble stepping away from their businesses, by offering a solution that saves time, energy and money. They are a prime example of how the Board has become better for workers and better for business over the past few years.” When the Board came up with the concept of virtual hearings, the goal was to innovate with technology, so injured workers, attorneys/licensed representatives and other participants, could attend hearings right from their home or office. Previously, attending a hearing often required an injured worker, attorney, or employer witness to travel a considerable distance to one of the Board’s 25 hearing centers for a hearing that may only last 10 to 15 minutes. This not only cost money in travel expenses, but it also cost businesses in labor, as workers had to take extra time away from their jobs. Today, all the hearing participants need is a computer, tablet or smartphone with a microphone and video camera, as well as access to a high-speed internet connection, to participate. Of course, any injured workers or other participants who don’t have a computer or high-speed internet access, or who would rather attend their hearings in person, can always choose to do so. Concept to Creation

NewYork’s groundbreaking virtual hearings have been a game-changer in the workers’ compensation system. With this technological transformation, the NewYork StateWorkers’Compensation Board has reimagined the way it conducts the approximately 1,200 hearings it holds daily and has helped further the Board’s mission of protecting employees and employers by ensuring the proper delivery of benefits. The Board’s virtual hearings are the first multi-point, high-definition, all-access system for legal hearings in the nation. It allows multiple users to log in once and, depending on their role, quickly move fromone hearing to another, anywhere in the state. Virtual hearings allow all participants to attend remotely over a computer or mobile device, in a secure, reliable and convenient manner, saving them from the inconvenience of having to appear in-person. This is especially beneficial to injured workers, whomay find it difficult to travel to hearings, or don’t want to lose any additional time fromwork. It alsomeans businesses and carriers with a statewide footprint can centralize their legal representation, rather than havingmultiple offices in order to be closer to hearing center locations.

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