WCI's Summer Conference Hosts 2-Day Workers' Comp Breakout for Risk Managers

Day two kicks off from with "What People in the Claims Industry Should Know," a session from 10-11 a.m. to be moderated by Charles F. Martin, managing director at Marsh USA Inc. and featuring panelists David A. North, president and CEO of Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc.; Deborah L. Michel, president of Helmsman Management Services; and David J. DePaolo, president of WorkCompCentral in Camarillo, Calif.

This A-list group of participants will discuss today's increasingly diverse workforce, how to define and measure claims quality and the use and advancement of technology , among other topics.

From 11 a.m. to noon, "Adding Brokers/Consultants to the Mix" will feature moderatorMarc Salm, vice president of risk management for Publix Super Markets, Inc. with a panel comprised of Charles F. Martin, managing director of Marsh USA Inc.; Joe Picone, CPCU, AIC, claim consulting practice leader, risk control & claim advocacy practice for Willis' Strategic Outcomes Practice; Paul Braun, managing director of AON Risk Solutions; and Patti Colwell, workers' compensation manager for Southwest Airlines.

Attendees at this breakout can gain a better understanding of what employers look for when developing a relationship with brokers/consultants. The panelists will debate and discuss consolidation in the marketplace and what that has done to an employer's risk management program.  

"Channeling Your Inner Politician" follows at 1 p.m., in which panelists Max Koonce, risk management director for WalMart Stores Inc.; Lee Ann Alexander, assistant vice president and senior legislative counsel for Liberty Mutual Insurance; and attorney Albert Betts of Austin, Texas-based Thompson, Coe, Cousins and Irons will instruct attendees on how to get involved in legislative and rule-making in their states.  

Then from 2-3 p.m., it's "How to Manage Your Workers' Compensation Program in a Union Environment." Panelists Alan H. Hammermiller, corporate workers' compensation claims manager for UPS; Michael J. McCue, corporate director of casualty claims for Safeway Inc. will provide tips on communicating with unions regarding workers' comp and share strategies for working together with them.

Finally, "Covering All Aspects of an Effective Litigation Management Plan," set from 3:10-4:10 p.m., will feature a panel comprised of Scott B. Clark, risk and benefits officer for Miami-Dade County School Board (and a winner of National Underwriter's 2013 Excellence in Workers' Comp Risk Management Award); Gary Markham, founder and CEO of LSG, a leading New York-based  web-based software application and business process outsourcing company; Ann Stephenson, vice president of Gallagher Bassett Services Inc.; and Tim Stanger, vice president/claims for St. Louis-based workers' comp specialists Safety National.

Litigation Management is a key component of any effective claims and risk management program. Most professionals have an idea of what litigation management should look like, but is everyone's view the same? Have advances in technology changed how litigation management is defined and measured? The panel will identify the considerations that influence their litigation-management program, desired results through litigation management, and the metrics and measures used to assess the effectiveness of their programs.

WCEC is the largest and fastest-growing event of its kind devoted to addressing workers' comp issues. It features an extensive lineup of program tracks and breakout sessions from hundreds of national speakers for the benefit and education of insurance agents and brokers, adjusters, risk managers, employers, judges, lawyers, state administrators, safety professionals, nurses, doctors, representatives from the PEO and temporary employment industry, Medicare specialists, mediators, social security experts and Longshore specialists.

To view the full list of breakout sessions to be featured at the conference, go here for a complete rundown of days, times and the top-level talent who will be participating. New to the conference this year will be breakouts for insurance agents as well as physical therapists dealing with workers' comp issues.

Additionally, during the conference attendees can earn continuing education units from numerous disciplines and more than 300 exhibitors will be on hand to present information on their products and services.

During the conference's general session on Monday, National Underwriter P&C will bestow its Excellence in Workers' Compensation Risk Management Award, presented in conjunction with WCI and given to three winning organizations whose accomplishments in cost control, WC risk management and effective safety practices place them well above their peers.

The award is sponsored by Helmsman Management Services, a third-party administrator offering claims management, managed care, and risk control solutions for businesses with 1,000 employees or more.

Additionally, as part of the conference, WCI will host its inaugural fund-raising gala dinner and silent auction in support of its adopted charity, Give Kids the World. The dinner will be held Saturday night before the conference begins at the Orlando World Center Marriott; for information on participating, go here.

The Workers' Compensation Institute (WCI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization that serves all members of the workers' comp community—risk managers, insurers, brokers, agents, employers, employees, and claims, medical, and legal professionals.  

To register for WCEC 2014, go here.