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  • Denise Evans: The Case for Unbundling

    Denise Evans: The Case for Unbundling
    2026/08/21
    Send us Fan MailIn our latest episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to Denise Evans, Director of Claims at Staffmark Group.Guest Bio:Denise Evans | Director of Claims, Staffmark Group37 years in the workers' compensation industryNational temp staffing program leadership—managing claims across multiple industries and statesStrategic program architect and industry connector; active in the National Council of Self-InsuredsOur ConversationIn this episode, we tackle unbundling—a strategic choice most self-insured companies face, but few really understand. It affects your costs, outcomes, control, and flexibility.The Choice: Bundled vs. UnbundledBundled: You contract with a carrier or TPA. They handle provider networks, vendor relationships, and medical management. You get discounts from their preferred partners and operational convenience in exchange for limited control. It's predictable. It's hands-off.Unbundled: You build and manage your own program, or parts of your program. You choose providers, set vendor relationships, own day-to-day decisions. You lose some negotiated discounts but gain control and flexibility.For most companies, bundling is the default. The real question is whether it actually works for your business.You Don't Have to Unbundle Everything at Once: Here's what most people miss: unbundling doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can be selective and phased. Build the option into your contract, then unbundle component by component as your capacity grows. Denise unbundles specific areas where control matters most to Staffmark—nurse case management, pharmaceutical, DME, bill review, transportation, translation. The point is to move at your own pace rather than changing the entire program all at once. That's what distinguishes companies that successfully unbundle from those that get overwhelmed and abandon it.Why This MattersThe case for unbundling: When you need control over outcomes that matter to your business—return-to-work rates, duration management, cost containment. You have a specific workforce (or multiple workforces) requiring tailored medical management. You have the internal capacity to manage vendors.Denise's example: Staffmark handles employee leasing and staffing. Workers move between client sites, industries, and states. A one-size-fits-all bundled network doesn't work. They unbundled to have more agility—the ability to build relationships with providers who understand Staffmark's unique recovery demands.The case for bundling: You want predictability. You lack bandwidth for vendor management. You'll accept good-enough outcomes for operational simplicity.The hard truth: Unbundling isn't cost-cutting. It's an investment. You're paying for vendor management infrastructure, relationship-building, and reporting sophistication to defend your program to carriers. Without that capacity, you'll end up worse off than you started.The Core QuestionIs your current program structure actually supporting your business outcomes?If your business depends on a specific workforce profile, recovery timeline, or outcome metric—and your bundled program doesn't optimize for that—you're paying for convenience while leaving money on the table.If you unbundle without infrastructure to manage it, you're paying more for worse results.Let the decision be driven by what you're optimizing for. Not cost. Not convenience. What outcome matters most? Then ask: which structure gets you there?Your Carrier Relationship ChangesUnbundling shifts accountability. When you bundle, the carrier owns program quality and accountability. When you unbundle, you do.Carriers will want data, evidence of sound decisions, transparency into what's working. If your unbundled program underperforms, that becomes a negotiation point at renewal—and it can be expensive.This is why infrastructure matters. You need reporting, metrics, proof points to show carriers your program is solid. If you can defend your approach with data, you have leverage. If you can't, you're vulnerable.Workforce Complexity Drives the DecisionStaffmark operates across temp staffing—workers move between client sites, industries, and geographies. Claims span manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics in the same population.A bundled one-size-fits-all network becomes a liability. You need providers who understand different recovery demands across industries and can move fast. Unbundling becomes a business necessity, not a luxury.Single-industry, stable-geography workforce? Bundling's convenience might be your sweet spot. Complex, multi-industry workforce? You may not have a choice.The Fragmentation FactorManaging a national program across 50+ state regulations, different medical networks, and different carrier relationships is expensive and fragmented.The companies doing this well aren't isolated. They're connected to others solving the same problems. They attend conferences not for networking, but because that's how they hear about approaches that ...
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    57 分
  • Andrea Mills: Empathy as Infrastructure

    Andrea Mills: Empathy as Infrastructure
    2026/08/05
    Send us Fan MailIn our latest episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to Andrea Mills, President of Ametros.Guest BioAndrea Mills | President, Ametros | Workers' Comp Professional AdministratorNearly 20 years in the workers' compensation industry8+ years with Ametros, currently in her ninth yearLeads the largest professional administration company in the workers' comp space, serving both workers' comp and liability casesSince the recording of this episode, Ametros has expanded Medicare Advantage Plan support and is now available in all states except New York. For more information, visit info.ametros.com/medicare-consultation. Any references to savings are for informational purposes only. Savings are not guaranteed, and past performance or historical results are not indicative of future outcomes.Here are highlights of our conversation with Andrea: 1. The Settlement Cliff: When Support Suddenly StopsInjured workers spend an average of six years in the workers' comp system with full support: medical care, case managers, adjusters. Then settlement happens. Suddenly, most of that infrastructure disappears. They're left managing complex healthcare needs, settlement funds that need to last them years or a lifetime, and ongoing medical treatment entirely on their own.This is the gap Ametros fills.DC micro lesson: The industry has built systems for managing active claims. But we haven't built strong systems for managing the post-settlement phase. There's a resource cliff, and injured workers are expected to navigate it alone. Ametros stepped in to solve this problem. 2. Professional Administration Isn't Process. It's Presence.Ametros helps injured workers manage settlement funds, navigate their healthcare journey, and access the support they need after settlement. Referrals come from adjusters, Medicare Set-Aside vendors, and plaintiff attorneys who all recognize the same truth: injured workers need expert, compassionate support they can actually rely on after their claim is settled. DC micro lesson: Professional administration is about showing up for someone vulnerable and saying, "We're going to help you figure this out." It's about showing up for injured workers and helping them feel at ease and secure about their future medical care. 3. Medication Management: The Invisible Cost of Chronic ConditionsAfter settlement, injured workers face the full cost of their prescriptions for the first time. Chronic pain medications can cost thousands per month. Ametros works with injured workers to find the best alternatives, manage costs, navigate insurance, and ensure medications and care remain affordable.DC micro lesson: What happens to prescriptions after settlement is not a sidebar in the claim story. It's often the center of the story. Ametros helps injured workers think through their long-term care needs and identifies the best options. 4. Empathy Isn't Soft. It's Infrastructure.Ametros doesn't just talk about empathy; they've operationalized it. It's woven into hiring, training, and accountability. It's infrastructure. When injured workers interact with Ametros, they feel seen. That's not accidental. DC micro lesson: We need to stop treating empathy like it's a mindset hack. Start asking: How is empathy built into your processes? How do you hire for it? Coach for it? Help people build capacity for it? Until you answer these questions, you're not operationalizing empathy. You're just talking about it.5. Capacity Comes From Boundaries, Not Gritting It OutAndrea models protecting her own capacity: family time, travel (hello, Italy!), life outside work. Ametros's leadership team protects these boundaries for their teams too. You can't show up for injured workers if you're running on empty. You can't make people feel seen if you're depleted.DC micro lesson: How your team shows up for injured workers is directly connected to how you show up for your team. Capacity isn't something you demand from people. It's something you protect for them.A Final ThoughtAmetros solved a problem the industry had been overlooking: injured workers settling their cases and then disappearing into a resource void. They stepped into that gap and said, "We can do better." That's how you move an industry forward.Kudos to the team at Ametros for winning the Gold Stevie® Award for Sales & Customer Service in the Contact Center of the Year – Other Service Industries category. This recognition is well-earned by a team that puts injured workers' needs first.¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp
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    40 分
  • DJ McConnell: Communication changes everything!

    DJ McConnell: Communication changes everything!
    2026/07/22

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    In our latest episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to DJ McConnell, President and Owner of Bailey-McCaffrey, LLC.

    Guest bio:

    DJ McConnell | Nurse Case Manager & Owner of Bailey McCaffrey | New Orleans, Louisiana

    • 15+ years in the workers' compensation industry
    • Worked at Bailey McCaffrey for 13+ years, recently became President and owner.
    • Brings a healthcare/clinical lens to claims work and organizational leadership

    Yvonne wishes we had talked more to DJ about taking over the company where he worked for 13+ years. We'll have him back to have a deeper discussion on leadership! Thank you and kudos to DJ for stepping into this new role. We wish him all the best!

    1. Good Communication Comes First—Learn Why

    DJ (like many of us) learned this the hard way: the medical side of workers' comp is predictable. The hard part that nobody teaches you in school is how to communicate with injured workers and their family after a severe or catastrophic injury, and how that first communication impacts the entire claim.

    DC micro lesson: Before you worry about process, policy, or procedures—understand that how you communicate will determine the entire trajectory of a claim. If you don't teach yourself this early on, you'll spend years learning it the hard way.

    Ask yourself: What do I know about crisis communications? What do I still need to learn?

    2. Meet People Where They Are—Not Where YOU Need Them To Be

    DJ explains how early intervention should be carefully managed. When you show up within 24 hours of an injury, clipboard in hand, asking questions to someone who is in shock or hysterically crying, you've already lost. They're not in a state to receive or give information.

    DC micro lesson: Your job on the first contact isn't to gather data. It's to establish that you're a human who sees them and will be there when they want or need answers. That's enough. The information can wait.

    Think about this: What would change if you showed up to the first contact with an injured worker, not with a clipboard but with 100% presence?

    3. Non-Negotiables Are Infrastructure, Not Luxury

    DJ talks about his non-negotiables for maintaining his capacity: sleep, family time, and holding boundaries. We talk about the importance of boundaries and what it costs when you don't maintain them. But he's learned the cost of not protecting them: capacity disappears, communication suffers, presence evaporates.

    DC micro lesson: Non-negotiables aren't selfish. They're the foundation your capacity is built on.

    Honest check-in: What are your three non-negotiables? How do you actually protect them?

    4. Self-Awareness: Notice Before You Break

    DJ models self-awareness in his personal and professional life: noticing his emotional response at dinner, acknowledging lack of boundaries, addressing fears as a new business owner. He's not hiding (avoiding) the gap between knowing and doing; he's paying attention to it. So important!

    DC micro lesson: Self-leadership starts with noticing. What's happening inside you right now? When do you notice your state of mind shifting? When do you realize you're operating from scarcity instead of capacity? How are you addressing the shift when you notice?

    This is the internal work nobody talks about, but what everybody needs to do.

    5. Building A Strong Foundation

    DJ shares how he mentors his team. He role-plays with them. He shows them what presence looks like, what first contact without a clipboard looks like, what protecting your non-negotiables so you can show up for others actually means.

    DC micro lesson: Mentoring can take many forms. DJ talks about how he's practicing with his team. They role-play together. Sometimes mentoring is being willing to look clumsy while you learn together. DJ is building a company culture where communication and presence aren't nice ideas. They're coached, practiced, and reinforced through real mentoring relationships.

    That sounds like a good recipe for building a strong foundation!

    ¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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    44 分
  • Jill Dulich: Injured and guideless?

    Jill Dulich: Injured and guideless?
    2026/07/03

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    Recently, we sat down with Jill Dulich to discuss how the workers' compensation system has changed over the past 50+ years. Here's a summary of our conversation:

    Guest: Jill Dulich | Director of Claims and Operations, California Self-Insurers Security Fund
    Expertise: 52 years in workers' compensation (Marriott, 32 years; CSSF, 11 years)
    Geographic Scope: Jill has managed claims in all states west of the Mississippi

    ABOUT JILL

    She's a living archive of what workers' compensation was, and could be again. Jill has spent 52 years in this industry, partly by maintaining her own humanity outside it: she walks to clear her head, loves to travel internationally (recent trips to New Zealand, Australia, France, Greece), and loves to explore other cultures with genuine curiosity.

    THE CORE QUESTION

    52 years ago, claims professionals were measured on early and frequent contact with injured workers.

    Today, injured workers often feel "lost on an island with no support."

    So, what changed? And what has it cost us?

    THEN vs. NOW

    THEN (52 Years Ago)

    • Role: Claims professionals guided injured workers through the complex system of workers' compensation
    • Measure: Early, frequent contact and communication with injured workers
    • Benefit: Injured workers felt supported; employers got predictability and faster resolution on their claims

    NOW

    • Role: Claims professionals manage procedures and systems
    • Measure: High caseloads, case closure, compliance, efficiency
    • Cost: Injured workers feel abandoned; employers lose goodwill and face more friction and litigation

    THE PARADOX

    Jill talks about how she struggled with anxiety early in her career as a claims professional. She didn't know she could ask for help. The work has always demanded emotional presence, and it takes a toll. It requires holding someone else's crisis while managing your own capacity.

    Hmmm. Have we talked about managing capacity before? Yep!

    At places like Marriott, where support was offered to claims professionals, it didn't eliminate the struggle. It made it survivable. Jill said it allowed her and others to show up, day after day, with empathy and compassion.

    Now? The job is harder, and we removed the safety net.

    Complexity has increased exponentially. We've fragmented the role. And we've stripped away the human support mechanisms that made it possible to guide injured workers with empathy and compassion. Then we wonder why claims professionals are burning out at such a high and fast rate?

    THE INSIGHT

    Workers' comp was designed around one simple truth: Claims professionals are there to guide injured workers through complexity, and when that happens, everyone wins.

    We optimized for procedure. We lost sight of our mission.

    The cost: We didn't just sacrifice the role's humanity; we sacrificed its effectiveness and the core mission. And somewhere along the way, we made the job unsustainable for our system guides: claims professionals.

    WHAT YOU'LL HEAR

    • How the claims role was originally designed, and why it worked
    • What we traded when we prioritized systems over relationships
    • Why injured workers and employers both lost
    • Are we ready to redesign for what actually works?

    A DIRECT QUOTE FROM JILL

    "We've sort of lost sight of who we're really here for. That's the injured worker—to make sure they are being taken care of, that they know what's happening, that they're communicated with and educated on the system."


    A Socratic reflection: If you were measured on early, frequent contact with injured workers instead of case closure (speed), how would your day change?

    ¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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    40 分
  • Brian Arnold: CCWC - The Happiest Conference on Earth!

    Brian Arnold: CCWC - The Happiest Conference on Earth!
    2026/06/15
    Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Brian Arnold from World Insurance Brokers is here to talk about the California Coalition on Workers' Compensation (CCWC) Annual Conference, and more importantly, why showing up at conferences matters for your career.Networking Built His CareerBrian's been in workers' comp for 25 years. He started as a claims assistant at a boutique TPA and worked his way up through different carriers and TPAs. But here's what really moved the needle: "It was mainly through networking that really helped me advance in my own personal career."He talks about how he built solid relationships through nonprofit boards, made meaningful connections in the Sacramento Valley, and how those connections are still carrying him forward today, now on the broker side at World Insurance Brokers, where he helps adjusters shine.Why CCWC MattersBrian deeply values the symbiotic relationship between brokers and adjusters: we need each other. That's the energy you'll find at CCWC: professionals actively working to make things better for injured workers and employers across California.The conference is California's premier educational forum for understanding the state's unique workers' comp system. It's where legislation, policy, and practice collide, and where you'll find the brightest minds in the industry.Things to Know About CCWCThe Location: Disneyland. Yes, really. "Disney is a longtime supporter," Brian says. "The magic's everywhere. And it makes the conference a bit lighter once the heavy intellectual dump is done." There's even an in-park event Thursday night (limited free tickets available).The Sessions: Over 100 applications were submitted. A committee of seasoned professionals narrowed it down to 15 of the best sessions. You're getting rigorously curated sessions, not filler. Who Should Attend? Any workers' compensation professional who seeks to better understand the nuances of the California workers' compensation system. The Must-Sees:Legislative Updates: Paul Yoder and Jason Schmelzer report back on the real efforts. Best in the country.Bloggers Panel: A panel discussion that's always fun and informative! This year includes a 10th-anniversary tribute honoring the late David DePaulo.Trauma Trifecta: Defending TBI, PTSD, and Cumulative Trauma Claims in an Evolving Legal Landscape. Rare claims that can run away from you if you're not paying attention. This panel features: Yvonne Guibert (moderator), Anthony Carlton with Arthur J Gallagher, Mark Maragay with the NFL Los Angeles Chargers, Kate Lozano with Laughlin, Falbo, Levy and Moresi, and Dr. Garland Tang, Board-certified Neurologist with Institutes of Health. AI & Best Practices: Best Practices: Californians Can Learn From Other States to Find Solutions for Cost Containment, AI Adaptation and MoreHow AI is reshaping reserving and claims management. This panel features: Stuart Colburn, Bill Zachry, Gerald Hogue from FedEx, and Mike Simmons from WKS Restaurant Group. CAT Claims: Blueprint for Handling CAT Claims featuring Tyrone Spears with City of Los Angeles, Jeff Rush with CA JPIA, and Stephen Peacock with Safety National on handling catastrophic claims. Managing Change: Managing Change, Culture, and Success During Transformation is all about advocacy, networking, and managing change during transformation and featuring Sheri Lawrence with SoCalGas, Barry Bloom with BDB Group, Angel Guerra-Chagolla with Arrowhead Evaluation Services, and Matthew Howard with City of Pasadena. Why It's Different: CCWC answers the "why" behind how the California workers' comp system works. It pairs networking with legislative backing so you understand not just what's happening, but where the industry is heading—especially with a new administration coming in.Check out CCWC's full agenda: https://ccwcworkcomp.org/Events/Annual-Conference-AgendaRegister: https://ccwcworkcomp.org/Events/Annual-ConferenceWhat's on the Radar: Post-employment cumulative trauma claims are surging (now 1 in 4 to 1 in 5 claims). Permanent disability increases are overdue. The Fix California Workers' Comp initiative (fixcaworkerscomp.com) is advancing real reform efforts to restore balance to the CA workers' compensation system https://fixcaworkerscomp.com/The Secret to Real ConnectionWhen Brian talks about presence, he nails it: "Be aware of where you are and give that your full attention." That's the real magic of attending a conference: when you show up mentally, not just physically, and allow yourself to be open and "fully present" for connections. That's when career-changing conversations actually happen.Make the Conscious ChoiceBrian's parting wisdom: attend. Make a conscious choice to invest in your career, your community, and your growth. We said it at the start of this season: try to attend at least one to two conferences per year. This is one not to miss!¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find ...
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    37 分
  • Dave Chmiel: Brokers Cover The Gap

    Dave Chmiel: Brokers Cover The Gap
    2026/06/05

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    Yvonne and Rafael sit down with Dave Chmiel, Chief Claims Officer at Hub International. Together, they engage in a great conversation about the broker's perspective on workers' compensation.

    Episode Highlights

    ☕ The Core Message: Listening Changes Everything (00:02:38)

    From day one in the brokerage world, Dave was taught to listen, to understand what economic buyers (CEOs, CFOs) actually care about. That skill transcends the boardroom. When you truly listen, you access perspectives you'd otherwise miss. In workers' comp, where we're managing human situations, that's everything.

    🎯 A 35-Year Career Built on Perspective-Shifting (00:02:40)

    Dave intentionally positioned himself to see the full ecosystem:

    • Liberty Mutual (10 years): Claims management with major accounts; mastered total cost to risk
    • Brokerage side (12 years): Kept managing claims while gaining the 30,000-foot view of client needs
    • Hub International (14 years): Chief Claims Officer, bridging claims and sales

    He didn't climb a ladder; he expanded his lens. That's the difference.

    🤝 The Three-Partner Model: What Brokers Actually Do (00:11:00)

    When asked what brokers can do that people don't realize, Dave explains the architecture: There are three partners in this equation: the client, the carrier, and the broker. The broker's job is to advocate for the client while maintaining a healthy relationship with the carrier. It's not zero-sum. It's about understanding all three positions and helping them work in alignment. That nuance matters.

    🏢 From Middle-Market to Boutique at Scale (00:22:00)

    Hub was originally positioned as a middle-market broker, but has evolved into an "upmarket and complex risk broker." What's their differentiator? Boutique-style service, the kind of personalized attention and deep expertise you'd expect from a small firm, delivered at the scale of the sixth largest broker in the world. That's the sweet spot David and his team operate in.

    📈 The Broker That Grows With You (00:28:07)

    "The best kind of broker is the one that's going to grow with you as an organization." A company that had two locations five years ago and now has forty is fundamentally different. The broker has to evolve too, more productive, more creative, more empathetic. That means understanding the distinctions: construction claims look nothing like transportation or sports and entertainment. And it means building trust-based alignment with carriers and TPAs, not just golf course friendships as we did 20 years ago. As Dave says, like a baseball manager whose team fights for you when they trust the vision.

    🏒 Off the Ice: Goalie, Coach, Dad (00:40:30)

    Dave still plays hockey as a goalie, sharing how much he loves the sport and the camaraderie between players. He gets the biggest kick, though, out of coaching his daughters: a 13-year-old softball pitcher and a 10-year-old who plays basketball and soccer. He didn't have sports in his own middle school years, so he's living through their growth and development. "That's where I relax now," he says. It's where the same listening, mentoring, and protective instincts that define his broker role show up in his life outside work.

    ✨ Rare Energy in a Mature Field (00:41:15)

    "In the claims world, you don't often see the amount of energy that I think we collectively as a group have." When someone with 35 years still gets genuinely stoked about the work and the Elevate Work Comp conference community, it's not nostalgia, it's real.

    The Nugget Worth Holding

    How are you creating space to truly listen to what your stakeholders need? What assumption might you be missing about what matters to them?

    Connect with David: He means it when he says reach out. Whether you have questions about the broker perspective, career advice, or just want to continue the conversation, find him on LinkedIn: Dave Chmiel. He's serious about helping and mentoring anyone who's open to it.

    ¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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    49 分
  • Sandy Avina: Riskfetti is Here!

    Sandy Avina: Riskfetti is Here!
    2026/05/22
    Send us Fan MailYvonne and Rafael are so excited (and you can tell!). Yvonne declares she's Sandy's biggest fan! And honestly? After listening to this conversation, you'll understand why. Sandy Avina has figured out something our industry has been struggling with for over 100 years: how to make workers' compensation accessible, engaging, and even fun.Sandy Avina, MBA, is a Claim Services Manager with California Schools JPA, a self-insured public risk pool that serves K-12 school districts, community colleges, and regional occupational programs throughout San Bernardino County, California.What we get into:📱 An Industry Image Problem — Workers' comp has been around for over a century, but most people don't understand it. Why? We talk about it amongst ourselves, but not so much outside the industry. Meanwhile, the plaintiff's bar, applicant attorneys, and others are actively shaping the narrative on social media, podcasts, and elsewhere. We're not telling our own story — so someone else is telling it for us. The result? High litigation rates and misaligned employee expectations. 🎬 Creativity Is the Default — Sandy unpacks the "curse of knowledge" — the more you become an expert in something, the harder it is to teach beginners. But here's the thing: creativity is our human default. Kids are naturally creative. We train it out of ourselves. Sandy decided to flip that and use humor, trending music, and creative storytelling to make insurance approachable. Videos like her "Bon Jovi unit of measurement" (halfway there!) explain complex claims concepts in a fun and memorable way. 🏫 JPAs and Public Risk Management — Working with school districts across San Bernardino County (the largest county geographically in the US), Sandy manages the complexity of serving districts from the mountains to the desert. Every district has different challenges, no budget for risk management, and someone wearing a "hat on top of a hat" trying to figure it all out. This is the real-world landscape most of our industry works in.💡 The Real Disconnect — Insurance is marketed as a commodity ("buy our insurance because we're cheap!") when it's actually a contractual promise. We don't teach kids about insurance in school. We don't train managers on the basics. We don't talk about it until a claim is filed. And then we wonder why our image suffers. The fix? Start education earlier, communicate more clearly, and invest in your people.💼 What We Could Be Doing Better — Two big opportunities: (1) Train your managers. Over one hundred years in, people still struggle with the concept of a no-fault system. Managers are the first point of contact for injured workers — they need to understand the basics and know that there's no retaliation. (2) Look beyond statutory benefits. A person's life is impacted in many ways outside workers' comp. For example, Sandy says TPAs and carriers could easily provide links to helpful resources, such as posting videos that explain to injured workers how to perform functional tasks with modifications, and adaptive living tips, as well as resources like the Kind Souls Foundation for people who are struggling and need a warm line for support. These are small actions to show we actually care about patient outcomes. And it often costs nothing.📚 Riskfetti Is Here — Sandy (with Angel Guerra) has just released a book called Riskfetti: Risk Management for the Rest of Us. Sandy said, it's intentionally not the War and Peace of risk management — it's the "Go Dog Go" version. Aimed at people in small to mid-sized organizations who have risk responsibilities but no background in insurance. No jargon. No overwhelm. Just what you need to know.Sandy's closing wisdom: > "Creativity is the default for everyone. We just need to remember that."Off the clock: Sandy runs what her husband calls "Birdtown USA" (she's the mayor!) in her backyard — complete with feeders, cameras, and app alerts. She's currently trying to befriend the crows in her neighborhood. Did you know crows are very intelligent and have a structured schedule? When she retires, Sandy says, she's going to be a birder. 🐦Resources Sandy mentioned:Pollack Peacebuilding Systems (a consulting practice)A book called Peaceful Leadership (Available on Amazon) Find Sandy:LinkedIn: Sandy Avina, MBATikTok: @riskinfluencerWebsite: riskinfluencer.orgBook: Riskfetti: Risk Management for the Rest of Us (Available on Amazon)¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp
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    57 分
  • Michael Brennan: Shark Tales

    Michael Brennan: Shark Tales
    2026/05/07

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    Yvonne is joining from her hometown of Bandera, Texas (where the weather can't make up its mind — thirties one day, nineties the next), and Rafael just got back from Chicago. Which is the perfect segue to today's guest — Michael Brennan, Chairman of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, joining us from a snowy Chicago, where, apparently, the high twenties counts as mild. Brrrrrr.

    Highlights of this episode:

    ⚖️ Workers' Comp Is a Right, Not a Giveaway — Michael gets personal here. As the grandson of a permanently disabled worker who received nothing back in the 1920s, he brings a deeply human perspective to why this system matters. Workers' comp protects both the worker and the employer — and that point gets lost far too often.

    🏛️ Inside the Illinois Commission — Illinois is not a fund state. The Commission's role is as an adjudicatory body — they resolve disputes, they don't pay benefits. With over 350 insurance carriers writing workers' comp in Illinois and 500+ self-insured employers, the scale is massive. Michael puts it simply: workers' comp is a $3 billion industry in Illinois alone.

    🤝 Collaboration Is the Secret Sauce — Michael credits a lot of Illinois' progress to building real relationships with the bar, stakeholders, business, labor, and medicine. His philosophy? "When you're throwing rocks at one another, you usually don't get too much done." During COVID, he held monthly calls with 40-50 attorneys to navigate changes together — and it worked.

    📱 The Challenge for the Next Generation — Remote work has changed everything. Michael shared that perhaps younger attorneys and adjusters are missing out on the hallway conversations and organic relationship-building that shaped veterans like Michael. His advice: pick up the phone. Call each other. The technology is there — use it to connect with your colleagues, not just to communicate.

    📄 Going Paperless — and Making It Stick — When Michael came in, the Commission was drowning in paper. His number one goal: go paperless. By April 2021, they had done it system-wide. The bar resisted at first. Then begged for more. Last year, they settled over 30,000 cases and disposed of slightly more cases than were filed new. That reflects a system that's working.

    "Same rules, new set of sharks." — The line that brought Michael Brennan from the attorney general's office, where he was prosecuting medicaid fraud, into the wonderful world of workers' comp. And honestly? It's one of the best descriptions of insurance and law that we've heard.


    Michael's closing thought: "My hope is that by the time I walk out, our workers' compensation system will be in better shape than we found it." Sounds familiar, doesn't it? 😄

    For more information about the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, click here.

    Hasta luego! 👋

    ¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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    50 分