WRNW Prevennovate Podcast: Recent Episodes
Work Right NW
Prevennovate - Where prevention & innovation collide to bring us best practices and the most recent evidence based programs to keep the industrial athlete safe and injury free.
Dr. Mark Testa has been involved in holistic and integrative musculoskeletal healthcare since the early ’90s as a chiropractor and acupuncturist. He’s been involved in many business areas of Regenexx for over 10 years. Mark is a natural healthcare geek, interested in fitness, fasting, and health longevity.
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Topics addressed in this episode:
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The difference between PRP and bone marrow concentrate treatments and how are they used
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How PRP or bone marrow concentrate treatments are driving down employer group costs
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Impacts of conservative treatments on indirect labor costs
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Employer group identification for benefits of PRP or bone marrow concentrate treatments
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The best conditions for treatment success with intervention
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The next innovations in the health and safety industry
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The importance of considering non-operative procedures
Links:
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktesta-dc-mha/
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https://regenexxcorporate.com/
Tracy Stendardo has over 20 years of experience in Safety, Health, and Claims management. Tracy is the Vice President of Risk Control for Captive Resources. Her responsibilities include organizing and overseeing the safety and loss prevention services for over 500 member companies. She provides quality assurance on the delivery of safety/loss prevention and claims management services while building and maintaining relationships between members, service providers, and consultants. Tracy is responsible for organizing and facilitating Risk and Claims workshops for her members, and to date, has put together over 25 successful workshops. Before joining Captive Resources, she was a Regional Safety Manager for Pepsico Frito-Lay and a Safety Consultant for Exel Logistics.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- Innovations with Impact - embracing a culture to develop new ideas along with the patience to try
- Impact of engaged leadership
- Innovations that impact Captive membership
- The Great Resignation - Hiring Trends
- How the younger generation works differently
- The Future of Innovations - Wearables and VR/AR Technology
Dr. Ali Alhimiri of Modus
Founder, CEO, CMO at Modus
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician (Doctor of Function) who has been providing cost-effective, high quality care to thousands of patients in Southeast Michigan since 2002. His experience in treating patients with pain and loss of function led directly to the development of MODUS, a patented value-based digital health technology that enables employers to find, rate and reward physicians who serve patients’ and employers’ best interests.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- How to get better care when people are injured
- Understanding how to integrate prevention into our current fee for service model
- Addressing “healthcare” instead of “sick care”
- Understanding the extremes of payment models in the current healthcare system
- The dangers of physicians using fear factors to guide healthcare
- Why there is often more volume of treatment in occupational settings and how this incentivizes physicians
- How Modus uses publicly held data to find a trust score for doctors, minimize poor outcomes, and higher expenses
Links:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-alhimiri-md-42b2b915/
- https://www.modus.org/
Jonathan Parnell, SVP of product development, and Zach Parnell, CEO of Industrial Training International (ITI), talk with us on innovation within training, specifically in regards to crane and rigging training using Virtual Reality (VR). ITI was founded in 1986 and is one of Inc5000 fastest growing companies in 2020. They were awarded the Liberty Mutual Safety Innovation Award in construction for their VR Construction Hazard ID platform. They regularly collaborate with some of the largest players in the construction space including Bechtel and Kiewit, among others. Whether or not you or your company has a need for training within the crane and rigging space, the discussion on the utilization of VR in the workplace setting is going to be of benefit. As Jonathan and Zack mention within this episode, there are pro’s and con’s to using VR for training but when done right, the pros far outweigh the cons. While compliance is paramount, employers are not looking at just checking a box. They are looking for their employees to be competent at what they are doing. Ensuring that the skills are in place is necessary before putting workers on a job site. A multiple-choice test is not going to give workers the skills they need.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- VR used for training within the industrial workplace
- Why skill training outweighs compliance training
- Ability to remotely train with skills-building using VR
- The pitfalls with using VR
- Consider the problem first instead of the initiative
- What other aspects to consider when thinking about implementing VR for training
Links:
- https://www.iti.com/
- Jonathan Parnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-parnell/
- Zack Parnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackparnell/
Kyle Sela, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS is a physical therapist from Sun Valley, ID who practices at Zenergy Sports Rehab at Zenergy Health Club and Spa. Kyle is also co-owner of Movement Guides, Inc., the functional training program creator for Pivot by Kristin Armstrong in the Boise, ID area, and leading the charge for Work Right NW's Tactical Athlete Platform.
Kyle is an Army/Baylor DPT Program graduate and has served on Active Duty for 7 years as a physical therapist in the US Army. Following the Army, he completed a sports medicine fellowship in the Management of Division I Athletes at Duke University. After completing his fellowship Kyle moved to Boise where he was clinic manager and director of St. Luke's sports physical therapy residency program and the sports medicine program in general.
While in Boise, Kyle co-founded Movement Guides, Inc which aims to help improve people move and feel through unique pieces of equipment and education. He was also the strength coach and physical therapist for Kristin Armstrong in the 14 months leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympic games as she trained for and eventually won her 3rd straight gold medal in the cycling time trial.
We talk with Kyle about his experience within the sports setting and how this has shaped his passion for helping the "tactical athlete", what he has learned from professional athletes about injury prevention for everybody, and why he doesn't like a traditional stretching program. During the conversation, we also dive into how all of this plays into prevention for the industrial athlete and the tactical athlete.
Topics Addressed:
- Common myths of a tactical athlete or professional athlete compared to the average individual
- Is stretching an essential piece of a prevention program?
- The importance of addressing symmetry of movement instead of counting on a stretching routine to solve mobility problems
- Common movement errors in the shoulder and hips that most people have
- Kyle’s learning experience with gold metal athletes and the importance of strength conditioning into the opposite direction
- How to duplicate an athletic trainer or injury prevention specialist with simple tools
Links:
- https://movementguides.com/
- https://www.pivotbyka.com/
- https://www.tacticalathleteprogram.com/
Rachael Cooper
Email: rachael.cooper@nsc.org
Contact phone: 630-373-7981
At the National Safety Council, Rachael Cooper manages the multi-level Opioids at Work initiative, helping employers understand the role they play in the opioid epidemic. She assists employers as they ensure their employees and workplaces are safe and supported throughout any experiences they have with opioids, opioid use disorder, and overdose.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- Keeping workplaces safe in regards to substance use disorder
- 2020 NSC goals: Helping employers implement opioid recommendations from the 2019 updated “tool kit”
- How substance use recently has impacted with workplace
- Substance use calculator and effect on finances, absenteeism, health care cost
- Beyond 2020: The general substance use conversations...outside of opioids
- The expectations of marijuana use in states that have legalized the substance
- There is no impairment test for cannabis, so what to do?
- Where NSC medical professionals fit into the prevention of opioid use
- How do we tackle a culture of trust & support in prevention for substance abuse?
- Rachel’s 2 takeaways on stereotypes & stigmas
Links:
- Opioid work tool kit NSC: https://safety.nsc.org/rxemployerkit
- https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-topics/drugs-at-work
- https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-topics/coronavirus/mental-health-and-wellbeing
Matthew Marino PT, MSPT, CPE, CSCS, TSAC-F
Director of Ergonomic Factors at Hero Wear
Email: mmarino@herowearllc.com
Matthew Marino graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Science and a Masters in Physical Therapy. He is a Certified Professional Ergonomist and is also an expert in the fields of Human Performance Optimization and Rehabilitation. Currently, he is the Director of Ergonomics and Human Factors for HeroWear LLC, an exoskeleton company based in Nashville, TN. This spring HeroWear is set to release a commercial version of their wearable device that will help reduce back strain and fatigue to sustain strength in workers who perform hard physical labor. Matt has experience providing consulting services for clients in a wide array of industries and has expertise in the design, testing and implementation of exoskeleton and wearable sensor technologies in clinical and workplace environments. He has been an active member of the ASTM F48 Committee on Exoskeletons and Exosuits since its 2017 inception, and he is a founding partner of the new ASTM Exo Technology Center of Excellence. In his role at HeroWear, Matt is able to use his education, training and experience with wearable technology to revolutionize workplace safety, comfort and performance.
Topics Addressed:
- What are exoskeletons? How do they assist with physical activity?
- The 4 exoskeleton domains: occupational, medical, military, recreational
- Where exoskeletons are used in the industry?
- Can exoskeletons be used for the jobs that cannot be re-designed like overhead work?
- The importance of designing tools intended to assist in safety and not productivity.
- Are there unintended consequences to using exoskeletons?
- The most impactful ways that we can influence people in the workplace-can it all be fixed with wearable tech?
- Why this technology is so important to develop for the benefit of the “end user” (the individual who will benefit from its use).
- Matthew’s personal passion project on exoskeletons and what has driven him to invest so heavily in exoskeletons.
Links:
- linkedin.com/in/matthew-marino-26903997
- https://herowearexo.com/
Greg Stone
Founder, GMS Leadership Consulting
Greg Stone, the founder of GMS Leadership Consulting, is a medical graduate from the University of Sydney, Australia, and a specialist in both Internal and Occupational Medicine.
His career in occupational medicine evolved into broader general management roles in Australia and subsequently the US.
He became the health and safety director for a global automotive company for 16 years followed by the learning and development leader for manufacturing for 3 more years.
Since retiring from full-time roles, he has consulted in multiple organizations and industries on health and safety leadership, leadership coaching, and development.
His focus is on leadership capability, employee engagement, and system integrity.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- The importance of effective leadership within a safety program
- Greg Stone’s 5 C’s of leadership
- How a crisis can create more cohesion if you lead it right
- How early intervention can help with injury prevention
- The barriers to success within health and safety
- What you can do this week to begin to change your safety culture
Links:
Linked in profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgregstone/
Jason Townsell
Vice President, Safety Health and Environment
Jason Townsell is Vice President of SH&E for the Connected Communities Market at Centreville, Virginia-based Parsons Corporation, a digitally enabled solutions provider in the defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure markets with 2019 revenues exceeding $4 billion. Jason is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and holds a master’s degree in occupational safety and health as well as a bachelor’s degree in fire science. Jason was recognized as a Rising Star of Safety by the National Safety Council in 2014 and a Future Leader of EHS by EHS Today Magazine in 2010. He has served as consultant, team and program leader, and lead instructor on projects and programs of varying scopes and sizes.
As Parsons’ Vice President of SH&E in the Connected Communities Market, Jason collaborates with business market leaders and program SH&E professionals to ensure work on all business market programs conforms to the corporate strategy for business market program performance excellence. Parsons was most recently rewarded the prestigious Robert W. Campbell Award in 2019 under his leadership.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- How crisis management been utilized at Parsons
- 2019 Campbell Award and the valuable learning experience along the way
- Jason’s position on leadership within SH&E and how crucial it is to lead well
- Jason’s recommendations for successful integration between safety & operations
- What you can apply within your SH&E department today to improve safety culture & community
Links:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasontownsellcsp/
- Twitter: @TownsellJason
Rachel Walla, CSP Safety Consultant at Ally Safety Rachel Walla, CSP, is an experienced safety professional who believes that innovation can change the industry. As an industrial safety and health consultant, she has worked to help businesses improve employee safety, create a positive company safety culture, and achieve OSHA compliance.
Rachel’s goal is to make safety simple, engaging, and accessible by using innovative technologies and a relatable approach. Topics:
What are companies doing well in regards to safety What are companies doing wrong in regards to safety Why consistency in training is essential How using innovation with safety training can help drive retention How data can help if we use it to tell a story Why investing in individuals can help translate to better safety Rachel’s tips for simple ways to look at safety effectiveness
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-walla-csp-80957163/ https://allysafety.com/
Dr. Andrew Ronchi, PhD
CEO dorsaVi
Introduction:
Andrew’s background includes 20 years of clinical experience in building private practice physical therapy centers, collaborating with large corporations in workplace health, and with elite sporting groups. Prior to co-founding dorsaVi, Andrew completed a PhD in Computer and Systems Engineering, investigating the reliability and validity of using wearable sensors to measure complex human movement, muscle activity, and load on the body.
In Andrew’s role as CEO for dorsaVi, his passion continues to be developing new human movement technology applications and commercializing them to optimize movement and productivity, improve health, and reduce injuries in the workplace.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- Proactive vs reactive medicine
- Wearable technology within the workplace and how this contributes to injury prevention as well as proactive wellness education
- Overcoming barriers with wearable technology in the workplace
- Key steps to success with wearable technology
- What does the future of innovation within wearable technology look like in the workplace
Links:
- https://www.dorsavi.com/
Dr. Richard Susek, PhD, CSP, MPH, CPE
Tim Cook Associate Professor at Auburn University
Dr. Susek holds a PHD in Mechanical Engineering focusing on Ergonomics and Safety, as well as a Masters in Public Health from the University of Utah. He has been a faculty member of the famed Auburn Industrial & Systems Engineering Department since 2009 & holds the prestigious title of "Tim Cook Professor" at Auburn University. He is also a certified professional ergonomist with a passion for industrial ergonomics, human factors, engineering psychology, as well as ergonomic modeling. He has published over 40 times and has been a linchpin on the national speaking circuit - presenting on topics from Ergonomic Modeling to Respecting People in Lean Operations, just to name a few!
Topics addressed in this episode:
- Leading through innovation in the ergonomics and occupational safety setting and what that really means
- Why we need to incorporate overall physical and mental health into safety and the relationship between this to injury prevention in the work setting.
- The barriers he has experienced implementing wearable technology in the workplace
- What does “AI: Artificial Intelligence” mean for the workplace
- What psychosocial awareness means to injury prevention in the workplace
- What he believes are the biggest opportunities for impact in the workplace in the next 5 years.
Links:
Michael Kirschner, Ergonomist at Tesla
Michael joined the Tesla team in November of 2015. He brings industry experience from Honda of Indiana and Hyundai of Alabama that he uses to solve complex manufacturing issues throughout Tesla operations. Michael manages a team of ergonomists that take a proactive approach to mitigate risk by getting ahead of design and collaborating with engineering teams to ensure human first principles are part of the design criteria, not just an afterthought.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- Overview of upcoming Tesla growth
- Significant changes within the ergonomic field: VR, AR, Video capture and impact on assessment
- Motion capture systems and sensors for postural coaching
- Collaboration of engineering and ergonomics to optimize human performance and efficiency
- Speaking the same language and building credibility with the engineering groups to make big impacts within production and injury prevention
- Why every company should consider integrating an ergonomist into its processes
- Job rotation may not always be the answer as a safety control and perspectives to consider
- How ergonomics support a holistic health and wellness program
- Key insights & where the field is going
Links:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kirschner-33157244/
Emily Whitcomb joined the National Safety Council in January of 2014 as a Research Associate, conducting evaluations for community, transportation, and workplace injury prevention programs. In 2016, Emily joined the Advocacy Department to launch the fatigue initiative, focused on reducing fatigue-related incidents and injuries in the workplace. Recently, in 2019, Emily joined the Safety Education, Training, & Services Department as the Director of the Work to Zero Initiative. Work to Zero is focused on identifying promising technological innovations for eliminating workplace fatalities in our lifetime. Emily has a Masters of Public Health from the University of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois.
Topics addressed in this episode:
- Work to Zero initiative
- NSC initiatives such as Fatigue, My car does what, Road to Zero, Work to Zero
- White paper on Fatigue and upcoming white paper on Work to Zero
- Solutions to problems and risks in the workplace using innovation and technology
- Best practices to changing workplace injury risks: culture
Links:
- Emily Whitcomb: emily.whitcomb@nsc.org
- Work to Zero: https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-topics/work-to-zero
- Safety topics: Fatigue https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-topics/fatigue
- NSC white paper on fatigue: https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-topics/fatigue/research/fatigue-white-paper
- NSC Work to Zero summit: https://www.eiseverywhere.com/website/5758/work-to-zero-summit-2/
- My car does what? https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/tools-resources/my-car-does-what