Accidentally by the IAIABC: Recent Episodes
IAIABC
The IAIABC is an international association of workers' compensation regulatory agencies, as well as private sector organizations involved in workers' compensation systems. "Accidentally" by the IAIABC discusses issues and events impacting workers’ compensation systems, providing insights and asking questions to encourage listeners to consider different perspectives on workers’ compensation.
Learn more about the IAIABC staff in this special episode of "Accidentally." With temperatures rising and the sun rays shining, the IAIABC staff put together a playlist of songs that remind them of the summer. Hear from the IAIABC staff as they share why they love the music they added to the playlist.
Want to hear the playlist in full? You can stream the whole playlist on the IAIABC's YouTube channel.
Warning: Playlist contains explicit material.
May in the US is Mental Health Awareness Month. In this episode of "Accidentally" IAIABC Executive Director, Heather Lore, discusses the importance of prioritizing mental health in the workplace. Hear tips from The Society of Human Resource Management as well as personal insights in this episode of the podcast.
The IAIABC NextGen Awards honor talented individuals under the age of 40 who are having a substantial and positive impact on workers' compensation, making a significant difference within their organizations, and leading the industry into the future.
In this episode of "Accidentally" Heather Lore interviews a variety of past NextGen Award winners to glean how winning the award has affected their careers.
Learn more about the IAIABC NextGen Awards by clicking here.
For this episode of "Accidentally," IAIABC Executive Director Heather Lore talks with Andrew Gavrielatos, President of the 23rd Annual World Congress on Safety and Health at Work.
Taking place November 27-30, 2023 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the World Congress will bring together a diverse cross-section of thousands of people to share expertise, insights, ideas, and practical solutions to prevent occupational accidents and diseases that are preventable.
The World Congress program will address issues such as working from home and psychosocial hazards, harassment and bullying at work, occupational disease and mental health risks, artificial intelligence and its uses for safety, robotics, and more. Attendees will also enjoy the chance to meet at koala (safely, of course!).
The IAIABC staff shares what they are most looking forward to at the IAIABC 109th Convention in Denver, CO from September 11-14, 2023.
Don't miss your chance to attend the Convention which brings together more workers' compensation jurisdictional agency leaders than any other conference in North America. Learn more and register here: https://www.iaiabc.org/iaiabc-109th-convention
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has had and will continue to have a profound impact on our everyday lives and within the workers' compensation industry. In this episode of the "Accidentally" Podcast, IAIABC Executive Director, Heather Lore, discusses the benefits and risks that come with the use of AI in workers' compensation and how organizations should be preparing for what's to come.
Violent workplace incidents happen every day. In this episode of the "Accidentally" Podcast, IAIABC Executive Director, Heather Lore, speaks to statistics about workplace violence, workplace violence prevention programs, and how we can learn from and work to reduce these tragedies.
The Workers' Compensation industry is really a service industry. The industry was first started to serve workers and employers. To first prevent injuries and then to support and assist injured workers after the industry occurred.
In this episode, IAIABC Executive Director, Heather Lore, speaks to former IAIABC NextGen Award winners, Alex O'Neal, Amanda Aponte, and Aubrey Chigwada about the importance of service in the Workers' Compensation industry.
The holiday season is upon us! Get to know the IAIABC staff better in this episode of Accidentally, where staff share their favorite holiday traditions from Thanksgiving through the New Year.
In this month's edition of the "Accidentally" podcast, IAIABC Executive Director, Heather Lore, interviews William Massey and Kayla Villegas of the Chief Judge Robert F. Arrigan Rehabilitation Center in Rhode Island.
In their interview, Massey and Villegas discuss the Arrigan Center's unique approach to treating individuals with Rhode Island workers' compensation claims, including discussing the various services that they offer to their patients.
Lisa Anne Bickford (Director - Government Relations, Enlyte - Mitchell | Genex | Coventry) and Brian Allen (Vice President - Governmental Affairs, Enlyte - Mitchell | Genex | Coventry) give a brief teaser on their talk Workers' Compensation Regulatory and Legislative Trends for 2023,which they will deliver at the IAIABC 108th Convention. Register today to get to hear this and many other fascinating sessions!
Vickie Kennedy (VP - Workers' Compensation, Linea Solution), Ryan Guppy (Director - Work Disability Prevention, Linea Solutions) and Jennifer Norleen-Beitel (VP - Operations, Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board) give a brief teaser on their talk Work Disability Prevention and Mitigation: Steps to Transforming Culture,which they will deliver at the IAIABC 108th Convention. Register today to get to hear this and many other fascinating sessions!
Erin Bishop (ADR Supervisor, Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission) intros Leveling the Playing Field, a discussion she will moderate at the IAIABC 108th Convention. Clarence "Bucky" McGill, a civil rights activist will speak followed by a panel discussion with Johnny Mason (Judge, Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation), Anna Hui (Director, Missouri Department of Labor) and Matt West (Deputy Administrator, Oregon Workers' Compensation Division). Register today to get to hear this and many other fascinating sessions!
Dr. Gerry Stanley, SVP & Chief Medical Officer, Harvard MedTech gives a brief teaser on his talk The Innovation Equation which he will deliver at the IAIABC 108th Convention. Register today to get to hear this and many other fascinating sessions!
Dr. Gerry Stanley, SVP & Chief Medical Officer, Harvard MedTech gives a brief teaser on his talk The Innovation Equation which he will deliver at the IAIABC 108th Convention. Register today to get to hear this and many other fascinating sessions!
Hear the top 5 reasons to attend the IAIABC 108th Convention from IAIABC Executive Director, Heather Lore. Learn more about the IAIABC 108th Convention and register now!
The "Accidentally" podcast is back! In her first "Accidentally" podcast, new IAIABC Executive Director Heather Lore introduces herself and thanks the community of difference-makers, risk-takers, advocates, and more who lead the workers' compensation industry and have impacted her career.
Data. It's all around us in different forms. Often, it sits on a server or in the cloud, not given a purpose. While many of the events of the last 2 years have felt like Groundhog's Day, something valuable to come out of this time is the use of more real-time data. Several jurisdictions and organizations have leveraged their considerable data to provide real-time insights and answer pressing questions about the impact of Covid-19 on workers and employers. Jennifer Wolf, former IAIABC Executive Director, joins us for a guest "Accidentally" podcast about the importance of data in workers' compensation, and how it can be harnessed to not only share insights, but provide transparency and accountability.
What is shaping our view of the world? Is it a 270-character tweet? A headline? Or is it a real conversation? Real conversations and opportunities to truly listen to different perspectives are fewer and far between now. However, it is in listening that we can surprise ourselves, learn something new, and find growth. IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf explores the art of listening in her October 2021 "Accidentally" podcast.
IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf reflects on her first day at the IAIABC, September 11, 2001, and the days, weeks, months, and years following for the IAIABC and its members. Out of the tragedy of the events of 9/11, the IAIABC and workers' compensation community came together in support of one another, helping each other get through dark days and stressful times.
Prioritizing self-care is critical to our own mental and physical health. During her August "Accidentally" podcast, Jennifer Wolf discusses the importance of self-care in our daily lives and how we can help others prioritize self-care, including those impacted by an injury at work.
Summer is upon us, and with that often comes extra pool, beach, or road trip time for reading. In a special July 2021 "Accidentally" podcast, the IAIABC Staff share some of their favorite reads with you. What's on your summer reading list?
Join Erin Bishop, Alternative Dispute Resolution Supervisor, and Debbie Blevins, Deputy Commissioner, from the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission for a conversation on why and how diversity and inclusion are important in workers' compensation. Erin and Debbie share their experience confronting challenging truths but developing a strategic plan to make progress on diversity and inclusion at the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission. They provide practical advice for any organization, or individual, looking to begin these important conversations.
Here are some of the resources mentioned:
Caste, Isabella Wilkerson (Book)
Funny in Farsi, Firoozeh Dumas (Book)
Soul (film)
One Night in Miami (film)
Judas and the Black Messiah (film)
Code Switch (NPR Podcast)
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man (Podcast)
IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf and North American Risk Services Vice President Dr. Claire Muselman come together for a discussion about shifting the focus and the power to the people who are helping workers who are injured and employers and ways to give adjusters the freedom to help people who are hurt. This can be transformational not only for those the system serves but also for building process and procedure.
IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf talks with Sandy Shtab, AVP Advocacy and Compliance at Healthesystems, for the IAIABC's "Accidentally" podcast. Jennifer and Sandy have fun digging into social media in the workplace - pros and cons; good practices; the "dark side" of social media; and "thumbs up, thumbs down" on different social platforms.
You can connect with the IAIABC socially on:
- YouTube
IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf shares her belief that we are currently in the "liminal space" - between the before and the after. In a time of transition. For the workers' compensation industry, this has meant many long and difficult conversations about how we're rearranging, rebuilding, and reimagining. This month's podcast digs into this liminal space and discusses some of the areas regulators are looking to reshape.
Jennifer Wolf welcomes to the "Accidentally" podcast Bobby Stokes, an attorney based in Austin, Texas, with more than 30 years of experience in workers' compensation law. Jennifer and Bobby discuss the role presumptions play in workers' compensation, including their role in causation and the costs and benefits for stakeholders. They also dig into presumptions related to Covid-19.
Navigating the pandemic is a very personal undertaking, as IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf shares during the IAIABC December 2020 "Accidentally" podcast. Jennifer shares her own experiences balancing family and work, and how it often does not actually balance. She also discusses the very real issue of the impact the pandemic is having on women in the workforce.
How familiar are you with the history of workers' compensation and occupational safety in the U.S.? During the IAIABC's November "Accidentally" podcast, Jennifer Wolf digs into the history of the Grand Bargain; the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act, passed 50 years ago this December; and champions of early labor rights. Understanding history gives us a lens through which we can look to the future; Jennifer ends the podcast by discussing the future of the Grand Bargain and where we go from here.
Workers' compensation does not exist within a silo. The complex challenges faced by the system are affected by external forces, including the economy, general healthcare, public policy, and the nature of work. Understanding these forces is critical to finding solutions to their impact on workers' compensation. In her July 2020 "Accidentally" podcast, IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf discusses "20 Issues for the New Decade," a presentation she gave during the Central States Association Spring Seminar in June. The discussion is still very relevant, possibly even more so, as Jennifer touches on topics including globalization, the economic forecast, financial insecurity, employment relationships, new ways of work, and healthcare coverage and delivery. Changes are happening rapidly today, and radical rethinking of the every-day is not just possible, but achievable.
In her June 2020 "Accidentally" podcast, IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf shares the mic with her son Edward as they discuss what mom does for work. A 10-year old's insights into what workers' compensation is and how the industry helps people makes us think - and enjoy a smile or two.
Many workers are making impossible choices now, between going to work and risking exposure to COVID-19, or not going to work and experiencing financial distress. The ultimate Catch-22. Jennifer Wolf explores how the workers' compensation system can support these workers by rethinking the rules and taking action. Listen to her May 2020 podcast for thoughts on transparency, coordination, collaboration, and creativity during this challenging time.
Beyond position, experience, and education, the eight recipients of 2019 IAIABC NextGen Awards share at least one common thread: a deep respect for the human impact of a work injury. Jennifer Wolf discusses each of the NextGen recipients, and other common threads... including, even, chickens.
The impact we have on the world can be seen through our service to it. In workers’ compensation, the human element to workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities can often get lost – but it shouldn’t. Jennifer Wolf shares her thoughts on service and how we in the industry, and even we as humans, can make our impact felt.
With conference season hitting its autumn peak, IAIABC executive director Jennifer Wolf shares her reading list, perfect for all that travel time. (Or just sitting outside enjoying the cooler weather and pumpkin spice everything.) With a mix of topics related to work, business, culture, and nature, Jennifer's list is unique, fun, and inspirational. What's on your list? Tweet about it using #IAReads!
Measuring the success of workers' compensation policy is no easy task. Looking at the different industry stakeholder groups, Jennifer Wolf shares her thoughts on metrics that can help define success and foster stability and strength within workers' compensation.
Diversity and inclusion are not just today's management buzz words - we all need to understand their value and work to foster more diverse and inclusive workplaces. IAIABC executive director Jennifer Wolf shares ideas and insights into how the workers' compensation industry can do better during her May 2019 "Accidentally" podcast.
The IAIABC is headed to San Diego, the home of Comic-Con, for our upcoming event: The IAIABC Forum presents CompCon. Inspired by superheroes, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh shares her thoughts on what superpowers the workers' compensation industry needs more of.
During her first "Accidentally" podcast of 2019, Jennifer Wolf takes on medical fee schedules. What do we need to know about them? How could they be improved? What is coming in the future?
In her final "Accidentally" podcast of 2018, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh looks at what issues will shape workers' compensation in 2019, with a focus on policy and administration that may impact how workers' compensation claims are processed and managed. Do you agree with her insights? Disagree? Take a listen hear her thoughts!
Community can be a powerful force, and the IAIABC has worked hard over 104 years to build a strong one. This community is filled not just with individuals and companies, but with colleagues, peers, and friends working together to improve workers' compensation systems. And they work hard. And it is through this hard work that they've developed bonds of friendship and camaraderie that can last a lifetime.
Marketplace contractor bills made a big splash in the U.S. early in 2018. As discussion and awareness of the changing world of work grows, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh shares what you should know about these bills as we head into 2019 and likely more movement on legislation pertaining to gig workers.
Workers' compensation systems need a process to resolve disputes among stakeholders. This is necessary to promote fairness and balance. However, disputes can also create barriers - specifically for injured workers. The podcast reflects on the role judicial performance measures might play in identifying dispute drivers and improving system performance. In the end, it's the role of administrators to strengthen the core to result in better system balance.
Mental illness has touched us all in some way, but we often mask the pain we and those close to us endure. Why do we so often feel we cannot be honest about it? The stigma is real, and so is the impact. In her July "Accidentally" podcast, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh discusses the "masks" of mental illness, and what we as a society can do to de-stigmatize it.
How does workers’ compensation keep itself from being pulled into a black hole of isolation? In her June 2018 “Accidentally” podcast, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh discusses opportunities for collaboration and cooperation on issues such as employer compliance, misclassification, healthcare delivery, return to work, and safety and prevention to help us look outward and into the great beyond.
IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf Horejsh tells a personal story about how her family was confronted with pain and pain pills, and what she learned along the way that has helped clarify her view of opioids in the workers' compensation space. Listen to this month's IAIABC "Accidentally" podcast to hear more.
Air ambulance services have been a topic of growing debate and legal challenges in workers' compensation. ln her March 2018 "Accidentally" podcast, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh examines the recent history of air ambulance services in workers' compensation, current court cases addressing regulatory authority, and what happens from here.
Could universal coverage be the answer for workers' compensation? With injury frequency decreasing (good), premiums are decreasing as well (not good). But another thing that is happening is that with the rise in non-traditional work relationships, there will be fewer people covered by workers' compensation. So what if coverage were universal to workers, not just employees?
In her final "Accidentally" podcast of 2017, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh discusses how we as humans can keep our jobs in the midst of automation, robots, and artificial intelligence moving into today's, and tomorrow's, workplace.
Discussion of portable benefits is picking up steam around the workers' compensation industry. In her November 2017 "Accidentally" podcast, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh examines portable benefits including different program models, the questions portable benefits raise, and what impact they could have on workers' compensation.
A question many in the workers' compensation industry have heard in the last few years is, what are we doing to engage the next generation of leaders? The IAIABC's NextGen initiative sought to respond to that question. In her October 2017 "Accidentally" podcast, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh discusses NextGen and how sharing our stories and thinking differently about how the industry functions is critical to its future,
The role that occupational health and safety programs play in a country's economy and society is a critical one. This is true throughout the world. During the World Congress on Safety and Health in Singapore in early September, it was noted that Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asks to be told about every single occupational fatality that occurs in his country. In her September 2017 podcast, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh discusses the impact of human capital on the economic and social fabric, and how every worker has the right to return to home healthy and safe.
“Innovation is not a project, and it’s not a department. It’s a mindset.” Any of us can be innovators; true innovation comes from looking and thinking outside of our own silos, not being afraid of failure, and being proactive and real-time driven in finding opportunities for improvement. Our school children will enter an entirely different workforce than we’re in today, and workers’ compensation must adapt and innovate to keep up with the changing world of work.
In Part 2 of the Workers' Compensation SWOT, explore the opportunities and threats for workers' compensation systems and what can be done to respond. Part 1 discussing strengths and weaknesses was released on July 19. "Accidentally" can also be found on iTunes!
In Part 1 of her Workers' Compensation SWOT Analysis, Jennifer Wolf Horejsh shares what she sees as strengths and weaknesses with the system and what we can do to respond. Part 2 will be released in 1 week!
Jennifer Wolf Horejsh explores different jurisdictional approaches to handling mental illness seen in workers' compensation. Hear about various statutes and rules, evolving treatments and considerations, and how improving the visibility of these invisible illnesses can ultimately impact injured worker outcomes during June's "Accidentally" podcast.
Linda Yon, a veteran of the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation and one of the leaders in developing the IAIABC's Electronic Data Interchange Program, shares her insights on the EDI Program and where it's heading in the future.
Throughout its history, women have had a powerful influence on workers' compensation. Hear about the impact of strong female leaders such as Frances Perkins in the early 1900s to recent trail blazers of the IAIABC.
The IAIABC's National Conversations brought together hundreds of workers' compensation leaders to discuss if systems are keeping their promise to injured workers and employers. Jennifer Wolf Horejsh shares the outcomes of the National Conversations, and where we go from here.
IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf Horejsh discusses the conversations of 2016 and the hard work ahead to bring about change, which won't happen overnight. She suggests we "take the long view" to make changes that will have a positive impact on workers and employers.
IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf Horejsh shares a holiday story about an elf injured while at work and what Santa learns about metrics to better understand the success (or failure) of workers' compensation systems, including his own at the North Pole.
Kids' Chance provides scholarships and educational opportunities for children of workers seriously injured or killed on the job. Jennifer Wolf Horejsh speaks with Suzanne Emmet, current board member and past president of Kids' Chance of America, about Kids' Chance and the impact it has had on so many children, as well as the positive impact felt by those involved with the organization.
The Department of Labor's report on the state of workers' compensation in the U.S. has the industry talking. Jennifer Wolf Horejsh, IAIABC Executive Director, shares her thoughts on the report and where we go from here.
Large deductible policies, and even "mega" deductible policies, are commonplace in workers' compensation, and it's important to understand how they work and the impact they can have on systems. Hear Jennifer Wolf Horejsh's "Top 10" things to know about large deductible policies.
Glenn Morton, Administrator of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court, shares insights, memories, and perspective on workers' compensation after he heads toward retirement following nearly 30 years at the Court.
Peter Federko, Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board, and Vickie Kennedy, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, discuss the IAIABC paper, Return to Work: A Foundational Approach to Return to Function, and how it can be used to encourage engaging in return to work activities by various stakeholder groups.
Jennifer gets back to the "greater purpose" of workers' compensation during this "Accidentally" podcast. How do we get through all the noise in the industry today to see the basic premise of workers' compensation?
IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf Horejsh discusses recruiting and preparing the next generation for rewarding careers in workers' compensation.
The sharing economy will have a drastic impact on workers' compensation. What strategies and policies can be implemented to address these evolving employment relationships?
Discussion of the 1972 National Commission and its relevance to workers' compensation programs in 2015.