Talking Wisely: The Wisedocs Podcast: Recent Episodes
Wisedocs
Connor Atchison, Founder and CEO of Wisedocs, and Jenna Earnshaw, Head of Revenue and Growth at Wisedocs, host industry experts across insurance, medical, legal, medicolegal, and independent medical evaluation firms to share about trends in the industry.
We’re continuing Season 3 of Talking Wisely, Wisedocs’ podcast where we explore the evolving intersection of AI, innovation, and transformation across the insurance, claims, workers’ compensation, and insurtech sectors.
Fresh off our joint AI Governance webinar,Les Shute, AIGP, President of Kairos Kinetics and one of the industry’s leading voices in ethical AI deployment joins host Connor Atchison, Founder and CEO of Wisedocs to dig deeper into how insurers and claims organizations can move beyond experimentation and begin building trustworthy, defensible AI systems that actually improve outcomes. With more than 30 years of experience, and recent leadership as Product Owner for Generative AI at Gallagher Bassett, Les brings a uniquely holistic perspective to how AI can be implemented responsibly, securely, and at scale.
In this episode, Connor and Les explore:
- How AI adoption is accelerating, and the biggest risks and opportunities emerging in claims and workers’ comp
- Why many organizations struggle to move AI SaaS solutions from proof-of-concept to production
- What leaders can do right now to ensure their AI initiatives remain responsible, compliant, and scalable
Tune in for a candid and insightful discussion with one of the most knowledgeable voices in the industry on how to design AI systems that are not only innovative, but also ethical, resilient, and defensible in real-world claims environments.
About Les Shute
Les Shute, AIGP is the President of Kairos Kinetics and a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience transforming the workers’ compensation and insurance industries through innovation and technology. Having served as Product Owner for Generative AI at Gallagher Bassett, Les led initiatives that aligned AI strategy with scalable business solutions and practical implementation. Passionate about leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive efficiency and better outcomes, he specializes in strategic initiatives that enhance claims management, operational performance, and digital transformation. A recognized thought leader, Les champions ethical AI governance, collaboration, and continuous learning to shape the future of claims management, risk mitigation, and patient care.
We’re continuing Season 3 of Talking Wisely, Wisedocs’ podcast where we explore the future of AI, innovation, and transformation across the insurance, claims, legal, and insurtech sectors with the leaders shaping what comes next.
In this episode, host Connor Atchison, Founder and CEO of Wisedocs, sits down with Finn Magee, CEO of Insurtech Canada and one of the rising voices in Canadian insurance innovation. With a background at Crawford & Company, Finn brings a unique blend of hands-on industry experience and visionary leadership to Canada’s insurtech ecosystem. Together, Connor and Finn unpack the momentum driving Canada’s insurance innovation landscape and the critical role ecosystem builders like Insurtech Canada play in connecting insurers, startups, and investors.
In this episode, they dive into:
- The biggest opportunities—and gaps—in the current Canadian insurance ecosystem
- The evolving collaboration model between carriers and insurtechs
- Responsible AI adoption as insurers accelerate automation and generative AI initiatives
- Practical advice for startups and insurance leaders trying to stay competitive in a rapidly shifting market
Tune in now for a forward-looking conversation on the future of Canada’s insurance innovation ecosystem, and what it will take for carriers and startups alike to thrive in the next wave of industry transformation.
About Finn Magee
Finn Magee is the CEO of Insurtech Canada, leading national efforts to accelerate innovation across the insurance ecosystem. Finn brings with him experience from Crawford & Company, where he focused on claims operations, technology, and process improvement. Recognized as one of the industry’s rising leaders, he brings a strong blend of claims expertise and insurtech insight to bridging insurers, startups, and investors across Canada.
We’re continuing Season 3 of Talking Wisely, Wisedocs’ podcast where we unpack the future of AI, innovation, and education in claims with leading experts, thought leaders, and industry innovators across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
In this episode, host Connor Atchison, Founder and CEO of Wisedocs, sits down with Donald A. Abrams, PA , Founder and CEO of Clinical Compensation Consultants and Executive Vice President of Business Development at Work Comp College.
Together, they explore how education, upskilling, and emerging technologies like AI are shaping the next generation of workers’ compensation professionals. From addressing the loss of experienced adjusters to bridging the gap between claims, legal, and technology, Donald shares how the industry can adapt through continuous learning and human-centered innovation.
In this episode, Donald and Connor discuss:
- Why education in workers’ compensation is more critical than ever amid AI adoption and talent shortages
- How upskilling claims professionals with AI tools impacts outcomes for injured workers and employers
- Trends in regulatory compliance and professional development shaping the future of claims
- The role of community-driven learning and “soft skills” in supporting whole-person recovery management
Tune in now for a timely conversation on how education, technology, and empathy intersect to build a stronger, more agile and human-centric workers’ compensation ecosystem.
About Donald A. Abrams, PA
Donald A. Abrams, PA is a 1977 graduate of the Albany Medical College Physician Assistant program, specializing in and actively practicing orthopedic surgery for more than 15 years. Overseeing several exceptionally successful start-ups, Mr. Abrams has established himself as a leader in cost containment strategies for the workers compensation professional. Now celebrating his tenth year with Clinical Compensation Consultants, Mr. Abrams has participated and spoken at hundreds of local, regional and national educational conferences on a multipole of topics germane to the workers comp professional. Additionally, Mr. Abrams has presented a number of webinar-based lectures endorsed for continuing education credits by the Texas Department of Insurance. Described as an excellent and passionate speaker, Mr. Abrams continues to strive to deliver each of the workers’ compensation professional he is honored to provide services to the level of expertise that best serves all participants in the workers’ compensation system. You may visit Don’s corporate website at comp-consultants.com.
We’re back with Season 3 of Talking Wisely, Wisedocs' podcast where we unpack the future of AI and innovation in claims with leading experts, thought leaders, and industry innovators across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
To kick things off, host Connor Atchison, CEO and Co-Founder of Wisedocs sat down with Denys Linkov, Head of Machine Learning at Wisedocs, for a candid conversation about what’s real (and what’s hype) when it comes to AI in insurance.
From the ethics of automation to the technical challenges of working with sensitive medical and legal data, Denys breaks down:
- Why explainability and transparency matter more than ever
- How to reduce bias and risks in enterprise claims AI systems
- What the future looks like when humans and machines work side by side
- And much more
Tune in now for a tech-driven look at how real AI innovation happens in claims while remaining grounded in clinical expertise, ethics, and accuracy.
About Denys Linkov
Denys Linkov is the Head of ML at Wisedocs and startup advisor. He's worked with 50+ enterprises in their AI journey, is a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto and his Gen AI courses have helped 200,000+ learners build key skills through LinkedinLearning. He's worked across the AI product stack, being hands-on building key ML systems, managing product delivery teams, and working directly with customers on best practices.
Welcome to the second season of Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely! Our hosts and Wisedocs' Co-Founders, Connor Atchison, CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, COO, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
In this episode, we spoke with hosts of the Re/Imagine Podcast, Laura Dinan Haber, Innovation Brand Director, and Paul Tyler, Former Chief Marketing Officer of the Nassau Financial Group. Laura and Paul discussed changes and trends they’ve noticed in the Insurtech industry, how to balance AI compliance and safety in organizations, the digital transformation taking place in the insurance sector and more. Tune in to also hear their advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals interested in entering the insurtech space.
About Paul Tyler & Laura Dinan-Haber
Paul Tyler: As the former CMO of Nassau, Paulled the marketing strategy, digital sales channel and innovation activity at Nassau Financial Group. Paul has vast experience driving branding of insurance companies and affiliated asset management companies. In addition, he launched Nassau Re/Imagine, an insurtech focused incubator based in Hartford, Connecticut. Prior to his role at Nassau Financial Group, he worked at Fidelity and Guaranty Life and MetLife in a variety of roles in strategy, marketing, operations, technology, sales, and compliance.
Laura Dinan Haber: Laura serves as Innovation Brand Director for Nassau Financial Group’s insurtech incubator, Nassau Re/Imagine. She drives community and industry collaboration and sources innovative partnerships for the company. Prior to her role at Nassau Financial Group, she worked at the MetroHartford Alliance, the City of Hartford’s Chamber of Commerce and the region’s economic development leader, in a variety of investor relations and marketing roles. She also serves as co-organizer of TEDxHartford.
Socials:
- Laura Dinan Haber's LinkedIn
- Paul Tyler’s LinkedIn
- The Re/Imagine Podcast
- Nassau Re/Imagine LinkedIn
- Nassau Re/Imagine Instagram
- Nassau Re/Imaging Twiter/X
Welcome to the second season of Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely! Our hosts and Wisedocs' Co-Founders, Connor Atchison, CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, COO, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
In this episode, we spoke with Aaron Wenner, co-founder of CiteRight and Chief Strategy Officer of Jurisage, about their merger with Jurisage AI and using large language models (LLMs) for streamlining legal research and case law. Aaron, a lawyer turned tech founder, shares his excitement about automating litigation work while keeping lawyers in control. We discuss how this partnership is revolutionizing their company, their success as semi-finalists at the 2023 ABA Techshow, and the impact of Canadian LegalTech in the market. Learn about the rapid development of AI, its promising use cases in the legal sector, and how AI will enhance efficiency without taking over jobs. Aaron also shares with us his journey into tech and valuable lessons learned as a founder.
About Aaron Wenner
Aaron Wenner is the co-founder of CiteRight and the Chief Strategy Officer of Jurisage. A lawyer and self-taught coder, he holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University, a Master of Arts from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Civil Law and Common Law from McGill University. Currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, Aaron was also a Senior Editor of the McGill Law Journal and an Associate Editor of the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citations. Aaron is a frequent speaker on technology in the justice system.
Socials:
- CiteRight Twitter/X
- CiteRight LinkedIn
- CiteRight Instagram
- CiteRight Website
Welcome to the second season of Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely! Our hosts and Wisedocs' Co-Founders, Connor Atchison, CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, COO, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
In today’s episode, we explore how attorneys can find and work with medical experts to build stronger cases. Our guest, Seth Lefberg, Founder & CEO of Homestead Medical Experts, discusses the importance of effective communication and coordination in this process. We delve into the challenges attorneys face, the crucial role of expert witnesses, and how technology is making it easier to find credible experts. Tune in to learn how expert witnesses can shape medical malpractice cases and provide essential insights for both sides.
About Seth Lefberg:
Seth Lefberg is the Founder and CEO of Homestead Medical Experts. During the 10 years as a business administrator for medical practices, Seth successfully helped multiple individual doctors with the foundation and infrastructure to perform medical legal services. After 8 years of being in business, He and his team have worked on thousands of cases while also recruiting twice as many trusted experts to their database. As a former medical administrator, his understanding of the day-to-day events of a medical professional helped structure Homestead’s support services.
Homestead Medical Experts: HME connects experienced, quality medical expert witnesses with attorneys in need of their knowledge. With every referral, a dedicated case manager is assigned to facilitate communication and work diligently with the experts to ensure all case work is completed and deadlines are met. HME offers support across the entire process from finding medical experts to fighting medical malpractice cases. They offer expert witnesses, IMEs, nurse services, and background checks.
Socials:
- Homestead Medical Experts LinkedIn
- Homestead Medical Experts Facebook
Welcome to the second season of Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely! Our hosts and Wisedocs' Co-Founders, Connor Atchison, CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, COO, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
In this episode, we spoke with Lorie Graham, the Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for American Agricultural Insurance Company and the Chair of RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Management Council about Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and its significance for businesses today. We explore how ERM impacts workers' compensation and its evolution over time. Learn about the importance of understanding the evolving world and addressing these changes with ERM, promoting a risk-aware culture, and what will shape the future of risk management. We also discuss how AI can be leveraged for risk management, with insights on AI security and its tremendous opportunities for the industry.
About Lorie Graham
Lorie Graham is the Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for American Agricultural Insurance Company (AmericanAg™) and the Chair of RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Management Council. Lorie has over 30 years of experience in underwriting, risk management, and research. She is a frequent presenter at insurance industry events on ERM and emerging trends. She currently serves as Chair of the RIMS Strategic Enterprise Risk Management Council and serves as Chair for the IASA Program Planning Committee.
Socials:
- Lorie Graham’s LinkedIn
- RIMS The Risk Management Society
- RIMS ERM Conference
Welcome to the second season of Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely! Our hosts and Wisedocs' Co-Founders, Connor Atchison, CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, COO, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
In this episode, we dive into the world of impairment and disability evaluation with our guest, Chris Brigham, an expert in medicolegal assessment and independent medical evaluations (IME). Chris shares his extensive experience and discusses how AI is revolutionizing the industry. We explore his mission to improve healthcare, prevent needless disability, and collaborate with AI organizations for better outcomes.
About Chris Brigham
Chris Brigham, MD, is a renowned expert in the medicolegal domain, leveraging more than five decades of experience to harness the power of information technologies to provide exceptional virtual learning experiences and improve the quality and efficiency of professional services. His involvement in artificial intelligence and computer-assisted instruction started five decades ago while he was at the Laboratory of Computer Sciences at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He earned his Medical Degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has a Master of Medical Science from Rutgers Medical School, and holds a Certificate in Human Resources Management.
Chris is Board Certified in Occupational Medicine (ABPM) and is a Fellow of the American College of Occupational Environmental Medicine and the International Academy of Independent Medical Evaluators. His prolific academic contributions include over 300 peer-reviewed publications and several books. He is Senior Contributing Editor for the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition, and Editor of the AMA Guides Newsletter and Casebook. He founded eMedicoLegal, providing high-quality learning experiences, and hosts several websites focusing on medicolegal issues.
Socials:
- Brigham & Associates, Inc.
- eMedicoLegal
- Chris Brigham’s Twitter/X
- Chris Brigham’s LinkedIn
Welcome to Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely and our very first season and episode! Our hosts, Connor Atchison, Wisedocs' Founder and CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, Wisedocs' Head of Revenue, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
About Nancy Germond:
Nancy Germond is a second-generation insurance professional and the Executive Director, Risk Management and Education, for the Independent Agents & Brokers of America Nancy has written scores of risk-management related articles and is a frequent conference presenter on topics ranging from surviving the claims audit to managing emerging talent risks. She is the author of Workers’ Compensation in Two Hours: The Business Owner’s Guide to an Exceptional Workers’ Compensation Program.
Nancy was the first risk manager for the City of Prescott, Arizona, the claims manager for The Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance Programs and the Risk and Claims Manager for the Missouri Auto Dealers’ Association.
Nancy holds a B.A. in communication and a master’s degree in sociology. She earned the Associate in Risk Management designation, the Associate in Claims designation, the Insurance Training Professional certification, and holds two Senior Human Resource Professional designations.
Welcome to Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely and our very first season and episode! Our hosts, Connor Atchison, Wisedocs' Founder and CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, Wisedocs' Head of Revenue, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
About Artemis Emslie
With 25 years of experience in both the workers’ compensation and group
health industries, Artemis Emslie brings a multi-dimensional perspective to the complex issues facing pharmacy benefit management (PBM) clients.
As the former CEO of myMatrixx, Artemis led the strategic growth of the company from a regional PBM focused on small to medium-sized clients to an industry leader with a national client base. Artemis was also the founder ProspeRx Solutions, an auditing firm for workers’ compensation insurance providers where she provided pharmacy program review, RFP management, vendor management and negotiation, and consulting services to several blue-chip clients.
Artemis founded and currently serves on the executive board of the Alliance of Women in Workers’ Compensation, a think tank committed to sharing ideas and mentoring tomorrow’s industry leaders. She is also serving on the board of directors for Paradigm Outcomes and Ametros as well as on the advisory boards for the Committee for Economic Development (Washington, D.C.), Business Insurance magazine, Kids’ Chance, WorkCompCentral’s Comp Laude Awards, and the American Heart Association Circle of Red.
Welcome to Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely and our very first season and episode! Our hosts, Connor Atchison, Wisedocs' Founder and CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, Wisedocs' Head of Revenue, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
About Kristi Baird:
Kristi has over 15 years of experience in the IME and Medicolegal Industries. Before launching Axis Administrative Services, she worked for a large national IME vendor, started and ran a business providing services to medical consultants and was a Co-founder and President of Northwest Medical Experts, Inc., a first in kind vendor providing specialized IME services exclusively to the medicolegal community. She has a passion for the industry and strives to use her knowledge and experience to improve processes and make changes that will ultimately bring the cost down and the service level up for all parties involved.
Welcome to Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely and our very first season and episode! Our hosts, Connor Atchison, Wisedocs' Founder and CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, Wisedocs' Head of Revenue, have engaging conversations every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.
About Rick Taketa:
Rick Taketa is an established voice in Insurtech and Health Care, he serves on the board for Palomar Specialty Insurance Company (NASDAQ: PLMR), Veritone (NASDAQ: VERI), AEON Biopharma, and Obsidian Insurance Company. Prior to that he was at York Risk Services Group. York was a premier provider of risk management, claims administration, managed care and absence management solutions. It was acquired by Sedgwick in 2019. His career started in private equity. He did his undergrad at Colgate and his JD at Stanford.
Our Guest Today is JJ Schmidt, he is a consultant with three decades of experience in the Property and Casualty insurance industry; he has gained extensive expertise in operations, managed care, analytics, information technology, project management, offshoring and outsourcing, and strategic marketing.
He has numerous senior leadership positions at insurance carriers, third-party administrators as well as managed care organizations. In addition, he has presented at numerous industry and academic conferences on healthcare, workers' compensation, telemedicine, analytics, technology, and innovation.
JJ earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Catholic University of America and a Master of Business Administration from St. Thomas University. Recently he completed his Ph.D.in Information Systems and Business Analytics from Florida International University, with research focusing on technology-enabled decision-making tools and how they can influence choices in healthcare and insurance decisions.
Our guest today is Joe Paduda, president of CompPharma, a consortium of workers' comp Pharmacy Benefit Management companies. It's a great chat talking through a lot of the issues in the industry today.
Welcome to Wisedocs' podcast Talking Wisely and our very first season and episode! In this introductory episode of the Talking Wisely Podcast, hosts Connor Atchison, Wisedocs' Founder and CEO, and Jenna Earnshaw, Wisedocs' Head of Revenue, have a discussion about the shifting landscape of the insurance industry and Wisedocs. They cover topics from the founding story, the customer and industry challenges with medical records, how claimants are impacted by new technology, and what to expect from Wisedocs for the rest of 2022. Wisedocs is the smart way to review medical records. Tune in to Talking Wisely for NEW episodes every other Monday to hear from great leaders who encounter medical records across the insurance, legal, medical, medicolegal, and insurtech sectors.