LIVE: 2025 FL Bar And WCCP WC Forum Deconstructing Comp podcast

41:37

Send us a text In this episode, Yvonne Guibert catches up with Nelson Gonzalez, Executive Director - Florida, Rehab Without Walls® NeuroSolutions, and they talk about Return to Work. In the workers' compensation system, a return-to-work (RTW) policy or program helps injured or ill employees safely and efficiently return to work. The goal or purpose is to minimize downtime, reduce costs, and maintain employee skills and productivity. Join the conversation to hear Nelson's perspective on why RTW programs are so essential, why some RTW programs fall short, what a good RTW program should include, and more. Companies and resources mentioned during this episode include: Rehab Without Walls® - https://www.rehabwithoutwalls.com/ ReEmployability - https://www.reemployability.com/ Bag of Happies - https://bagofhappies.com/ ¡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…

1
Joseph Sousa: California Love 49:14

26 days ago49:14

49:14

Send us a text In this episode, Yvonne and Rafael chat with Joseph Sousa , Workers' Compensation Program Manager for the City of San Diego. In our conversation, we learn from the perspective of a self-insured, self-administered workers' compensation program administrator, and what is important to that stakeholder perspective. One thing that stands out is the numerous benefits of operating a self-insured, self-administered program for both the employer and employees. The employer gains total control over various aspects, especially compared to purchasing an insurance policy from an external insurer. Since all employees work for the same entity, there is a strong sense of pride and compassion when it comes to supporting colleagues. The City of San Diego is regarded as a gold standard in workers' compensation programs. Some key elements of San Diego's program include: - An established culture of wellness and safety - Early intervention - Peer support and compassion for fellow employees - Effective communication - Self-efficacy, where injured employees take ownership of their recovery - Quality partnerships with medical providers Join us as we delve deeper into Joseph's insights and learn more about the City of San Diego's workers' compensation program. More about City of San Diego: https://www.sandiego.gov/ Council of Self-Insured Public Agencies (COSIPA): https://cosipa.org/ Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA): https://parma.com/ ¡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…

1
Amy Cooper: Time to Rise! 27:34

5 weeks ago27:34

27:34

Send us a text In this episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to Amy Cooper, Vice President Sales, Carrier Practice at Gallagher Bassett, and founder of Rise ®, an amazing insurance community dedicated to empowering early-career professionals, attracting new talent, fostering networking opportunities, and providing access to invaluable resources, as described on the Rise ® website. We are so excited to have Amy as our guest. We've been watching the tremendous growth of the Rise ® community and the annual Rise ® Leadership Summit that happens every June. So listen as we chat with Amy about the annual event, speed mentoring, fun pop-up events, and more! To learn more about the Rise ® Annual Leadership Summit, please visit them at https://riseprofessionals.com/ Use code "COMP100" to save $100 on registration for this year's event. 2025 Rise ® Leadership Summit June 16-18 Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa Ft. Lauderdale, Florida ¡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…

1
LIVE: 2025 FL Bar and WCCP WC Forum 51:27

7 weeks ago51:27

51:27

Send us a text Recently, Yvonne and Rafael attended the 2025 Florida Bar and WCCP Workers' Compensation Forum, April 9-11, in Orlando, Florida. Unfortunately, there was no wi-fi available to do live streaming, which is what we planned to do, but we did talk to several folks and conducted short interviews to capture their excitement and thoughts about the conference. Conference interviews include: Judge David Langham, Florida Deputy Chief Judge of Compensation Claims Stacy Hossman, Executive Director of WCCP Oneill Martinez, FL Mediator Yvonne and Rafael take time to catch up Holly Akers, Claimant Attorney - Jacksonville, FL Ya'Sheaka Williams, Defense Attorney - Tampa, FL Adam Levy, Defense Attorney - Tampa, FL We hope you enjoy this "bonus" episode of on-the-spot interviews at one of our top Florida conferences. The conference takes place again in 2026 at the same location at the Omni® ChampionsGate Resort in Orlando, FL, and you can check here for information about that and other events by WCCP: https://www.wccp.org/ ¡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…

1
Stuart Colburn: Deep in the Heart of Texas Comp 53:17

7 weeks ago53:17

53:17

Send us a text After much anticipation since we started this podcast, Stuart Colburn joins us for a special episode focused on Texas! Stuart, a shareholder at Downs & Stanford, P.C., has over 25 years of experience in workers' compensation. He shares his journey into our industry and expertly navigates the evolution of the Texas Workers' Compensation system since the 1980s. Throughout the conversation, he highlights the unique aspects that make Texas' approach distinctly different from those of other states. Stuart is board certified in Workers' Compensation Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and was the founder and first Chair of the State Bar of Texas Workers' Compensation Section. He co-authors the Texas Workers' Compensation Handbook published by LexisNexis and, as a certified lobbyist and frequent Division of Workers' Compensation conference representative, brings valuable policy perspective to the conversation. (Correction: Stuart mentions 2011 as the year Wikipedia and iTunes emerged; however, the correct year is 2001.) NOTE: Stuart shares a slide deck during this episode, which you can see in the video version on our YouTube channel . Resources mentioned in this episode: Texas Workers' Compensation Handbook 2025 Edition Texas Department of Insurance - Workers' Compensation Texas Subsequent Injury Fund American Medical Association (AMA) Guides Official Disability Guidelines ODG by MCG National Comp Conference Stuart Colburn bio ¡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…

1
Jennifer Wolf: Alphabet Soup 37:53

10 weeks ago37:53

37:53

Send us a text We like to have fun with our episode titles when we can, hence "Alphabet Soup." Still, despite the fun name, this is an informative episode, particularly for those newer to the workers' compensation industry. Our guest is Jennifer Wolf, president and CEO of MWCIA in Minneapolis, MN. Jennifer expertly navigates through many of the common terms and acronyms we use. This is certainly not meant to be an exhaustive list of terms, so we have included several links for a more complete list for the nerdy folks like us: California Department of Industrial Relations Glossary Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Glossary of Acronyms Florida Senate 440 Statutes Workers' Compensation Definitions Pie Insurance Workers' Comp 101 Glossary Texas Department of Insurance Workers' Comp Insurance Glossary We hope you enjoy it. If we missed a term or acronym you think should have been included, let us know! We may need to do a "Part 2" on terms and vocabulary! ¡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…

1
A COMPlicated Framework with Joe Paduda 41:44

12 weeks ago41:44

41:44

Send us a text Joe Paduda joins us to explain the basic framework of our workers' compensation system. In this episode, we discuss why our system is so complicated and some of the key features of several states. While Yvonne tries to keep the conversation focused on basics, Ralph and Joe wander on a few tangents, such as discussing the potential of a federalized workers' compensation system. Joe explains why that is not likely to happen and they explore Medicare and Medicaid components. Whether you are new to workers' comp or are a seasoned industry professional, this is a fun conversation that reviews some basic elements of our system and we introduce a few core concepts and terms such as frequency, severity, medical, indemnity, and administrative expense. Joe tells us what he likes about workers' compensation and it is a key element of why we have such good people in the system and why they work hard to make it better every day. You'll have to find us on YouTube and watch the video of this episode to see the cameo appearance of Joe's dog Oakley! Check out Joe's blog on Substack here: https://joepaduda.substack.com/ You can find more information Joe has shared over the years at his original website Health Strategy Associates: https://healthstrategyassoc.com/ ¡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…

1
History of Workers Comp with Alex Swedlow 47:08

14 weeks ago47:08

47:08

Send us a text Join us as we kick off Season 5 with Alex Swedlow, President of CWCI and the "History of Workers' Compensation." Alex Swedlow is the President of the California Workers' Compensation Institute (CWCI). Alex is a previous guest on our podcast and we are so happy to welcome him back with his version of a brief "History of Workers' Compensation." As you will see, he is also a Workers' Compensation "nerd", just like Yvonne and Rafael, and he loves to talk about the history of our system which can be traced back over 4,000 years! Whether you are "tenured" in Workers' Compensation and insurance like the three of us are, or are new to the industry, we encourage you to listen for a quick summary of our endlessly fascinating system and its roots. Check out our new YouTube channel - @DeconstructingComp where we will drop our episodes in video format. For more information about CWCI, please visit https://www.cwci.org/ ¡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…

1
Season 5 Intro with Yvonne and Rafael 24:10

16 weeks ago24:10

24:10

Send us a text Here we go with Season 5! We can't believe we are kicking off the fifth season of Deconstructing Comp! Co-hosts Yvonne Guibert and Rafael Gonzalez are back and ready to welcome a new season of conversations with their guests. This year, we are returning to our original idea of breaking down the workers' compensation system into bite-sized digestible nuggets of information. We call it the "Cliff's Notes" approach to understanding workers' compensation. Please join us on our new journey. We think it will be fun for professionals new to the industry and those of us who have been here for a while. Yvonne is committed to keeping episodes to 30-35 minutes! ¡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…

1
Season 4 Wrap Up with Yvonne and Rafael 45:31

24 weeks ago45:31

45:31

1
Elise White: Change Forward 53:30

27 weeks ago53:30

53:30

Send us a text We are so happy to introduce you to Elise White, President of Change Forward Industries, based in the Atlanta Metro area in Georgia. Join us for an interesting conversation with Elise. You'll learn about her educational background, including that she studied criminal justice and how that led to a career in insurance and claims management. Elise has 16+ years of experience managing claims for some of the biggest insurance companies, including Liberty Mutual, Travelers, and Zurich, and has developed quite an affinity for supporting at-risk youth, as well as at-risk industries. She recently launched Change Forward Industries. Listen to this episode to learn more about Elise, her career and what she's been up to lately, including some very important work with Diversity and Talent Alliance (DATA). Here are some resources related to our conversation: Change Forward Industries - https://changeforwardindustries.com/ Article about RIMS/WCI Research Presentation: www.workerscompensation.com_Want better worker safety-tryEmpathy Diversity and Talent Alliance (DATA) , Non-profit https://www.diversityandtalent.org/ Support the DATA Fundraiser - Workers' Compensation Empathy Relay Digital Game for $10: https://www.diversityandtalent.org/store/p/empathy-relay-digital-game-workers-comp-edition Note from Elise: "I did not state these stats with 100% accuracy, but here is the insurance data on the aging workforce and talent shortage within insurance:" Stats mentioned: 4% millennials interested in working in insurance careers, PEW Research 50% of insurance professionals are looking to retire by 2028 , National Association of Mutual Insurance We love Elise and we think you will too! Grab your headphones and let's go talk to Elise! ¡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…

1
Evelyn Eury: From Journalism to Insurance 1:03:13

29 weeks ago1:03:13

1:03:13

Send us a text In this episode, we get to know Evelyn Eury, Director of Program Claims, Occupational Risk/P&C Lead at Crum & Forster—a leading carrier in property and casualty, accident and health, and specialty insurance solutions. Evelyn shares her journey from studying journalism to her current role, where she navigates the intersections of workers' compensation, property & casualty, and other insurance lines. Our conversation covers a variety of topics, including: Saluting Veterans : Recorded on Veteran’s Day, we honor Evelyn’s husband, Seth, an active-duty US Coast Guard member, and all who have served our country. Cameo by Saint : Evelyn’s Weimaraner, Saint, makes a guest appearance. Mentoring the Next Generation : Evelyn discusses mentoring young insurance professionals and inspiring them to pursue careers in risk and insurance. Mom Life : Balancing her career while raising three daughters, along with trends in beauty products and Sephora adventures. This extended episode is a wonderfully organic conversation filled with insights and heartwarming moments. Grab your headphones, your favorite beverage, and join us for an inspiring chat with Evelyn Eury! For listeners who are newer to the industry, here are links to the conferences we mentioned during the episode: CLM (Claims and Litigation Management): https://www.theclm.org/allevents Workers' Compensation Institute (WCI) Conference: https://www.wci360.com/ National Comp Conference: https://wcconference.com/ ¡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…

1
Melissa Marks: About Empathy 52:38

31 weeks ago52:38

52:38

Send us a text Let's get to know Melissa Marks , Senior Leave Supervisor at Pepsico. What does a "Leave Supervisor" do for an employer? Shout out to our friend Natalie Torres for introducing us to Melissa. In this episode, Melissa shares her personal health journey and how it has shaped her empathy for others, particularly as she navigates her role working with employees who experience work injuries. Here is a link to Melissa's book , titled "Fight Faithfully" ¡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…

1
Cobos and McDonnell: Breakthrough for Brain Injury Advocates 37:53

33 weeks ago37:53

37:53

Send us a text We are so happy to bring you this episode featuring Dr. Crystal Cobos, Director of the Brain Injury and Concussion Clinic at Institutes of Health and Anne McDonnell, Advocacy and Affiliate Specialist for the Brain Injury Association of America and former Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia. In this episode, we discuss the recent development announced in late July by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: CMS now officially recognizes Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) as a chronic condition. According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) this is a victory for the brain injury community. CMS has added TBI to its list of chronic conditions for chronic special needs plans (C-SNPs) through its Medicare Advantage program, effective for the January 2025 plan year. What does this mean for brain-injured employees and the workers' compensation community? Bottom line? We see this as a good thing. Tune in to hear what more these two experts have to say about it. For more information about Institutes of Health, Brain Injury Services, visit: https://institutesofhealth.org/ For more information about the Brain Injury Association of America, visit: https://www.biausa.org/ ¡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…

1
Jennifer Wolf: WC Data and Storytelling 51:41

35 weeks ago51:41