The WorkSAFE Podcast | Workplace Safety Strategies

Telemedicine can get injured workers in front of a doctor faster, without an ER wait. Concentra's Jim Harvey and Dr. Eric Gustafson explain which injuries are appropriate for a video visit, how doctors examine injuries remotely, and what employers need in place to ensure telemedicine works smoothly.

Every safety tech vendor claims their tool prevents injuries, but proof is harder to find. Dr. Matt Law, Director of the National Safety Council's Work to Zero initiative, breaks down what AI can and can't do for injury prevention, which technologies already show results, and four questions to ask before investing in any new safety tool.

Some safety programs look solid on paper but fail once real pressure hits. Brian Fielkow, Executive Vice President of Risk Resources at Acrisure, shares five questions that distinguish an engaged program from a documented one – plus, the leadership behaviors that drive real organization-wide results.

Claims data can show you where your next risk is hiding, if you know how to read it. MEM Safety and Risk Specialist Dale Muenks shares how loss analysis uncovers hidden patterns, why small claims matter more than they seem, and how to start analyzing your own claims history today.

Many business owners judge a workers compensation policy by one question: Will the carrier pay a claim? MEM AVP of Underwriting Erin Stober explains why that's only part of the picture, walking through how premium is calculated, where real value actually comes from, and what signals a carrier that's genuinely invested in your business for the long term.

MEM Senior On-site Nurse Case Manager Becky Goodyear pulls back the curtain on coordinating care for catastrophic work comp claims, from hospital stays to specialized rehab referrals. She shares real examples of catching treatment gaps and explains why in-house case management speeds up recovery for injured workers and their families.

MEM Sr. Manager of Claims Operations Shannon Fox breaks down what a workplace injury really costs a business: The claim itself, the indirect costs most employers overlook, and the long-term impact on your e-mod and premium. Plus, a practical checklist for reducing both, from incident investigation to return-to-work planning.

Your e-mod is more than a premium multiplier. It's a record of how your business handles safety and claims. MEM Underwriting Team Manager Jennifer Loy draws on 18+ years of underwriting to reflect on the habits that define a business's e-mod – good or bad.

When a catastrophic injury occurs, the recovery process involves several phases, multiple providers, and months of coordination. Arm Dynamics Clinical Manager Julian Wells walks employers through the prosthetic rehabilitation continuum and explains why communication – between the carrier, the clinical team, and the injured worker – determines the quality of the outcome.

Most employers treat workers compensation as a line item. The ones who treat it as a strategy – investing in safety, building working relationships with their agent and carrier – end up with lower e-mods, better claim outcomes, and a team that's already prepared if an injury occurs. In this episode, MEM's John Mitchell and Richard Ollis of Ollis/Akers/Arney Insurance & Business Advisors share what that partnership looks like in practice.