Deconstructing Comp

Are you ready to meet Laura Michaels, MS, OT, PSHO, Occupational Health and Safety Manager for City of Palm Springs? 

Yvonne and Rafael recently met Laura at the PARMA 2024 conference in Indian Wells, CA, and boy do we LOVE her! Shout out to Jennifer Johnson for putting together a beautiful dinner at PARMA that brought us together. 

From the very first conversation, we knew we liked Laura. She possesses a very par...

In this episode, we get to know a real superhero in the workers' compensation industry, Josh Schuette, DPT, MBA, WRP, Director of National Workers' Compensation Sales and Account Management at Brooks Rehabilitation.

While there are so many amazing things to know about Josh Schuette, one interesting  thing is, he thinks Ryan Gosling is his spirit animal! And, just like the famous actor who played Ken in the block...

Ramona Tanabe is our latest guest, right on the heals of the 40th Annual WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6, 2024, in Boston, MA. This is Ramona's second time as a guest on Deconstructing Comp. 

Join us as we discuss and recount highlights from the recent conference in Boston. Ramona turns the tables on Yvonne and asks her to share what sessions she learned something new at the conference. We also talk a...

In this episode, we talk to Joe Paduda, Principal of Health Strategy Associates, blogger, Syracuse Lacrosse fanatic, speaker and owner of a 1795 farmhouse in New Hampshire with a super squeaky farmhouse chair! Listen for the squeaky sounds during the episode. 

This is Joe's second time as our guest. We invited him back, specifically to discuss important issues related to the economy and how they may or may not impact ...

Yvonne and Rafael FINALLY catch up with Carlos Luna, who lives in Denver, Colorado. It took us a while to schedule an interview with Carlos, but it is well worth the wait! 

So, come along, and let's get all caught up with Carlos about his new role at New Reign Capital, his deep and varied thoughts about our amazing industry, and, sadly, as he shares his thoughts about the recent loss of a beloved work friend and colle...

For the second year, Yvonne and Rafael identify ten issues to frame their conversations with guests as they kick off a new season. Here we go with Season 4! Are you ready? Our issues are...

1. Provider Shortages - Healthcare jobs are growing faster than any other industry, yet there is a shortage of experienced doctors and clinicians to fill the openings. This is straining the entire healthcare system; we certainly feel it in worke...

Join Yvonne and Rafael as they pause for a few minutes to reminisce about all the fun they had interviewing guests in their 3rd season! 

Grab your headphones and get ready for a few laughs -- you can always count on Rafael's laughter in each and every episode!

¡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 f...

Wow, what a fantastic conversation with Dr. Leslie Cadet, a native of Tampa, FL! 

In this episode, we learn that Leslie grew up in Tampa and started her education at none other than University of South Florida (USF), Yvonne's alma mater and Rafael's adjunct teaching university for 20+ years! From there, she went on to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she became a medical doctor, then on to...

¡Qué lindo! ¡Hablamos con Julian Robinson en español! 

How lovely! We are speaking with Julian Robinson in Spanish!

During our recording of our podcast episode with guest Julian Robinson, we learned he speaks fluent Spanish! So we recorded a short bonus episode talking in Spanish. Well, it's mostly Julian and Yvonne, with Rafael listening in. Still a fun diversion. 

¡Disfruten queridos oyentes! Enjoy...

Join us as we dive in and get to know Julian Robinson! Julian is the workers' compensation director at the City and County of San Francisco. 

Julian shares his educational background, studying business and then embarking on a study abroad trip to India that ignited his love for travel and exploring other cultures. 

We discovered that Julian is fluent in Spanish! So, we recorded a short bonus track in Spanish ...

Come along for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Tomer Anbar and Duane Johnson with the Institutes of Health. We caught up with them during the WCI Conference in Orlando, Florida. 

Duane Johnson obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Health Services management from Indiana University Bloomington. 

Dr. Anbar studied clinical psychology,  psychodynamic psychiatry, and group psychotherapy.  While conducting res...

Come along with Yvonne and Rafael and get to know Roberta Serena Mike, Field Claim Adjuster for Strategic Comp in Georgia!

As you will learn, Roberta has spent her entire career in the insurance industry. She started with The Travelers and liked workers' compensation early on. 

In this episode, Roberta shares with us the twists and turns of her career.  She talks about leaving Garden City, New York, moving to...

Do you know Raja Sundaram with Plethy, Inc.? If not, you are in for a treat! Raja is a workers' comp newbie. He and his company Plethy have entered the workers' compensation scene in the last few years and they are making some big waves! 

If you missed the Star Wars reference in the title, it is considered one of the most iconic quotes from the original movie. It is from Yoda during his training with Luke Skywalk...

Melissa Steger is the associate director of workers' compensation and unemployment insurance for the University of Texas System in Austin, Texas. 

In this episode, Melissa shares how she started her career in workers' comp, delivering workers' compensation checks. In that first job, she became curious, fell in love with workers' compensation, and has spent her career of over 30 years learning and workin...

Come along with us and get to know Jim Allsup, founder of Allsup Employment Services and the Ticket to Work program for individuals who qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. Individuals who qualify are offered Vocational Return to Work services free of charge. 

In this episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to Jim about the Ticket to Work program and what he says is a little-known benefit for individuals who qualify fo...

Brandi Lewis is one busy woman! We were lucky to catch up with her at the WCI conference for a live podcast interview. 

Join Yvonne and Rafael as we talk with Brandi, learn about what she's been up to lately, and talk to her about the business she founded and now chairwoman of Health Plus Trans, providing transportation, translation, and ancillary services. 

Among her many skills and talents, Brandi is a phen...

Finally, Yvonne and Rafael catch up with Kirsten Kaiser Kus, an attorney with Downey and Lenkov, LLC at WCI. We have been hot on her trail for some time now, trying to schedule an interview. Luckily, she had time to spare and sit down with us at WCI. 

Get to know more about Kirsten and what she has been up to. 

Visit her profile here: 
https://www.dl-firm.com/attorneys/kirsten-l-kaiser-kus/

¡Muchas Gracias! Tha...

We are so happy to connect with our brand new friends we made at WCI for the first time! Ash Afzal with Bismark Medical. 

Join us for a fun group conversation with Ash, Amina, Bilal, Mohammed and "T"

Another set of first-timers that Yvonne met through the Whova app. Bismarck is a family-owned company in the DME business, and they are looking to expand into the workers' compensation market. 

Catherine Benavidez and Art Nuñez from Injury Management Organization join us to talk about their experience at WCI and what they are up to at IMO at their corporate headquarters near Dallas, Texas, in Plano. 

For more information about Injury Management Organization visit them here: 
https://injurymanagement.com/

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on ...