Deconstructing Comp
Now in Season 6! We are still breaking down complex workers' compensation issues into bite-sized nuggets, one conversation at a time, with one slight twist. We are finally doing what we set out to do when we started: discuss the nuances of our fascinating system in "Cliff Notes" style summaries. Yvonne Guibert and Rafael Gonzalez approach workers' comp conversations from different backgrounds. Still, they share many things in common, such as their love for family and friends, a passion for Latin culture, and good old-fashioned belly laughs. Join them as they chat with industry friends and colleagues, learn more about their roles, laugh, and have fun along the way. You might learn something along the way! See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!
Episodes
GUEST BIO
Herbert Van Patten | Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer, ISYS Solutions and Career Smart Learning
- 35+ years in workers' compensation, starting as a Spanish-speaking vocational counselor and transitioning to leadership and sales roles
- Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer overseeing nurse case management services (on-site and telephonic across western states) and healthcare training/rece...
Guest Bio
- Gia Sawko | Chief Claims Officer at Signal Mutual
- Decades of claims experience in workers' compensation
- Instrumental in navigating how AI reshapes the adjuster's role
- Focused on preserving and amplifying human judgment in claims work
The Conversation
Yvonne, Rafael, and Gia get into what's happening in claims work right now. The job is harder than ever. The tools haven't caught up. And there's a path fo...
Guest Bio
Dr. Robert Hall | Medical Director, Optum Workers' Comp and Auto No-Fault
- 12 years leading medical direction and formulary oversight at Optum
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) specialist maintaining active clinical practice one day per week with injured workers
- Strategic voice on PBM industry trends, emerging drug therapies, and AI's role in claims prioritization
Our Conversation
In our latest episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to Denise Evans, Director of Claims at Staffmark Group.
Guest Bio:
Denise Evans | Director of Claims, Staffmark Group
- 37 years in the workers' compensation industry
- National temp staffing program leadership—managing claims across multiple industries and states
- Strategic program architect and industry connector; active in the National Council of Self-Insureds
Our...
In our latest episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to Andrea Mills, President of Ametros.
Guest Bio
Andrea Mills | President, Ametros | Workers' Comp Professional Administrator
- Nearly 20 years in the workers' compensation industry
- 8+ years with Ametros, currently in her ninth year
- Leads the largest professional administration company in the workers' comp space, serving both workers' comp and liability cases
In our latest episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk to DJ McConnell, President and Owner of Bailey-McCaffrey, LLC.
Guest bio:
DJ McConnell | Nurse Case Manager & Owner of Bailey McCaffrey | New Orleans, Louisiana
- 15+ years in the workers' compensation industry
- Worked at Bailey McCaffrey for 13+ years, recently became President and owner.
- Brings a healthcare/clinical lens to claims work and organizational le...
Recently, we sat down with Jill Dulich to discuss how the workers' compensation system has changed over the past 50+ years. Here's a summary of our conversation:
Guest: Jill Dulich | Director of Claims and Operations, California Self-Insurers Security Fund
Expertise: 52 years in workers' compensation (Marriott, 32 years; CSSF, 11 years)
Geographic Scope: Jill has managed claims in all states west of the...
🎙️ Brian Arnold from World Insurance Brokers is here to talk about the California Coalition on Workers' Compensation (CCWC) Annual Conference, and more importantly, why showing up at conferences matters for your career.
Networking Built His Career
Brian's been in workers' comp for 25 years. He started as a claims assistant at a boutique TPA and worked his way up through different carriers and TPAs. But here's what re...
Yvonne and Rafael sit down with Dave Chmiel, Chief Claims Officer at Hub International. Together, they engage in a great conversation about the broker's perspective on workers' compensation.
Episode Highlights
☕ The Core Message: Listening Changes Everything (00:02:38)
From day one in the brokerage world, Dave was taught to listen, to understand what economic buyers (CEOs, CFOs) actually care about. That skill transcen...
Yvonne and Rafael are so excited (and you can tell!). Yvonne declares she's Sandy's biggest fan! And honestly? After listening to this conversation, you'll understand why. Sandy Avina has figured out something our industry has been struggling with for over 100 years: how to make workers' compensation accessible, engaging, and even fun.
Sandy Avina, MBA, is a Claim Services Manager with California Schools JPA, a self-...
Yvonne is joining from her hometown of Bandera, Texas (where the weather can't make up its mind — thirties one day, nineties the next), and Rafael just got back from Chicago. Which is the perfect segue to today's guest — Michael Brennan, Chairman of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, joining us from a snowy Chicago, where, apparently, the high twenties counts as mild. Brrrrrr.
Highlights...
Yvonne and Rafael sit down with Heather Lore, Executive Director of the IAIABC, for a conversation that covers some important (and undertalked) topics in workers' comp right now.
What we get into:
🌍 A Truly Global Community: The International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) is the oldest workers' comp organization in the country, at 112 years, with members spanning the US, Canada, E...
What happens when Medicare and multiple liens enter the claim, and how do you navigate them without derailing resolution?
In this episode of Deconstructing Comp, Yvonne Guibert and Rafael Gonzalez talk with John Cattie, managing partner of Cattie and Gonzalez, PLLC. The conversation focuses on Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance and the broader landscape of federal lien resolution in workers’ compensation...
In this episode of Deconstructing Comp, what was intended to be a conversation about when substance use is considered industrial… turned into a much deeper exploration of how, and why, care in workers’ compensation often breaks down.
Yvonne and Rafael talk to Dr. Tomer Anbar and Dr. Ramsey Ali and enjoy a powerful, layered conversation that challenges how we think about care in workers’ compensatio...
In this episode of Deconstructing Comp, Yvonne Guibert and Rafael Gonzalez talk with Liva Rivera, Chief Communications Officer at Hamilton, Miller, and Birthisel Law Firm, for a lively conversation about the power of social media in building relationships, expanding professional networks, and supporting mentorship within the workers’ compensation community.
Liva shares how platforms like LinkedIn have evolved f...
In this episode of Deconstructing Comp, we’re joined by Greg Hamlin, Senior VP and Chief Claims Officer at Berkley Industrial Comp (a Berkley Company), for a grounded conversation about the role empathy plays in workers’ compensation and why it is so essential in our industry, particularly when communicating with injured workers.
Greg shares observations from his experience about how empathy influen...
In this episode of Deconstructing Comp, Yvonne Guibert and Rafael Gonzalez welcome Tammy Boyd, newly appointed President of Kids' Chance of Florida, for a meaningful conversation centered on service, leadership, and the life-changing impact of educational scholarships for children affected by workplace injury or fatality. Tammy shares how her career in workers’ compensation shaped her understanding of the huma...
1. Mental Health Goes Operational
No longer fringe in workers’ comp. Our real challenge now is operationalizing access to timely, evidence-based mental health care so it supports recovery instead of becoming a barrier.
2. End of Healthcare Subsidies = Cost Shifting Risk
With federal funding changes, i.e. loss of funding for healthcare subsidies and SAMHSA,watch for cost shifting into workers’ comp.
...
Yvonne and Rafael take time to reflect on Season 5, their accomplishments, and the time they spent with guests.
They also discuss new features of Deconstructing Comp, including the launch of the Work Comp Changemaker Awards, a new website, a monthly newsletter, a YouTube channel, and so much more!
Grab your headphones, your favorite beverage, and let's go have a chat!
¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listenin...
In this episode, Yvonne and Rafael talk with Darrell Mathis, Director of Workers’ Compensation for the City of Chicago, and explore his work to modernize and manage one of the nation's largest municipal programs.
Darrell shares his 33-year journey from the private sector to public service, offering candid insights into program reform, transparency, and talking about “paying what we owe.”
...
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