The News You Need for May 13
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Embracing Positive Psychology in Staffing Agencies: A New Path for Workers’ Compensation
Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -- Staffing agencies connect job seekers with employers and play a crucial role. Still, people often need to pay more attention to their significance. They face significant challenges while navigating the workers' compensation landscape. Despite being recognized for their critical role in various industries, staffing agencies are often perceived as treating their workforce as disposable, which undermines their essential contribution. This industry's harsh treatment and the backdrop of challenges create an opportunity for transformative change. One way staffing agencies can better support their workers is to leverage the principles of Positive Psychology, which involves acknowledging their challenges and building resilience and well-being. This approach holds the potential for significant change in the workers' compensation landscape.
Acknowledging Bias and Essentialism
Addressing biases and essentialism in workers' compensation for staffing agencies is crucial. Negativity bias often skews perceptions against injured workers, influenced by high-profile cases of fraud that are not representative of the majority. Research indicates that employees' actual rate of WC fraud is significantly lower than public perception, with estimates typically below 2% of all claims. Essentialism worsens this issue by grouping all injured workers into a single group presumed to exploit the system. It is essential to challenge these misconceptions to develop a more equitable and supportive workers' compensation environment that prioritizes genuine recovery and reintegration, rectifies misaligned perceptions, and ensures a fair approach to all injured workers.
The Power of Positive Psychology
Staffing agencies significantly impact the recovery and rehabilitation of their workers, even though they do not directly control the work environment. Workers' compensation programs can incorporate Positive Psychology principles to promote mental health, personal growth, and effective communication. This can be achieved by developing customized recovery plans that focus on workers' strengths and potential instead of their limitations, providing mental health support that addresses the emotional aspects of recovery, and adopting proactive communication strategies that acknowledge the value of each worker. This approach helps workers in their physical recovery. Also, it enhances their psychological well-being, resulting in a more positive return to work or life. By implementing such strategies, staffing agencies can drive positive outcomes beyond traditional workplace settings' physical boundaries.
Leveraging Control for Positive Outcomes
Staffing agencies lack direct control over the work environments of their employees. However, they can significantly influence the rehabilitation and recovery processes. Organizations handling workers' compensation programs can incorporate Positive Psychology principles to create a recovery environment that is supportive and empowering. When someone gets injured at work and files a workers' compensation claim, it's crucial to establish a personal connection with them right from the beginning. Connection means taking the time to listen to their concerns, empathize with their situation, and provide them with the assistance they need to navigate the claims process. By doing this, injured workers are more likely to feel supported and valued, and the claims process can be smoother and more efficient as a result. The aim is to build trust by finding common ground and developing personalized recovery plans that cater to individual needs. It also includes offering mental health support and using proactive communication strategies that validate each worker's value and potential. Such an environment aids physical and psychological recovery, facilitating a more holistic and meaningful rehabilitation journey.
Connection means taking the time to listen to their concerns, empathize with their situation, and provide them with the assistance they need to navigate the claims process. By doing this, injured workers are more likely to feel supported and valued, and the claims process can be smoother and more efficient as a result.
Overcoming Barriers with Compassion and Understanding
By adopting the Positive Psychology approach, staffing agencies can better navigate the complexities of Workers' Compensation with empathy and understanding. This method emphasizes the importance of three key components: mirroring, mentalizing, and care. These components are essential for building trust with injured workers and creating a more compassionate and flexible system that acknowledges the individuality of each worker's journey to recovery.
Mirroring allows agents to reflect the emotions and experiences of injured workers, fostering a sense of shared understanding. Mentalizing involves recognizing and considering the workers' mental states, promoting deeper connections. Care ensures that actions taken genuinely support the workers' well-being. Through these practices, agencies can overcome barriers imposed by rigid workers' compensation programs and provide better support for injured workers.
As Jennifer Christian, MD, MPH, FACOEM, a thought leader, writer, and board-certified occupational medicine physician puts it, "We are so afraid of people who will abuse programs that we put up barriers for working people who have simply run into difficulty. Another way to say it is we inadvertently abandon and do additional harm to vulnerable folks in their hour of need, especially those who are already at a disadvantage for other reasons. We must find a better way."
"We are so afraid of people who will abuse programs that we put up barriers for working people who have simply run into difficulty. Another way to say it is we inadvertently abandon and do additional harm to vulnerable folks in their hour of need, especially those who are already at a disadvantage for other reasons. We must find a better way." -- Jennifer Christian, MD, MPH, FACOEM
Implementing Positive Psychology Practices
Implementing positive psychology practices within staffing agencies can significantly impact the recovery and well-being of injured workers. Training workers’ compensation claim managers in Positive Psychology principles equip them with the skills to foster optimism and resilience among workers, which can directly contribute to improved recovery outcomes. Resilience and mindfulness programs, supported by scientific research, have been shown to reduce stress, enhance coping mechanisms, and promote mental health, leading to quicker and more effective rehabilitation. Positive and empowering communication further reinforces a recovery environment conducive to healing. Sending a card to the injured worker's home residence, calling them to check in, sending a quick text asking how they are doing, and following up consistently to show you care about their well-being can make a significant difference. Establishing partnerships with healthcare providers who prioritize holistic approaches ensures a seamless, supportive recovery process, integrating physical and mental health care for injured workers, embodying a comprehensive strategy for fostering workplace wellness and resilience.
Staffing agencies have the potential to enhance the workers' compensation system by integrating Positive Psychology and highlighting the importance of addressing both the visible and invisible wounds of workplace injuries. This approach promises improved recovery outcomes and demonstrates a solid commitment to the overall well-being of the workforce. It is a call to action for staffing agencies to break down biases and shift their perspectives towards injured workers, recognizing them as individuals navigating a complex system rather than just claimants. By prioritizing workers' holistic health and happiness, agencies can create an inclusive and empathetic environment that supports each worker's unique recovery journey. Embracing Positive Psychology can be a guiding light for a workers' compensation system that values compassion and recovery, resulting in a healthier and more satisfied workforce.
DOJ Announces New Healthcare Antitrust Task Force?
Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – This year has certainly been an interesting year for healthcare.?
In March, the Biden administration announced their intent to further investigate private equity ownership and relationships in healthcare. Part of the initiative was driven by multiple studies clearly suggesting a correlation between increase in costs and adverse events with acquisitions and mergers.?
Earlier this week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) officially announced the formation of the new investigative arm, Antitrust Division’s Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and Collusion (HCMC). Antitrust prosecutor, Katrina Rouse, who joined the Antitrust Division in 2011, has been appointed director.?
The purpose of the HCMC will be to develop a strategy and protocol for the division, and facilitate investigations as well as civil and criminal enforcements when necessary as related to the healthcare market. With a focus on competition in healthcare, the HCMC will review concerns as reported by providers, patients, and business associates. The task force has created a website for the purpose of gathering complaints as related to fair competition in healthcare.?
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Some of the issues being reviewed by the task force will include payer-provider consolidation and serial acquisitions, labor as related to quality of care, provider billing, healthcare IT services, and healthcare data that may be accessed or misused. The DOJ states that in their efforts to develop the program, they are utilizing experts from the healthcare industry, prosecutors, IT experts, data scientists, and multiple advisors from Civil, Criminal, Litigation and Policy Programs, and the Expert Analysis Group in their effort to prioritize antitrust issues to review.?
Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division believes that a small number of healthcare entities have leveraged an unfair amount of power through consolidation. Kanter believes the new task force will address these concerns stating, “Led by Katrina Rouse, the task force will identify and root out monopolies and collusive practices that increase costs, decrease quality and create single points of failure in the health care industry.”?
What is interesting about this new focus in the Biden administration, is that in the midst of a data breach of historical proportions, it was somewhat quietly announced that the DOJ had initiated an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth about its relationship between its insurance unit and health-services arm. According to an April Beckers report, UnitedHealth executives sold $101.5 million in stock starting the week after the company received notice of the investigation. In yet another recent report this week, UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys announced plans to sell more than 100 clinic locations to a private equity buyer.?
Steel Cylinder Kills Hospital Worker Walking Down Sidewalk
Pittsburgh, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A Pennsylvania hospital worker is dead after being crushed by a steel drum on May 3, one of several workplace deaths so far this month.
The woman, whom officials have not identified, was walking with colleagues just before 11 a.m., when she was struck by the steel drum. Officials said the drum had rolled away from a nearby construction site at the University of Pittsburgh.
“Witnesses describe that the victim was walking with her colleagues when a large steel cylindrical drum broke free from a nearby construction site, Pittsburgh police said in a press release. “The drum rolled down a hill within the construction site, went through adjacent construction fencing, and struck the victim on the sidewalk. The drum continued to roll across the street before finally coming to rest against a pick-up truck.”
Officials said bystanders in the area tried to perform lifesaving measures before medics arrived, but were unsuccessful.
The victim had “significant, grave injuries” to her head and was declared dead at the scene.
The woman worked at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in the psychiatric hospital, Allison Hydzik, a UPMC spokesperson said. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, or UPMC said they “were saddened by this tragic incident."
"Our immediate concern is the well-being of our employees, patients and visitors. While this was not a UPMC construction site, this tragedy impacts our campuses and we are providing support services to our employees," according to statement obtained by USA TODAY. "Our deepest sympathies are with the victim's family, friends and colleagues."
In Chili, N.Y., a Thruway Authority maintenance worker was killed May 9 and another was still in the hospital in guarded condition after they were struck by a vehicle while working.
Officials said 62-year-old Vincent Giammarva was pronounced dead at the scene and 58-year-old Mark Vara was taken to a nearby hospital after they were struck by a tractor trailer. The men were setting up a work zone when they were hit. Officials said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
“We are heartbroken over this senseless death, praying for the recovery of the injured worker and grateful to first responders who sprang into action to support their fellow public servants,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “This incident is a tragic reminder: responsible driving is a life-saving skill, and all New Yorkers should remain alert, slow down and move over when approaching a work zone or stopped vehicle.”
In Chino Hills, Calif., a worker was killed and another worker was seriously injured when a box truck veered onto a freeway shoulder, officials said.
On May 6, a cleanup crew of several employees hired by Caltrans was working along State Route 771. Officials said the workers were behind the guardrail when a Peterbilt box truck sideswiped the workers’ van and ran through the guardrail, striking two workers, CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said in a press conference.
One worker, a 54-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. A second worker, a 36-year-old man, was hospitalized with major injuries, officials said.
The driver of the truck was also treated for minor injuries, police said. The man was not arrested. That accident is also still under investigation.
And in Philadelphia, a construction worker is dead after being electrocuted and falling off a ladder.
Police said a 49-year-old construction worker was working in the Overbrook neighborhood of the city when he was electrocuted, and fell off a ladder. The worker was taken to a nearby hospital but died shortly after.
And on May 7 in Otter Tail County, Minn., a farm worker has died after being crushed by a piece of equipment.
According to officials with the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews were called to a farm for a report of an accident with critical injuries. Officials said a 28-year-old worker was working with others to repair a piece of tillage equipment when a piece of the machine fell on top of him, pinning and crushing him.
The sheriff’s office said emergency crews attempted lifesaving efforts, but they were unsuccessful and the man died at the scene.