The Society of General Internal Medicine describes empathy in healthcare as “the act of correctly acknowledging the emotional state of another without experiencing that state oneself.”

The workers’ compensation community has embraced the concept of using empathy to improve an injured employees’ experience. Conference presenters and other thought leaders say that injured employees who receive empathetic communication from providers, employers and insurers are more satisfied with their care and less likely to hire attorneys. Additionally, empathy smooths claim settlements.

Yet how does empathy manifest in the real world? Can organizations incorporate empathy into their processes? Can you teach empathy? How does it come into play during the settlement process?

“To explore these questions, Tower MSA Partners dedicated its sponsored WCI-TV segments to interviews with insurers and employers,” said Tower’s Chief Compliance Officer Dan Anders.

Joining Anders and Kristine Dudley, Tower’s Chief Operating Officer, to discuss empathy are Joan Vincenz, Managing Director, Corporate Safety for United Airlines and Greg Hamlin, Senior Vice President and Chief Claims Officer of Berkley Industrial Comp. Other interviews feature Staffmark’s Director of Claims Denise Evans and Kristi Montoya, Director of Claims Operations for UPS.

The founding sponsor of WCI-TV, Tower has consistently used its segments to explore industry issues. Previous themes include opioid addiction and intervention, barriers to settlements, metrics, and partnerships. WCI-TV airs throughout the convention center, in hotel guest rooms and on shuttles, as well as on YouTube and WCI’s website. These interviews will also be shared via Tower’s LinkedIn page.

Anders will also moderate a Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance Panel during WCI. The “Pre-Settlement Considerations” session runs from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20 and features Ametros’ John Kane, Brian Broznowicz with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Ringler’s Jarrod Zea, and Kristi Montoya with UPS.

The 78th Annual WCI Conference will be held August 18-21 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. For more information, please see https://www.wci360.com/wci2024/.

About Tower MSA Partners

Serving clients nationally, Tower MSA Partners provides comprehensive Medicare Secondary Payer compliance services, including Section 111 Mandatory Insurer Reporting, conditional payment resolution, Medicare Set-Aside optimization and preparation, and settlement consultation and assistance. For more information, please visit www.towermsa.com and subscribe to https://towermsa.com/blog/.

Helen King Patterson, APR, King Knight Communications, 813-690-4787, helen@kingknight.com