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Author: mpew

Voice of the Injured Worker – Finding Balance in Recovery: Andrea’s Workers’ Compensation Journey

December 18, 2025
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| Categories: Voice of the Injured Worker

The Human Side of Workers’ Compensation Behind every worker’s compensation claim is a person navigating not only physical recovery, but also the complex systems that come with it. To better understand what this journey feels like, we asked injured workers to share their experiences – the good, the bad, and everything in between. Andrea’s Experience: Striving for Balance While in Recovery Andrea is a per diem Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)…

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Understanding PTSD in Worker’s Compensation: Navigating the Complex Criteria and Ensuring Accurate Diagnosis

December 16, 2025
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| Categories: CompMed Insights

The Growing Concern: PTSD in Worker’s Compensation Claims A diagnosis that is occurring with increasing frequency is post-traumatic stress disorder, a.k.a. PTSD. This specific diagnosis is a mental health malady that has very specific criterion before it should be applied in every scenario. The media has outlined a modification to the standards, and several state jurisdictions have expanded the definition with particular attention to “first responders” and this becomes a…

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Voice of the Provider – Sparta

December 10, 2025
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Voice of the Provider is a collaboration between Brooks Rehabilitation and WorkCompCollege.com and the name defines its purpose. Many stakeholders in work comp do not understand or appreciate all of the various clinical providers that help an injured employee return to and stay at work. Whether recovery from the injury / illness is easy or hard, there are clinicians along the way that utilize their education, expertise and experience to…

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Maximizing Your Cost Containment Arsenal: A Strategic Guide for Workers’ Compensation Claim File Handlers

December 9, 2025
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As seasoned Worker’s Compensation professionals, and even for those of you who have just joined our little party, you are all aware of the crucial role you play in effectively managing claims, ensuring fairness to all parties concerned, and each of the identified stakeholders. It has been my experience, as someone who has run a cost containment concern for the Worker’s Compensation ecosystem for more than three decades, those who…

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The Biology of Pain Memory — Injured Workers Aren’t Always Lying

December 2, 2025
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| Categories: Simple Concepts by Bill Zachry

Key Message: Memory gaps about painful experiences are not evidence of fraud — they are evidence of normal human biology functioning exactly as designed. A Claims Examiner’s Revelation When I first began taking statements from injured workers, I believed that when someone failed to disclose previous accidents or surgeries, they were intentionally withholding information. The ISO search would reveal prior accidents, yet the worker would claim to have “no memory”…

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Maximizing Your Cost Containment Arsenal: A Strategic Guide for Workers’ Compensation Claim File Handlers

November 25, 2025
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| Categories: CompMed Insights

Dealing with Unscrupulous Medical Providers in Workers’ Comp Show Me the Money: The Core Truth of Workers’ Compensation In the world of Worker’s Compensation, there is one absolute truth; and to quote from Jerry Maguire, “show me the money.” Those who have been reading my blog understand that it is my position that all appropriate care should be delivered to the injured employee. You as the claim file handler need…

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Voice of the Injured Worker – Building Purpose Through Partnership: Centering the Injured Worker Experience

November 20, 2025
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| Categories: Voice of the Injured Worker

Meaningful work can play a pivotal role in the recovery journey. For injured workers returning to work via light-duty assignments, it’s not just about completing tasks. It’s about reconnecting with purpose, building confidence, and regaining a sense of normalcy. Through transitional work opportunities, participants gain a chance to engage, learn, and contribute, all while navigating the challenges of the workers’ compensation system. By listening to their stories, we uncover insights…

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Health Literacy and the Path to Recovery

November 18, 2025
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| Categories: Simple Concepts by Bill Zachry

Health literacy—the ability to understand and use health information—is not an academic idea. In workers’ compensation, it is the foundation for recovery. When injured workers cannot make sense of their diagnosis, treatment, or benefits, they disengage. Recovery slows, disability periods lengthen, costs climb, and frustration grows. When they do understand, they become active participants in their healing. Engagement is the engine of recovery, and health literacy is the key that…

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Placebo vs Nocebo Effect in Workers’ Compensation: Why Expectations Matter

November 11, 2025
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| Categories: CompMed Insights

Rediscovering Medical Knowledge: Lessons for Workers’ Compensation Professionals I was doing some housecleaning the other day and decided to clean out my personal library. At the bottom shelf was my collection of medical texts dating back to my Physician Assistant training. One text that caught my eye was Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 12th edition. I can remember that paying $33 for that textbook seemed wildly expensive. For fun, I…

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The Courage to Speak and the Complexity of Leadership

November 4, 2025
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| Categories: Direct from Deb

When a long-term employee leaves suddenly and shares a list of grievances, it can be jarring. It’s easy to feel defensive, misunderstood, or even betrayed. But beneath discomfort lies an opportunity for reflection, growth, and a deeper understanding of the human dynamics that shape our organizations. Recently, I received such an email. It was candid, emotional, and filled with observations about leadership, culture, and change. I responded with gratitude and…

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