After my last two blogs, Adjusters Are People, Too and AI Should Give Me Time, Not More Claims, I felt the need to address this from the carrier’s and third-party administrator’s perspective, too.  My experience running the workers’ compensation program for The University of Texas System (UT System), who was defined by law as the insurance carrier for the institutions within the system, taught me the carrier perspective.  I understand the hurdles faced but have also reaped the benefits inserted advocacy into a program can deliver as described in the Transforming Workers’ Compensation through Claim Advocacy: A Case Study of The University of Texas System white paper I wrote.

Let’s be honest. Insurance carriers and third-party administrators are businesses. They have shareholders, owners, employees, operating expenses, performance expectations and, yes, a responsibility to make money. They are expected to do more with less. They are expected to manage claims efficiently, control costs, maintain appropriate reserves, meet regulatory requirements and deliver results. I respect that UT System’s program was slightly different. Our goal wasn’t to make a profit, but we were also trying to lower costs to reduce rates charged to our institutions to run the program. That commonality existed with us, too.

To me, profit and compassion aren’t mutually exclusive. I would argue they are intrinsically connected.

What If We Stop Looking at Advocacy as an Expense?

I see the advocacy traints differently. I see them as risk management tools that mitigate the loss of time, unnecessary expenses, and protect reputational risks.

Think about what happens when an injured worker doesn’t understand the process. They become frustrated, call repeatedly, and may begin to distrust the employer, the carrier or the adjuster.

Communication breaks down, a dispute develops, an attorney gets involved, and the claims process becomes more complicated. The injured worker may lose confidence in the system, while the carrier potentially spends more money and more time managing a claim that might have been resolved differently with better communication at the onset.

The Grand Bargain

Let’s reflect on our history. Workers’ compensation was built on a fundamental tradeoff, referred to as the Grand Bargain. Injured workers gave up the right to pursue most workplace injuries through traditional litigation in exchange for a system designed to provide timely, predictable benefits without having to prove fault. Employers, in turn, received greater certainty and protection from potentially costly lawsuits.

Over time, layers of complexity, delays, and distrust have pulled us further away from that original purpose. When communication breaks down and disputes become the norm, the Grand Bargain starts to feel less like a system built around recovery and more like a system built around defending positions.

Maybe it’s time to clear some of that fog. My aspiration is to have advocacy return us to the original intent of the Grand Bargain.

The Cheapest Claim Is Not Always the One You Deny

Saying “no” is not always the best financial decision an adjuster can make. At the onset, a denied claim, through smoke and mirrors, looks cost effective.  Unfortunately, that nasty tail can slap you across the face with reality when the denial is overturned after countless hours defending your case.  The result is increased attorney fees and lump sum payments due with interest and countless hours wasted.  Hours that should have been given to the injured employees quietly suffering in an endless maze of confusion.

Imagine having the time to understand why the claim is becoming difficult. Time to explain why an injured employee’s treatment was denied or what happens next. Time to recognize the injured employee is worried about losing their job and experiencing financial problems that are ultimately impacting successful recovery.

I’ve come to understand the workers’ compensation law roadmaps the minimum requirements to be delivered. The law and rules don’t prevent a carrier or any system participant from offering resources beyond those minimums. 

Look Beyond the Workers’ Compensation Check

One of the most effective lessons from my experience with the UT System was learning to look at the resources that already existed outside the workers’ compensation program. For the benefit of the employees we supported and the institutions we served as employers, our team learned to capitalize on the employee assistance (EAPs) and return-to-work programs, modified-duty opportunities, outplacement services, and medical resources available.

Let me give you a real-life example. At UT System, we didn’t just talk about return-to-work. We developed a way to quantify the financial value of the modified-duty accommodations. The metrics allowed us to report to executives that accommodating light-duty restrictions avoided $2 million in wage-replacement benefits that would have otherwise been due. Those opportunities also maintained the relationship with the injured employee’s work family as they recovered.

Many employers and communities have similar resources that don’t necessarily cost the workers’ compensation program more money but help bring solutions and remove barriers to recovery that build profit by eliminating unnecessary expenses.

This philosophy is not simply compassion, it’s cost containment.

Communication Has a Price Tag, Too

We often measure the cost of adding something to a claim.  Maybe we should also measure the cost of not doing something early enough.

A phone call isn’t an expense. A phone call can also be an investment. A conversation before a denial isn’t an unnecessary courtesy. It can be an opportunity to explain, listen and prevent a misunderstanding from becoming a dispute.

The numbers from the UT System experience are compelling. After adopting a formal claim advocacy philosophy in 2015, claim counts and costs continued to decline even as the covered workforce grew significantly.

When I retired in 2024, our fully retained workers’ compensation program covered over 145K employees. The program’s overall average rate ultimately dropped from $0.80 per $100 of payroll in 1993 to $0.085 in 2024, an 89% reduction.

I’m not suggesting that advocacy alone produced every one of those results. The program evolved over decades, and there were multiple strategies involved. But the data certainly challenges the assumption that human-centered claims management and financial performance are opposing goals.

Here’s my final thought for you. Let’s not just ask “How much is this going to cost?” Let’s also consider, “How much is it costing us when we don’t act?”

What does one avoidable dispute cost? What’s the cost of an unnecessary attorney, one delayed return to work, one claim that continues to linger because no one had the time to pick up the phone and understand what was really happening? We have become very good at measuring the cost of benefits, but let’s also find a way to measure the cost of barriers, poor communication and missed opportunities to help someone recover.

Sometimes the most expensive claim isn’t the one where we paid too much. It’s the one where we did too little, too late.

Part 2: What Happens When Technology Gives the Adjuster Time Back?

Last week, I introduced you to Sarah. Sarah is completely fictitious, but the workload isn’t.

Sarah represents the adjusters sitting behind desks all over the country, trying to balance claim inventories, deadlines, medical records, phone calls, emails, metrics and an injured person who needs more than a claim number.

At the end of Part 1, we left Sarah with a question: What happens if technology can give her some of that time back?

That’s where artificial intelligence enters the conversation.  Let’s get back to my imaginary friend, Sarah.

AI Should Give Me Time, Not More Claims

I’m not afraid of AI. I’m actually pretty excited about it.

If AI can help me summarize a stack of medical records, identify missing information, organize my workload, draft routine correspondence, flag inconsistencies or help me find something buried in a file, that’s valuable. Every minute I don’t spend digging through information is a minute I could potentially spend talking to someone.

But here’s where I think we need to be careful.

AI should not become an excuse to give me twice as many claims.

If technology saves me two hours a day and the response is: “Great! Now you can handle 50 more files.” We’ve missed the point, a point with very real consequences.

The goal shouldn’t be to turn adjusters into claim-processing machines. The goal should be to give those two hours back to the adjuster.

Give me time to make the phone call. Give me time to listen, time to explain, time to recognize that the person on the other end of the phone isn’t just an injured shoulder, a back strain or a knee injury.  Give me time to understand the person behind all that.  The person hurting. The person I sincerely want to help.

What If AI Actually Made Claims More Human?

That may sound counterintuitive.

We often talk about technology making things less personal, but what if we use it differently?

What if AI handles some of the administrative work that consumes an adjuster’s day, while the adjuster uses that time for the work technology can’t replace?

Technology can’t successfully replace a heartfelt conversation with an injured worker or a call to an employer.  AI can’t thoughtfully review what’s happening in the life of the person behind the claim to decipher why treatment isn’t progressing.

AI can process information. It can organize, summarize, and identify patterns. It can help us find the needle in the haystack, but it doesn’t replace the human judgment required to understand why the needle matters.

And that’s an important distinction.

The Diagnosis Isn’t the Whole Story

As discussed in Part 1, I’ve seen claims that looked simple become complicated. I’ve also seen complicated claims resolve beautifully because someone took the time to understand what was really happening.

I’ve seen two people with the same injury have completely different barriers to recovery. One may be worried about money and how to support a family depending on them while another is terrified of getting hurt again and simply needs to understand what happens next.

The diagnosis might be the same, but the person isn’t.

AI may be able to tell me that two injured workers have similar diagnoses.  AI may even help me identify patterns in their claims, but it can’t make the decision that one person needs reassurance, another needs a return-to-work conversation, and a third needs someone to slow down and explain what’s happening.

That’s still our job, and honestly, I think that’s the part of the job we should want to protect.

The Risk of Making Efficiency the Finish Line

We love efficiency, and we should. There is tremendous value in eliminating unnecessary work, reducing duplication, finding information faster and making the claims process more efficient. But efficiency is a tool, not a destination.

If we use every technological advancement to simply increase productivity, increase inventory and close more files, we may create a very efficient system that still doesn’t produce better recovery and better outcomes.

We need to ask a different question.

What could an adjuster accomplish if we gave them back the time we’re currently asking them to spend on administrative work?

That question changes everything.

Maybe the adjuster could make the phone call they didn’t have time to make. Maybe they could identify a barrier to an earlier recovery which ultimately saves claim costs. Maybe they could communicate more effectively with the employer to brainstorm unique solutions specific to an individual claim.

Maybe an adjuster could recognize that an injured worker isn’t being difficult, they’re simply scared, frustrated, and shutdown due to mistrust.  Mistrust that could be resolved with a sincere, unscripted conversation.

Understanding those whys can change a claim.

Maybe the Future Adjuster Isn’t Less Human

Maybe the future adjuster is actually more human.

Imagine an adjuster who has technology working alongside them. An adjuster who doesn’t spend hours searching for information that could be surfaced in seconds.

Imagine an adjuster who has help with competing priorities. An adjuster who can spend less time documenting every mundane yet important administrative step and more time thinking about the claim.

Imagine an adjuster who has the training to recognize what matters, and the time to act on it. The vision in my mind brings a smile to my face, but there’s one more piece to the perfect puzzle.

Technology or AI alone won’t fix an overloaded claims environment.  Training alone is not the answer, nor is just a reduced claim load.   

The answer is all three together.

Train adjusters well. Give them reasonable claim loads and use technology to eliminate administrative burdens rather than eliminate the human connection.

So, What Do We Do With the Time?

That’s the million-dollar question, right? If AI gives an adjuster two hours back every day, what should we do with those two hours?

I hope the answer isn’t: “Give the adjuster more claims.”

I hope the answer is more along the lines of: “Give the adjuster the opportunity to do the job they were hired to do.” 

Because the ultimate goal of workers’ compensation isn’t just to move claims through a system as efficiently as possible, it’s to help injured people recover and return to healthy, productive lives.

The beauty of it all is that technology can help us get there, but we have to recognize that  technology isn’t the recovery model.

People are.

I’m Sarah. I’m still fictitious, but maybe now you recognize others out there like me.

The adjuster who is trying to do the right thing while staring at a screen full of numbers, notifications and deadlines.

Maybe the best thing we can give her isn’t another metric, but more time.  Time to think, listen, and care.  Time to recover the human side of workers’ compensation.

Remember, every claim tells a story, and every story deserves enough time to be heard.

National Workers’ Comp Adjuster Day was August 17. Maybe today is a good day to remember that behind every claim is an adjuster who is a person, too.

Part 1: The Person Behind the Claim

An entirely fictitious story. The workload, however, may feel painfully familiar.

My name is Sarah.

I’m a workers’ compensation adjuster. Well, at least that’s what my business card says.

I was hired because someone told me I was organized, good with people and could learn quickly. Apparently, that was enough.

On my first day, I was handed a computer, a password, a stack of files and a brief explanation of where to find the coffee.

Then someone said, “Don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it.”

I’m still getting the hang of it.

I have more claims than I can reasonably remember. More emails than I can read. More phone calls than I can return. More forms, deadlines, reports, notes, payments, medical records, requests, meetings and metrics than I ever imagined existed.

And somewhere in all of that, I’m supposed to help an injured human being recover.

To me, that’s the most important part, but it’s also the part I sometimes feel least able to do.

The Numbers

Every morning, I look at my dashboard.

How many claims are open? How many contacts did I make? How many bills did I process? How many files did I close? How quickly did I respond? How does my inventory compare with everyone else’s?

I understand why we measure these things. Someone has to make sure claims are moving and costs are warranted.

But sometimes I wonder what happens when the measurement becomes more important than the person behind the claim. Because I can make a claim file look like it is moving without actually helping the person attached to it improve.

And those are two very different things.

The Claim I Almost Missed

A few weeks ago, I had a claim involving a warehouse employee who injured his back.

The medical records said one thing, and the employer said another. The injured worker wasn’t returning my calls, and I had a dozen other claims demanding my attention.

So I left another voicemail. Eventually, he answered.

He wasn’t avoiding me because he didn’t care about his claim. He was scared. He was worried about his job and paying his mortgage. He didn’t understand what was happening with his medical treatment and, frankly, he didn’t trust the system.

That conversation lasted almost 30 minutes. Thirty minutes I wasn’t supposed to have, but it was probably the most important 30 minutes I spent that week.

For the first time, I wasn’t managing a claim.

I was talking to a person.

And once we talked, things started to change. He understood what was happening. I understood what he needed. His employer understood where the communication had broken down.

The claim started moving in the right direction. Those 30 minutes reminded me why I became an adjuster in the first place.

Then I looked at my workload, and reality came rushing back.

Here’s the Part Nobody Wants to Say Out Loud

I can’t give every claim 30 minutes. Not with my current workload.

I can’t call every injured worker just to see how they’re doing. I can’t always dig deeply enough into the medical records to understand the whole story.

I can’t always stop and ask: “What is really keeping this person from getting better?”

Sometimes I am simply trying to get through the day without something falling through the cracks, and I don’t think I’m alone.

There are adjusters sitting at desks all over the country who genuinely want to do a good job. Some are experienced. Some are brand new. Some received excellent training.

Others were handed a desk and told to figure it out.

Most are trying. Really trying, but good intentions don’t create more hours in the day.

Maybe We’ve Been Asking the Wrong Question

I’ve heard the question: How can an adjuster handle more claims?

Maybe the better question is: How can we give an adjuster more time to handle the claims they already have?

That’s where training matters.

A well-trained adjuster doesn’t just know how to process a claim. They know how to recognize red flags. They understand the workers’ compensation system and the importance of communication. They know that pain isn’t always visible. They know an injured worker’s behavior may be telling them something.

A well-trained adjuster can recognize when a claim needs a phone call instead of another letter, and they understand that two claims with the same diagnosis can have completely different recovery paths.

Training doesn’t just make adjusters more technically competent. Training gives adjusters the confidence to handle the human side of the claim.

Because Every Claim Is Different

I’ve seen simple claims become complicated.

I’ve also seen complicated claims resolve beautifully because someone took the time to understand what was really happening.

Two people can have the same injury and completely different barriers to recovery.

One may be worried about money. Another may be concerned about losing their job. Someone else may be afraid of getting hurt again, struggling to support a family, navigating a language barrier or simply not understanding what happens next.

The diagnosis might be the same, but the person isn’t.

That’s why every claim deserves to be treated as an individual story.

And that’s hard to do when an adjuster is buried beneath a mountain of files.

Maybe the Answer Isn’t More

Maybe the answer isn’t more claims, more metrics, or another dashboard.

Maybe, just maybe, the secret sauce is three fairly simple things:

Train adjusters well.

Give them reasonable claim loads.

Use technology to eliminate administrative burdens, not eliminate the human connection.

Imagine what could happen.

An adjuster who isn’t constantly playing catch-up and who has time to pick up the phone.

An adjuster who understands the system well enough to recognize when something isn’t right and who has the time to listen instead of rushing to the next task.

The result?

An injured worker who feels heard instead of processed.

And, perhaps most importantly, a claim that moves toward a quicker recovery instead of simply moving through a costly workflow.

I’m Sarah. Remember, I’m completely fictitious, but if you work in the world of workers’ compensation, you probably know people like me.

Maybe the next time we talk about improving claims outcomes, we should remember that the injured worker isn’t the only human being in the claim.

There’s another one sitting behind the desk who needs training, more time, and a little help.

That’s where our conversation gets interesting.

Technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is rapidly becoming part of the claims process.

The question isn’t whether AI can help an adjuster, but rather what we will do with the time it gives back?

Next week: Part 2, “AI Should Give Me Time, Not More Claims.”

Last week, I shared how my own definition of success changed over the course of a career in workers’ compensation. Like many claims professionals, I began by measuring success through closed files, favorable outcomes, and cost savings. Over time, I came to realize that behind every claim number is a person with fears, responsibilities, and a life that has been unexpectedly interrupted. I also discussed how the demands of our profession can unintentionally shift our focus from people to processes, leaving injured workers feeling unseen.

This week, I’d like to explore what the research tells us about that experience and why leading with empathy, communication, and whole-person recovery isn’t just compassionate. It’s one of the most effective ways to improve recovery outcomes.

Before the injury, this wasn’t “Claim #24-3817.”

It was a father coaching Little League. A mother caring for aging parents. A young employee saving for a first home. A veteran beginning a second career. A single parent wondering how next month’s rent will be paid.

The injury didn’t erase those responsibilities. It magnified them.

Recovery isn’t simply healing a shoulder, a knee, or a back. Recovery means restoring confidence. Reducing fear. Maintaining identity. Protecting financial security. Helping someone believe that life will eventually feel normal again.

Medical treatment is only one part of recovery. Human connection is another.

The Science Behind Seeing the Person

Research increasingly confirms what many compassionate claims professionals have always known.

How people experience the claims process influences how they recover.

A landmark study involving more than 10,900 injured workers found that workers who reported positive experiences with the workers’ compensation system were significantly more likely to achieve successful return-to-work outcomes, even after accounting for injury severity and other factors. The researchers concluded that improving the injured worker’s experience is not simply good customer service. It is associated with better recovery outcomes.

More recent rehabilitation research has reinforced this message. A 2024 qualitative study found that injured workers consistently identified supportive supervisors, caring coworkers, frequent communication, and feeling genuinely valued as some of the most important factors influencing successful recovery and return to work. Participants described emotional support as being every bit as important as medical care.

The science extends beyond relationships.

When people experience uncertainty, isolation, or feel ignored after an injury, the brain remains in a heightened state of stress. That stress can amplify pain, reduce trust, increase anxiety, and make recovery more difficult. Conversely, empathy, clear communication, and psychological safety help injured workers focus their energy on healing rather than navigating fear and uncertainty.

Perhaps most striking, an analysis of approximately 540,000 workers’ compensation claims found that although fewer than 3% of claims involved documented behavioral health concerns, those claims accounted for roughly 35% of total claim costs and resulted in workers remaining off work nearly three times longer than other injured workers.

The lesson is difficult to ignore. Treating the whole person isn’t simply compassionate. It’s effective.

The Worker Recovery Difference

This is why the Worker Recovery concept matters.

Worker Recovery is not about being “nice.” It is not paying benefits that aren’t owed. It is not sacrificing objective investigation. It is not abandoning sound claims management.

Instead, Worker Recovery begins with a different question.

Rather than asking, “How do I process this claim?” we first ask, “How do I help this person recover?”

That subtle shift changes everything. It changes how we communicate. It changes how quickly we respond. It changes how we explain difficult decisions. It changes how employers remain connected with injured employees. It changes how providers coordinate care. It changes how adjusters define success.

The claim is still investigated. Benefits are still administered. Medical care is still managed. Compliance still matters. But every action is viewed through the lens of helping a human being move forward.

The claim becomes more than a file. The claim becomes someone’s recovery journey.

Every System Participant Has a Choice

Every phone call presents a choice. Every email presents a choice. Every delay, every approval, every denial, every conversation present a choice, or better yet an opportunity to serve another human in need.

We can reinforce the feeling of being another file waiting in a queue, or we can remind someone that they still matter.

Sometimes the smallest moments leave the deepest impressions. Returning a phone call, explaining why a decision was made, something as simple as using someone’s name can make a difference. Checking in before asking for information, listening for what isn’t written in the medical report.

Those actions rarely appear on a performance dashboard, yet they often determine whether an injured worker feels supported or abandoned and can significantly impact the outcome of their recovery.

Seeing the Person Again

The workers’ compensation system was created because society recognized that when someone is injured while earning a living, they deserve medical care, wage protection, dignity, and support.

That mission hasn’t changed. Only our pace has.

The next time you open a claim file, pause for just a moment. Imagine that person sitting across from you instead of existing as rows in a computer system.

Imagine hearing these words:

“I am not a number. I am not a claim. I am a human being. A human being who needs help.”

If we truly hear those words, something remarkable happens. The claim doesn’t become less important. It becomes more meaningful. Because every claim represents a person whose life was unexpectedly interrupted. Every file represents someone’s spouse. Someone’s parent. Someone’s child. Someone’s friend. Someone’s future.

Perhaps that is where genuine recovery begins. Not with the first payment. Not with the first medical appointment. But with the first moment an injured worker realizes:

“They don’t just see my claim. They see me.”

A Final Thought

Every claim is an opportunity to make a decision. Will we simply administer a process? Or will we help restore a life?

The Worker Recovery movement begins with a simple belief: when we intentionally lead with advocacy, empathy, and whole-person recovery, everyone benefits. Injured workers feel seen. Families find hope. Employers regain valued employees. Claims professionals rediscover the purpose that drew them to this profession in the first place.

If this message resonates with you, I invite you to join a growing community of professionals committed to changing the conversation around workers’ compensation. Becoming a Workers’ Recovery Professional (WRP) through WorkCompCollege.com is more than earning a certification. It is embracing a mindset that recognizes every claim as a person, every interaction as an opportunity, and every recovery as a chance to make a lasting difference.

Because in the end, our greatest success won’t be measured by the number of files we close.

It will be measured by the number of lives we help reopen.

References

Collie, A., Di Donato, M., Iles, R., et al. (2019). The relationship between injured workers’ experiences of the workers’ compensation claims process and return to work outcomes. BMC Public Health, 19, 104. This study of more than 10,900 injured workers found that positive claims experiences were significantly associated with successful return-to-work outcomes.

Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. (2024). Factors influencing return to work after workplace injury: Perspectives of injured workers. Participants consistently identified supportive supervisors, frequent communication, psychological safety, and feeling valued as critical components of successful recovery.

Sentry Insurance. (2024). Behavioral health and workers’ compensation claims analysis. Analysis of approximately 540,000 claims found that fewer than 3% of claims involved documented behavioral health conditions, yet those claims represented approximately 35% of total claim costs and significantly longer disability durations.

Gray, S. E., et al. (2019). Concerns About Claiming, Postclaim Support, and Return to Work Planning. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The study found that emotional support from employers was among the strongest predictors of successful return-to-work outcomes.

Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). Multiple studies on early intervention, communication, return-to-work practices, and psychosocial factors consistently demonstrate that timely communication and worker engagement improve recovery and claim outcomes.

National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). Research briefs on return-to-work, behavioral health, and psychosocial factors in workers’ compensation emphasize the importance of whole-person recovery and early engagement in improving outcomes.

Over the next two weeks, I’d like to share a reflection that has shaped the way I view workers’ compensation. In Part 1, I share my own journey from measuring success by closed claims to understanding that every claim represents a human life. Next week, in Part 2, I’ll explore what research tells us about recovery and how a Worker Recovery mindset can improve outcomes for everyone involved.

“I am not an elephant. I am not an animal. I am a human being. I am a man.”

When John Merrick utters these unforgettable words in The Elephant Man, he isn’t asking for sympathy.

He’s asking to be seen. Not as a spectacle. Not as a diagnosis. Not as an inconvenience.

Simply as a human being.

Those words have stayed with me for years, and they challenge me in a deeply personal way.

I have a confession to make.

When I first entered the workers’ compensation profession as a young claims adjuster, I often viewed claims handling as a competition. I measured success by closing files, winning disputes, and saving dollars. Every favorable outcome felt like a victory. Every compliment from a supervisor validated that I was doing my job well.

As I write those words today, I want to hide beneath the Elephant Man’s hood, not because of how the world sees me, but because I am humbled by how I once saw the world.

Because that isn’t who I am. And thankfully, it isn’t who I became.

Experience has a remarkable way of changing our definition of success.

Over the course of more than three decades in workers’ compensation, I witnessed thousands of injured employees and their families navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives. I learned that behind every claim number was a story I couldn’t see. Behind every dispute was a person carrying fears that never appeared in the claim file. Behind every delayed return to work was a family trying to hold life together.

The day I retired from The University of Texas System, as I crossed the threshold and walked out of the building for the final time, I wasn’t proud of the dollars I had saved or the disputes I had won.

I was proud that somewhere along the journey, my definition of success had changed.

Success had become helping people recover. Success had become listening before deciding. Success had become leading with empathy and creating a psychologically safe environment for people to be heard.

That lesson continues to deepen through my work with Kids’ Chance of Texas.

I’ve had the privilege of meeting families whose lives have been forever changed by catastrophic workplace injuries and fatalities. I’ve seen spouses suddenly carrying the weight of an entire household. I’ve watched children quietly wonder whether college was still possible after a parent was killed or permanently disabled at work.

Then comes the moment that changes everything.

They hear one simple word.

“Yes.”

Yes, you’ve been awarded a scholarship. In an instant, tears replace uncertainty. Hope replaces fear. A future that seemed to be slipping away suddenly feels possible again.

Those moments remind me that workers’ compensation has never been about claims. It has always been about people. Perhaps that’s why wonder what an injured worker might say if they could borrow John Merrick’s words.

“I am not a number. I am not a claim. I am a human being. A human being who needs help.”

Perhaps those words should be printed on every claim file, every adjuster’s desktop, every employer’s first report of injury, and every workers’ compensation computer screen. Because somewhere along the way, many claims stop being about people. They become events.

Tasks, workflows. diary notes, reserve reviews, medical authorizations, litigation, metrics, numbers. Every one of those activities is necessary to administer a workers’ compensation claim. But none of them is the reason workers’ compensation exists.

Workers’ compensation exists because someone was hurt. Someone whose life changed in an instant. Someone who needs help finding their way back.

Nobody Enters This Profession to Lose Their Empathy

Let’s be fair. Claims professionals don’t wake up in the morning determined to treat injured workers like claim numbers. Employers don’t intentionally forget that an employee is scared. Nurses don’t choose paperwork over compassion. Attorneys don’t begin their careers hoping conflict becomes the norm. Most people in this industry genuinely care.

The problem isn’t a lack of caring. The problem is volume. Too many files, too many emails, too many deadlines, too many phone calls, too many competing priorities.

When people are expected to manage workloads beyond what time reasonably allows, survival instincts take over. The focus naturally shifts from people to processes. Efficiency replaces connection. Checklists replace conversations. The goal becomes getting through today’s work rather than connecting with today’s people.

Psychologists describe this as depersonalization, one of the hallmarks of professional burnout. It isn’t intentional. It isn’t a character flaw. It’s a coping mechanism.

But while the system participant is coping with overwhelming demands, the injured worker experiences something very different. They experience silence, distance, and indifference.

To them, it feels like no one cares.

This conversation doesn’t end here. Next week, in Part 2, we’ll look at the science behind recovery and examine why the way we communicate, connect, and lead can have a measurable impact on both people and outcomes.

“Workers’ compensation professionals are often measured by compliance, claim outcomes, and operational performance. While those metrics matter, the greatest impact we make is often felt in the lives of the injured workers we serve.”  Danielle Thompson, City of Corpus Christi

The Workers’ Recovery Professional (WRP) certification was created to help industry professionals look beyond the claim and focus on the whole person. Through education, collaboration, and a recovery-centered philosophy, WRP equips professionals to better understand the factors that influence recovery, improve communication, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and ultimately achieve better outcomes for both employees and employers.

Few professionals embody that philosophy as naturally as Danielle Thompson. Her commitment to service, lifelong learning, and helping others succeed made her an ideal candidate for the program. In the following interview, Danielle shares her career journey, her experience earning the WRP designation, and how it transformed the way she approaches workers’ compensation and worker recovery.

Some professionals find workers’ compensation. Others find a calling.

For Danielle, that calling began with a commitment to service long before she ever entered the field.

“I am first and foremost a wife, a daughter, and a mother to three incredible daughters, and those roles have shaped me into the woman I am today,” she says. “They have taught me resilience, compassion, humility, and the importance of serving others.”

That commitment to helping others extended beyond her family. As a foster parent, Danielle welcomed several children into her home and ultimately adopted her middle daughter.

“That experience strengthened my passion for advocacy, reinforced the importance of supporting others through difficult times, and taught me never to take things at surface value.”

Those lessons would later become foundational to her approach to workers’ compensation.

A Career Built on Learning and Service

Danielle’s path into workers’ compensation was anything but traditional.

Growing up, she was exposed to occupational health and workplace injuries through her father’s work supporting the petrochemical and oil and gas industries. Later, she built experience in training, workforce development, safety, and employee support.

In March 2024, she joined the City of Corpus Christi as a Safety Coordinator. What began as supporting workers’ compensation claims quickly evolved into a broader role involving claims oversight, regulatory compliance, return-to-work coordination, policy development, training, and program improvement initiatives.

Along the way, Danielle helped lead significant initiatives including a third-party administrator transition, medical network changes, supervisor education efforts, and claims management enhancements.

Today, she helps oversee a workers’ compensation program serving more than 3,500 employees.

“What continues to make this work meaningful to me,” she says, “is the balance between serving people and improving organizational outcomes.”

A Lifelong Learner Discovers WorkCompCollege

Danielle describes herself as a lifelong learner.

Since graduating high school at sixteen, she has earned associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, multiple professional certifications, and is currently pursuing her second master’s degree.

“My family jokes that I am a professional student, and honestly, they are probably right.”

So when members of her Texas PRIMA network introduced her to WorkCompCollege.com and the Workers’ Recovery Professional (WRP) certification, she was intrigued.

At the time, she was still relatively new to workers’ compensation.

“I knew I could not replace or gain decades of experience overnight, but I could learn from professionals who had already spent thirty plus years navigating the challenges, successes, and evolution of workers’ compensation.”

What attracted her most was the philosophy behind the program.

“What sparked my interest most was the program’s emphasis on recovery rather than simply claims administration.”

When the Light Bulb Came On

For Danielle, the WRP experience became much more than professional development.

“My experience with the WRP curriculum was honestly one of the most impactful professional development experiences I’ve had.”

She entered the program already working in workers’ compensation every day, but quickly realized there was much more to learn.

“What stood out to me most was that the program wasn’t focused solely on claims, regulations, or compliance. Instead, it focused on people.”

As she progressed through the curriculum, she found herself constantly connecting lessons back to real employees and real situations she encountered in her role.

“There were many moments when I would finish a course and immediately start thinking about how I could apply those concepts to better support our employees and improve our processes.”

Then came the moment that changed her perspective.

“One of the learning experiences that resonated with me most was hearing directly from an injured worker about her journey through the workers’ compensation system.”

Like many professionals, Danielle had reviewed countless claim files, medical reports, return-to-work plans, and benefit issues. But hearing the story directly from an injured worker created an entirely different perspective.

“Listening to her experiences, frustrations, challenges, and successes reminded me that every claim file represents a real person whose life has been impacted by an injury.”

From Managing Claims to Supporting Recovery

Before earning her WRP designation, Danielle viewed workers’ compensation primarily through the lens of program administration, compliance, and claims management.

The program fundamentally changed that perspective.

“The WRP program helped me shift my perspective from managing claims to supporting recovery.”

Today, she approaches her role differently.

“I am more intentional about considering the employee’s entire experience.”

One of the most surprising lessons she learned was that recovery is influenced by far more than medical treatment.

“The most surprising thing I learned during the program was how many factors outside of the actual injury can influence an employee’s recovery.”

Communication, support systems, workplace relationships, expectations, and trust can dramatically impact outcomes.

“The program helped me understand that two employees with very similar injuries can have completely different outcomes based on how supported, informed, and connected they feel during their recovery journey.”

That realization has changed the way she interacts with injured employees.

“When speaking with an injured employee, I make a conscious effort to explain the process, answer questions, and ensure they understand what to expect moving forward.”

As Danielle puts it: “I am empathetic, not sympathetic.”

Those conversations help reduce uncertainty, build trust, and create a more positive recovery experience.

Building a Recovery-Focused Culture

The workers’ recovery philosophy has also influenced how Danielle collaborates with supervisors, medical providers, adjusters, and other stakeholders.

“The workers’ recovery mindset has encouraged me to approach every interaction with a greater focus on collaboration and shared goals.”

Her belief is simple: “Recovery really is a team effort among all parties involved.”

Looking ahead, Danielle plans to continue integrating recovery principles into every aspect of the City of Corpus Christi’s workers’ compensation program.

“Whether through employee communication, supervisor training, return-to-work efforts, or program development, I want to ensure that recovery remains at the center of our approach.”

She hopes to strengthen collaboration across all stakeholders and promote a culture where recovery is viewed as a shared responsibility.

Advice for Other Professionals

For workers’ compensation professionals considering the Workers’ Recovery Professional certification, Danielle doesn’t hesitate.

“My advice would be simple: do it.”

She believes the program offers valuable insights whether someone is new to the profession or has decades of experience.

“The curriculum challenges you to think beyond compliance and claims management and focus on what truly matters, helping people recover.”

More importantly, she says the program provided not only new knowledge, but a renewed sense of purpose.

The Human Being at the Center

When asked to summarize the WRP experience in a single sentence, Danielle’s answer perfectly captures both her philosophy and the mission of the Workers’ Recovery Professional program:

“The most important part of any claim isn’t the injury, the paperwork, or the outcome, it’s the human being at the center of it.”

That perspective is helping shape the future of workers’ compensation at the City of Corpus Christi.

And if Danielle’s vision for her professional legacy becomes reality, that impact will extend far beyond any single claim.

“When I look back on my career, I hope people remember me as someone who genuinely cared about others, invested in their success, and made a positive difference in the lives of the people I served.”

For the employees she supports, the City of Corpus Christi, and the profession itself, she is already well on her way.

When injured employees feel unheard, distrust begins to grow. When they feel supported, recovery has a stronger foundation.

Every workers’ compensation claim begins with a disruption.

One moment, someone is at work doing their job. The next, they are facing pain, uncertainty, and questions they never expected to ask.

Will I recover?

Will I be able to support my family?

Will my employer still want me back?

How we respond in those first moments matters more than we sometimes realize.

New research confirms something many workers’ compensation professionals have observed for years. Published in 2026 Journal of Risk and Insurance, researchers analyzed more than 950,000 claims involving over seven days of lost time. They found injured workers were significantly more likely to retain legal counsel when they believed they might lose their job because of the injury, when they felt their supervisor had not taken the injury seriously, or when they perceived their claim was being denied.

Not necessarily when their claim was actually denied, but when they believed it was.

That distinction matters.

What the research reveals is not simply a legal issue. It is a human issue. More specifically, it is a communication issue.

At nearly the same time, the 2025 Annual Workers’ Compensation Industry Insight Survey reported that 61 percent of respondents identified litigation as the greatest challenge facing the industry, a significant increase from the previous year. As costs rise and disputes become more frequent, it is worth asking an important question:

What if many of those challenges begin long before a hearing, an attorney referral, or a formal dispute?

What if they begin with the very first conversation?

Every workers’ compensation claim starts with a person.

A person who is injured.

A person who may be worried about their health, their family, their paycheck, their future, or their job security.

In those first hours and days, every interaction matters.

The supervisor responding to the injury.

The coworker offering support.

The employer representative making the initial report.

The nurse case manager coordinating care.

The adjuster making the first call.

The medical provider explaining treatment.

The attorney answering questions.

The regulator overseeing the process.

Each interaction contributes to the injured worker’s understanding of what happens next and whether the system is there to help them recover.

When people feel ignored, dismissed, or treated like a claim number, trust begins to erode.

When they feel heard, respected, and informed, trust begins to grow and success builds within a psychologically safe environment.

The difference is often not found in policy manuals, statutes, or procedures.

It is found in how we communicate.

Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working alongside professionals from every corner of the workers’ compensation system. Whether serving injured employees, managing claims, administering programs, or shaping policy, the most successful professionals shared a common characteristic:

They never lost sight of the person behind the claim. 

They understood that the file on their desk represented someone’s spouse, child, friend, or coworker. 

They recognized that while they may handle hundreds of claims each year, for the injured worker, this experience was often the most significant challenge they had faced in a long time.

When I retired from the University of Texas System in 2024, our workers’ compensation program served more than 140,000 employees across academic and health institutions, we consistently saw the impact of early engagement.

Our focus was simple: helping injured employees feel supported, informed, and valued from the very beginning.

We worked hard to ensure they understood what was happening, what to expect next, and that they had partners committed to helping them recover.

When people feel supported instead of processed, something important happens. Trust grows. Communication improves. Recovery becomes a shared goal.

The outcomes were different. Not occasionally. Consistently.

What drove those outcomes was rarely a procedural advantage.

It was the quality of the human connection.

The research supports what many experienced professionals already know.

When injured workers feel heard early in the process, they are less likely to seek legal representation out of fear or frustration. They are more likely to engage in their recovery, participate in return-to-work efforts, and maintain confidence in the system designed to support them.

Most injured workers will never remember the statute that applied to their claim.

They may never remember the claim number.

But they will remember how they were treated.

They will remember who listened.

They will remember who returned the call.

They will remember who helped them feel less alone.

None of this requires extraordinary resources.

It requires listening.

It requires empathy.

It requires clear, honest communication.

It requires taking a few extra moments to explain what happens next and setting expectations.

Workers’ compensation has always been built on a grand bargain, but at its heart it is also a relationship business. Every day, professionals across the country are entrusted with helping people navigate one of the most difficult periods of their lives.

The way we show up matters.

The words we choose matter.

The tone we set matters.

We often call these soft skills.

There is nothing soft about helping someone navigate fear, uncertainty, pain, and recovery.

Communication, empathy, and trust-building are among the most important professional skills in workers’ compensation.

The future of our industry depends on perfecting these skills.

As experienced professionals retire and organizations work to attract and develop the next generation of talent, technical knowledge alone will not be enough. The professionals who create the greatest impact will be those who combine expertise with communication, compassion, and a genuine commitment to helping people recover.

That is true whether you are an adjuster, employer, risk manager, nurse, attorney, regulator, safety professional, or healthcare provider.

Every interaction shapes the injured worker’s experience.

Every conversation contributes to an outcome.

Every professional has the opportunity to make recovery easier rather than harder.

At WorkCompCollege.com, we believe workers’ compensation education should be about more than statutes, regulations, and claim handling processes.

It should also help professionals develop the communication skills, empathy, and recovery-focused mindset that injured employees need most during difficult moments.

Whether through the Workers’ Recovery Professional certification, Workers’ Compensation Mental Injury Claims Specialist certification, or any of our other educational programs, our goal is simple: help professionals become better equipped to support recovery and improve outcomes for everyone involved.

The latest research confirms what many of us have witnessed throughout our careers.

Recovery rarely begins with paperwork.

It begins when someone feels heard.

It begins when someone feels respected.

It begins when someone believes they are not facing the journey alone.

Recovery begins with a conversation and trusted partnership.

And that first conversation has the power to shape everything that follows.

If your organization feels a little stretched lately, you’re not imagining it.

Across the workers’ compensation system, experienced professionals are retiring at a pace that is beginning to reshape the industry. Claims professionals, nurse case managers, risk managers, safety professionals, attorneys, regulators, medical providers, and administrators are leaving behind careers built on decades of experience, judgment, and institutional knowledge.

When we talk about workforce shortages, we often focus on the numbers. How many positions need to be filled. How many years until retirement. How many new professionals are entering the field.

But behind every statistic is something much more meaningful.

A person.

Someone who spent years helping injured workers navigate difficult moments. Someone who understood the nuances of a complex claim. Someone who knew how to balance compliance, compassion, and sound decision-making. Someone who mentored others and quietly became the person everyone turned to when the answer wasn’t obvious.

As these professionals leave the workforce, they take more than technical knowledge with them. They take wisdom, perspective, and experience that cannot be replaced overnight.

That creates challenges for organizations. It also creates an extraordinary opportunity for the professionals who remain and those just entering the industry.

Workers’ compensation has always been a profession built on trust. Trust between employers and employees. Trust between claims professionals and medical providers. Trust between attorneys, regulators, safety teams, and risk managers. Trust is what allows a complicated system to function in service of people who have been injured and need support.

In a time when experienced talent is becoming harder to find, the value of trusted professionals rises dramatically.

The individuals who invest in learning, who continue developing their skills, and who understand both the technical and human side of workers’ compensation will become increasingly important to their organizations and to the people they serve.

That is why professional development matters now more than ever.

Not because another certificate looks impressive on a resume.

Not because continuing education requirements demand it.

Because every new skill, every new perspective, and every deeper understanding of the system ultimately improves outcomes for injured workers and employers.

The professionals who thrive over the next decade will be the ones who embrace continuous learning. They will understand the legal framework, the medical complexities, the financial realities, and most importantly, the human experience behind every claim.

The good news is that learning no longer has to fit into the old model of week-long travel sessions or classroom schedules. Today’s professionals can build knowledge in manageable pieces, learning at their own pace and applying what they learn immediately.

The future of workers’ compensation will not be shaped solely by technology, regulations, or economic trends.

It will be shaped by people.

People who choose to grow.

People who choose to lead.

People who recognize that every role in this system, whether in claims, risk management, safety, healthcare, legal services, or administration, has the power to influence recovery and improve lives.

The empty desks we see today are a reminder of how much knowledge and experience this profession has been fortunate to have. They are also a call to action for the next generation of leaders who will carry that responsibility forward.

At WorkCompCollege.com, we believe the future of workers’ compensation depends on investing in people. Our programs are designed to help professionals across the entire workers’ compensation ecosystem build technical expertise while developing a deeper understanding of recovery, communication, and the human side of the work.

The industry needs more knowledgeable professionals. More compassionate professionals. More professionals who are committed to lifelong learning.

The door is open.

The question is simple:

Who will step through it?

Professional brand is not a LinkedIn summary. It is what people say about your work when you are not in the room.  In workers’ compensation, that conversation may determine who gets trusted with the industry’s future.

A white paper published by Risk & Insurance and Optum Workers’ Compensation in May 2026 highlights that the workers’ compensation industry is confronting a growing talent crisis as a significant portion of its experienced workforce approaches retirement.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of insurance professionals aged 55 and older has risen by 74% in the past ten years, and projections suggest that by the mid-2030s, nearly half of the current workforce will retire, leaving more than 400,000 positions unfilled. The exodus is creating critical gaps in specialized areas such as complex claims management, regulatory compliance, data analytics, and leadership. When the experienced half of a room leaves, the people who remain get seen in a very different light.

That shift changes what professional identity means in this field, and it is worth talking about plainly, because “professional brand” is one of those phrases that sounds like marketing and means something far more practical.

A professional presence is not a bio paragraph or a badge on a conference lanyard. It is the reputation that arrives before you do, and it starts at every introduction.  Those first impressions are lasting and a bad first impression takes immense time and effort to overcome.

When your name comes up at a conference or during a chat around the water cooler at work, your character is what fills that conversation. Put effort into your reputation because even when you are not in the room, your work and the way you made others feel are.

I spent 30 years in the workers’ comp industry in the public, private, regulatory, cost containment, and carrier space before retiring.  Now that I’m back, the clock counting my experience continues ticking. During my first 30 years, I was not reviewing LinkedIn profiles. I was paying attention to those who returned phone calls, who prepared before difficult conversations, who treated injured employees with dignity and respect, and who could explain a difficult decision without creating conflict.  I had a driving desire to mentor those interested in improving the workers’ compensation system.

A title tells me where you have been. How you navigated an employee’s injury tells me who you are as an employee and human being.  That distinction matters more than ever right now. As tenured system participants retire, the professionals behind them are being handed an important yet complex role with a faded roadmap to navigate. 

Changing the course from one generation to the next is not wrong, but the foundation on which to build must be sound and sturdy.  The system participants with the moxie to help the employee recover from their injury will stand out.  The goal and path in support of this mission should be clear and consistent, enough so that a reputation is built in a manner that follows you throughout your career, opening doors long before you knock on them.

The workforce shift underway is genuinely good news for system participants willing to invest in developing their reputation. The ones who do the work will be recognized faster than they would have been five years ago, simply because there are fewer veterans to get lost behind, but I promise many of those veterans remain a resource anxious to pay their career success forward.  There’s no doubt those leaving are ready to hold the next generation high in their warranted success.

The question is how you build that competence on purpose rather than by accident. Part of the answer is experience, which comes with time and good supervision. Part of the answer is formal education: specifically, education designed around the reasoning skills workers’ compensation demands and deserves. How to communicate a difficult decision after removing personal bias.

Formal education cannot replace experience, but it can accelerate judgment, sharpen communication skills, and help professionals develop the critical thinking that workers’ compensation demands. That philosophy is what inspired the creation of WorkCompCollege.com.  The programs are all virtual, designed for working professionals at your own pace and offered on a schedule that does not require you to abandon your caseload. You can learn more at workcompcollege.com.

The empty desks are not going to fill themselves, and the claims do not become less complex because experienced professionals retire.

The next generation of leaders is already being identified.

Your reputation is already in the room.

What is it saying about you?

Originally Published 4/6/26.

Those of you who have seen me present on stage know that I always find a way to incorporate my horses into the mix.  In my mind, the horsemanship lessons are directly parallel to what we as leaders, managers, and teammates encounter daily.  My hope is this approach helps the message stick.

Today is not a good day as I’m preparing to say goodbye to my biggest mentor, C.S. Gaybar Latigo aka Lattie.  Lattie is the one who taught me many of the lessons I share with the industry when I speak. 

If you’ve ever owned a horse, you know your veterinarian becomes part of your inner circle. Our partners at Austin Equine Hospital have been exactly that.  They are my trusted advisors, steady voices, and friends. They’ve answered every anxious call from this self-proclaimed “helicopter horse mom” with patience and care.  There were days I’d see their arms waving out the window at our boys in the pasture as they drove by on the highway and I occasionally receive random texts from them just to check on us.

Austin Equine taught me one of the hardest yet important lessons of all: if you truly listen, your horse will tell you when it’s time.

Yesterday on Easter morning in 2026, Lattie told me.

And as his “alpha,” my responsibility is to listen even when it breaks my heart.

Through communication with my “speed dial” friends we found a way to mask his pain enough that he can have one more day with us, and it’s a beautiful day.  The sun is shining following the heavenly rain we were gifted over the weekend.  The air is fresh and the temperature is crisp.  What more could my Lattie boy ask?

The hard part is making sure he’s aware of how thankful I am to be his mom.  How grateful I am for the lesson he taught, and how best to memorialize his purpose through continually sharing the gifts he gave with audiences across our industry and maybe beyond that scope. 

That big lovable goofball, the gentle, sensitive giant that would spook at the site of a shadow from a bird flying above on a sunny day.  That masterful supervisor always in the middle of any project in his pasture and the boy who stepped into a dominant alpha role once Harry Trotter joined the herd. 

Saying goodbye hurts when you love another so hard, but it’s wrong to skirt the beauty of that relationship for the fear of pain.  I’m also very cognizant that the pain I’m feeling at this moment is nothing compared to what I’ll face tomorrow, but I’ll muddle through it respecting the hurt as a reflection of our bond.

Today we share favorite treats, a couple of beers, and tons of hugs, kisses, and love.  Tomorrow my sweet boy, you and Muddy will return to your playful battles free of pain in wide open fields. 

I promise to continue sharing your lessons and legacy with others.