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In this episode, we sit down with industry powerhouse Mollie Kallen to explore the often misunderstood role of case managers* in workers’ compensation. With over 30 years of experience leading one of the largest case management companies in the country, Mollie brings unmatched insight into how effective communication, not just clinical expertise, drives better outcomes for injured employees, employers, and claims professionals alike.

We talk about what makes a great case manager, how communication breakdowns can derail even the best-intentioned care plans, and why advocacy and collaboration are more important than ever. Mollie also shares how her personal health journey reshaped her professional mission and led her to a new chapter of coaching cancer patients and their families with the same compassion and clarity that marked her work in workers' comp.

Whether you're a case manager, claims adjuster, or anyone working in the comp system, this conversation will leave you with a deeper appreciation for the human connection at the heart of recovery.

🎧 Tune in and discover why communication truly is key.

*NOTE: Rafael said "nurse case managers" when he started with his questions. While often, case managers are nurses and have a nursing background, they aren't always nurses, as is the case with Mollie. The reason many nurses become case managers is they have solid clinical backgrounds. So, just know, a case manager isn't always a nurse and people often use these terms interchangeably. Yes, we know! It is confusing.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

ReEmployability: https://www.reemployability.com/

Cancer Coach Connection: https://www.cancercoachconnection.com/

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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In this engaging and insightful episode, co-hosts Yvonne Guibert and Rafael Gonzalez sit down with legendary industry leader Bill Zachry for a deep-dive into the realities shaping today’s California workers’ compensation system, and other state systems around the country.

We explore rising WC costs, why it makes sense to manage and treat psychosocial barriers to recovery early on in the claim — or risk higher costs down the road, and other tips and observances he's made along the way.

Bill shares powerful stories from his career, including how he entered the system as an injured worker, his role as a "baby claims adjuster," how he has helped shape public policy, the role of organized fraud in the Los Angeles basin and more. He also discusses his coined term, “sisterhood of the traveling body parts,” to describe recycled injury narratives.

Our discussion also touches on prevention, prescription patterns, several issues related to public policy, and the cultural and systemic gaps that keep workers’ comp stuck in a reactive posture.

This episode is equal parts candid, educational, and entertaining — and is a must-listen for any workers' compensation professional, regardless of tenure.

Resources:

Rising Medical Solutions Annual Benchmarking Study

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp

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Melissa Steger returns to walk us through the building blocks of the unique Texas UT System workers' compensation program. While the program is self-insured, they use a third-party administrator (TPA) in a hybrid system where the TPA staff sit on-site with the UT System staff who oversee the program.

Covering 160,000 employees and over 250,000 students, UT System uses a variable rating system and has set up a culture where the individual institutions within the system compete against one another to achieve superior outcomes. The results? Truly innovative and remarkable.

During Melissa's tenure with the WC program, and through a system of healthy competition, they initially saw program costs of eighty cents per $100 dollars of payroll. When Melissa retired last year, it had fallen to 8.5 cents per $100 dollars of payroll.

How did this happen? Melissa talks about some of the nuances of their program including an annual retreat, where the hybrid staff come together to improve communications, get focused on core program goals and learn how they could continuously improve their results.

Join us as we talk to Melissa and learn how UT System achieved such amazing results.

Melissa also talks about flunking out of retirement. She is now VP of Business Development at WorkCompCollege.com

¡Muchas Gracias! Thank you for listening. We would appreciate you sharing our podcast with your friends on social media. Find Yvonne and Rafael on Linked In or follow us on Twitter @deconstructcomp