Dr. J.'s Jottings: Upgrading Workers' Comp & Disability Benefits Systems

6/12/07 Northern CA SAW/RTW Summit - Maybe there's space for you

There may still be a few seats available at the Northern California Summit on Promoting Stay at Work and Return to Work next week.  It's on June 21 at a Safeway Stores facility in Pleasanton.  If you're from California, understand the stay-at-work and return-to-work process, and are interested in being part of this potentially history-making event, go to the GREAT Northern CA Summit website, read up, and then register. (Registering does not guarantee you a seat since space is limited -- the enrollment is capped -- and the planning committee is balancing representation among various stakeholder groups.)

People of good will who have been waiting for an opportunity to pitch in to improve "life outcomes" for injured / ill employees in health-related employment situations -- and their employers -- whether in the disability benefits or workers' compensation arena -- should try to attend.  (If you're tempted to come in order to complain or blame others, do us all a favor and stay home!)  With every additional committed and well-informed person there, the odds get better that this Northern California event will be a milestone of a meeting!   

At the Summit, you'll sit side by side with a powerhouse list of other stakeholders and work together to figure out how to make the recommendations made in ACOEM's latest Guideline on Preventing Needless Work Disability by Helping People Stay Employed come to life in California! 

If you come, I'll see you there.  As founder and chair of the North American 60 Summits Project, I'm keynoting the session, along with Herb Schultz, the senior advisor on health policy for the Governor of California.

JHC

Happy News! Prudential sponsors the 60 Summits Project!

Yesterday it became official.  Prudential Financial is the first charter North American sponsor of The 60 Summits Project!  Their generous grant is going to make it possible for us to enter at least 5 additional states in the next few months. [We’re figuring out now which states are the best choices.  Any nominations?]  We will also be able to provide financial support in the form of partial matching grants to all the Summit planning groups now at work. 

In the last two weeks, The 60 Summits Project has been separately incorporated as a non-profit corporation in Massachusetts, and we have a new logo and website: www.60Summits.org.  It's still pretty basic.  More to come.

This rapidly-growing project is SUCH a great learning experience for us all.   For most of my life, I’ve been “ahead of the ball” but the pace of the 60 Summits Project keeps me scrambling.  Every step of the way, there’s something to improvise for the first time, an error to correct, an aha! and lesson for next time, and so on.  It’s very demanding, but truly exhilarating.  Happily, Prudential’s sponsorship also will allow us to further develop the central infrastructure we’ve realized is required to provide appropriate support services to existing and future Summit planning groups. 

To my knowledge, our grass-roots multi-stakeholder approach to creating positive change in disability benefits and workers’ compensation systems is unprecedented.  It is truly a joy to discover there are so many people of good will who are attracted to the 60 Summits Project because they are intent on making a positive difference.  I keep discovering that I’ve underestimated people.  In my previous life, I’ve sometimes been disappointed by people who initially looked promising.  The delicious thing about this project is that people whom I have never met or barely know keep showing up, taking on leadership roles, and then delighting me (and themselves and their fellow committee members) by demonstrating previously unseen skills, competencies -- and achievements! 

The Northern California Summit on Promoting Stay at Work and Return to Work is next week (June 21).  This ad hoc group composed of many stakeholders has put together a powerhouse of an agenda and guest list.  Check out their website at: http://www.saw-rtw-californiasummit.com.