My, how things can change in a week. In the past seven days or so the vast majority of us have gone from watching the clock at work wondering when we will be able to go home, to sitting in our house staring at the front door wondering when we will be able to return…
End of Days, Part 4: Evil Whines While Goodness Shines
There is a saying, often attributed to radical author Saul Alinsky, but which can be traced to other sources including Winston Churchill. It is, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” It is a maxim that often seems to get deployed whenever any tragedy or conflict arises. It is not a concept employed just…
End of Days, Part 3: We Could Do Without the Idiocy
If we’ve learned anything this week, it is this: As a society overall, we really aren’t very prepared to handle a major crisis. Don’t get me wrong, there have been many people acting responsibly over the last few weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been outstanding stories of noble human behavior and compassionate kindness…
End of Days, Part 2: The Injured, The Weak, The Vulnerable
Many of us are still reeling from what has been a whirlwind week of unexpected change. Last week our biggest concerns were about travel and conference disruptions as well as finding enough toilet paper to last a couple weeks. This week we find the rest of the store shelves empty, restaurants and bars are closed,…
End of Days, Part 1: With Everything Cancelled, Why Are We So Busy?
Perhaps it was just plain ignorance. It might have simply been complacency. We have, after all, survived the end of the world a number of times. But this one caught us by surprise. Who knew that there would be so much to do during the COVID-19 end of days? It turns out that ending…
The Sun is Still Rising
I don’t know about you, but I am sick of COVID-19, commonly called the Coronavirus. I know that is different than being sick FROM the Coronavirus, but I am weary from the onslaught of information and panic related to the disease. A lot of us will never get this particular virus; but we will make…
Why Can't Our Workers' Comp Patients Be Normal?
The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Education Association’s Annual Medical Seminar just concluded yesterday in Greenville, SC. It was held on March 8th and 9th, with the theme being “Road to Recovery.” They had several doctors speak on Sunday, with two of them focused primarily on improving care through better communication and understanding with injured workers.…
Coronavirus and the Workers' Comp Conference Circuit
I’m going out on a limb here and assuming you just haven’t heard enough about the COVID-19 virus, more commonly referred to as Coronavirus. There are only 30 articles on this site alone that mention it. While there has been legitimate concern about the spread of the virus, the opinion here at the Cluttered Desk…
Pennsylvania Debates a Different Kind of First Responder Bill
In an era where states are scrambling to expand coverage to First Responders, it is interesting to see that one state, Pennsylvania, is engaged in a slightly different debate. While many jurisdictions are adding PTSD coverage and automatic presumptions regarding a wide range of cancer and cardiovascular conditions for their ranks of professional First Responders,…
Hot Seat Webinar Takes on Innovation in Return to Work
This Friday we will be conducting the 12th Hot Seat Webinar, looking at innovative new Return to Work programs, and focusing primarily on Washington L&I’s new Vocational Recovery Project. The episode is titled, Building a Better Workers’ Comp Outcome Through Vocational Recovery. Guests will be Vickie Kennedy, Washington L&I Assistant Director for Insurance Services, Ryan Guppy,…