Tammy Wescott Named Director of Claims, State of Maryland

Tammy Wescott was recently promoted to Director of Claims for the State of Maryland. In this position, Tammy is responsible for day-to-day management of the State of Maryland department, implementing the operational strategy for the State Claims department, continuing to foster good relationships with State agencies, and working with SERMA. Prior to her new position, Tammy was a Claims Supervisor with IWIF/Chesapeake Employers' Insurance. 

Tammy joined IWIF/Chesapeake in 2007 as a Vocational Claims Adjuster with a focus on settling claims. She was promoted to Claims Training Supervisor in 2010 and Claims Supervisor in 2012. Previously, Tammy worked for The Hartford as a Claims Adjuster as well as a Paralegal/Office Manager for Wilcox & Kettel.

Tammy graduated from Harford Community College with an Associate's degree in Paralegal Studies, and the University of Maryland University College with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Administration.

SERMA Team Meets with Agency Secretaries

Kristin Klein and members of the senior management team at IWIF have been making the rounds to personally visit with the Secretaries of the largest Maryland State government agencies.

The purpose of these visits is to introduce IWIF and SERMA to the new leadership at the agencies under Governor Larry Hogan. The visits are also intended to enhance the positive working relationship between the State and IWIF and to reiterate the importance of the mission of SERMA, which is to help protect State employees from accidents and injuries by encouraging safer work environments and good safety behaviors.

The team is also looking at end-of-year results at each of these agencies, including accident costs and injury frequency and severity, in order to continue to reduce these numbers.

"In FY 2015, there was a $5 million reduction for the State of Maryland's workers' comp costs," reported Kristin Klein. "First Reports of Injury were also down by about 300 from FY 2014 to FY 2015. We are very happy with the direction the State is going."

Opioid Use and Abuse in Workers' Comp

Tom Phelan, President and CEO of IWIF/Chesapeake Employers' Insurance, appeared recently on Maryland Spotlight, a video segment produced by WMAR-TV ABC2News featuring local businesses.

During the interview with host Kim Knight, Tom discussed the long-term use and abuse of opioid pain medicine by injured workers and its impact on the workers' comp industry and on our state.

"The dangerous trends in the use of prescription painkillers has led to a call to arms by state and local officials to combat this problem," explained Tom. "This epidemic affects all facets of our society, including Maryland's workers who have been injured on the job. Maryland's workers' compensation insurance system has become the latest battleground in the fight against opioid dependence."

You can watch the 3-minute interview here.

State Supervisor Training March 16

Additional Training Opportunities

You can also visit the following websites for additional safety training opportunities in 2016: