SERMA welcomes Stefanie Nadeau, newest RMC

 

Kristin Klein and the SERMA team recently welcomed Stefanie Nadeau
to their ranks when Stefanie joined the SERMA team as its newest Risk Management Consultant.

 

Stefanie moved to the SERMA unit from IWIF's Claims unit, where she had worked for two years. Prior to this, she had been with Key Risk, managing claims for the City of Baltimore for two years, and with Semmes, Bowen and Semmes as a paralegal for more than three years.

 

Stefanie has a Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies with a minor in Personal Injury from
Kaplan University. She is working on an online Master's degree in Safety and Emergency Management with a concentration in Occupational Safety from Eastern Kentucky University.

 

Stefanie is originally from Orlando, Florida, where her father is a workers' compensation judge.

She can be reached at 410-494-2206 or [email protected]. Welcome, Stefanie!

Maryland passes new law on Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

IWIF/Chesapeake Employers' Insurance has been actively
working to help address the problem of overutilization of prescription drugs in workers' compensation cases in Maryland.

This year, we worked to help pass new legislation in Maryland, HB 437/SB 537, requiring all medical providers and prescribers to be registered with the state's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). The bill was effective Oct. 1. The new statute also allows medical professionals to use information from the PDMP database in the course of treatment of their patients. This information is critical to identifying high-risk patients who would benefit from early intervention or changes in their medical care.

Click here to read more about this new Maryland law.

Two new webinars announced       

Claims Adjuster Tip of the Quarter:
Ensure direct contact between your IW and our Claims staff

 

Once you have reported a claim to IWIF, be sure to provide your injured employee with the claim number that we have given you, as well as the telephone number and/or email address of the IWIF Claims Adjuster who will be handling the claim.

Direct contact between your injured worker and our claims staff is important to ensure your employee understands his or her health is our top priority and any questions or concerns will be addressed quickly.

Risk Managers should also explain lost-time protocols such as Accident Leave, Work Injury Leave, and Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits, as appropriate for your agency or department. For a discussion of accident/injury leave as it pertains to State of Maryland employees, consult the Accident Leave FAQs.

NIOSH releases new mobile "app" on chemical hazards

 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a new mobile "app" to help in identifying chemical hazards. The new app is called the "NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards."

 

The new app informs workers, employers, and occupational health professionals about workplace chemicals and their hazards. It gives general industrial hygiene information for hundreds of chemicals and classes found in workplaces today. 

  NIOSH also offers this pocket guide online, in print, and in PDF form. Download the mobile app here.

MOSH fall training calendar

 

State of Maryland agencies can utilize Maryland Occupational Safety and Health's (MOSH's) free training program. MOSH trainings are designed to reduce occupational injuries and illnesses through education in a number of topics and locations across central Maryland.

 

For a list of training topics, dates, and registration information, see the July-Dec. 2016 MOSH training schedule on the MOSH website.