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Specialty Lines
My college courses on government provided lots of information about personnel management, labor relations, the impacts of state spending and tax policies, and courses about Pennsylvania local government. But I cannot recall much time being spent on the structure of local government and the unique challenges presented by what in many cases is an antiquated model that increases the difficulty of managing a large public entity.
Because Pennsylvania counties provide so many essential services, how we manage them can sometimes become very fragmented. With so many different departments, offices, boards, and even authorities, and with separate elected officials in charge of many areas, it can be difficult for the commissioners, county executive or county council to know about everything that is going on.
We see this all the time on the risk management and insurance side of things. What I believe happens is that elected officials and staff are so focused on the work related to their specific programs and services, it is hard to recognize their overall responsibility to the entity that is their county.
And the county is who we insure. That's the entity to which our risk management and insurance efforts are directed. I don't mean to say we do not provide coverage to the elected officials and staff of the county and its related entities - we do. But our prime goal is to protect the county.
You know that old saying about "the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?" Well, I sometimes think about county government's structure as the many armed Bodhisattva statue. How can anyone know all that is happening, being planned, or has already happened in a county, and manage all that risk?
Of course, I believe this is the essential point in arguing for why most counties need a full time risk manager. In addition, there need to be very strong ties among the people who work for and are elected to manage the county and its departments - ties that transcend turf - so that the risks involved with each project, contract, purchase, service or action taken by the county are known and evaluated and properly insured or financed in advance. That's hard. It takes a lot of cooperation.
Often the riskiest thing about protecting counties from risk is the human element - we sometimes get in the way of protecting the entity we have been entrusted to serve.
Make sure you contact us when you need help with something,
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Blair County Joins PCoRP!
The Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool now insures 51 of the state's 67 counties, effective June 1 with the addition of Blair County to membership!
Blair County Commissioner Bruce Erb and County Administrator Helen Schmidt noted "the entire package PCoRP offered was compelling in our decision. The key points being the competitive premium, the dividend and other ownership advantages, the safety grants, the education and training opportunities, and the reputation for remarkably good service that we heard from other counties. We also recognized that no other organization understood the challenges and intricacies of Pennsylvania counties like PCoRP does."
The county's local insurance producer is Mark Moschella, Vice President of the Warren Gingrich Agency in Altoona.
PCoRP provides coverage to counties and county related entities for property, auto, general liability, law enforcement liability, crime, privacy and security liability (cyber) and more. Established by CCAP in 1987, PCoRP is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
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County Spotlight - Bedford County
Wellness at Work
Now that many people spend most of their day sitting at a desk, implementing health programs within the workplace has the potential to significantly benefit employers, employees and their families. Wellness and benefits fairs are a great way to encourage employees to gather information from benefits exhibitors as well as to participate in events to learn how to weave wellness into their lives and to embrace lifestyle choices that will help them live healthier and more satisfying lives.
CCAP Risk Control staff are available to attend county wellness and benefits fairs! For more information, please contact your CCAP Risk Control Specialist or Jean Henry, Risk Control Wellness Nurse.
Commissioner Josh Lang and Jean Henry at Bedford County's Health & Community Health Fair Friday, June 2, 2017.
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Fall 2017 Workshops
Save the Date for the upcoming Fall 2017 Workshops! Stay tuned for more information and a copy of the Fall 2017 GLIMPSE in the mail in August! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Linda Rosito.
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Save Your County Money with U.S. Communities' New NARCAN Supplier!
U.S. Communities is the leading nationwide purchasing cooperative founded by public agencies for public agencies. Today, counties are challenged with limited resources and tight budgets for clinical needs. Premier, a U.S. Communities supplier, designed a comprehensive program to provide counties with access to a wide-range of medical supplies at a discounted price. NarcanĀ®, a newly-approved treatment to help reverse an opioid overdose, is just one of the medications available through Premier. Learn more about Premier's NarcanĀ® program.
Opioid abuse in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, with deaths due to opioid overdose killing Americans every day. There is a broad consensus that increased access to naloxone is a critical component of the emergency treatment of opioid overdose.
NARCAN Nasal Spray is the first and only FDA-approved naloxone nasal spray. This medicaion is used along with emergency medical treatment to reverse the life-threatening effects of opioid overdose. NARCAN requires no assembly or priming prior to use.
Public Interest Pricing is available to U.S. Communities participating agencies. This discounted program is an effort to provide affortable access to NARCAN for entities that serve the public interest with limited funding.
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Hot Topics
PCoRP Privacy and Security Coverage
PCoRP's Cyber Liability coverage has a new name, indicating the inclusion of coverage for non-IT related exposures of data. For example, coverage is now provided if someone from the county would throw away paper records and did not shred them. If the records contained personal information and fell into the wrong hands, this would be covered as a breach of personal information.
The new term for the coverage is Privacy and Security Coverage.
The new definition basically tracks the prior "Cyber Security Event" definition with one notable coverage extension. Previously, coverage was only provided when personal information was compromised electronically. The new definition expands coverage for comprised personal information "regardless of whether such personal information is maintained in electronic,
paper of any other format." This is a significant coverage expansion.
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The 2017 CCAP Salary Survey
We are pleased to report the 2017 CCAP Salary Survey is completed early this year! While our typical release is in August, we have worked diligently to get this data to you as soon as possible. The 2017 CCAP Salary Survey provides salary information for almost 15,000 county positions from 50 Pennsylvania counties and county related entities!
If you are already registered for access to the CCAP Salary Survey, your current username and password will continue to give you access to both the Position Details and Summary Details. If you need to register for access to the CCAP Salary Survey, please visit the CCAP website, at www.pacounties.org, click on the "Media" tab at the top of the page, scroll to the bottom of the page under "Demographics and Statistics" and click on the Salary Survey link. From there, under "Essential Links" you can register for access and view a webinar on navigating the survey.
Should you have any questions regarding this process or the survey, in general, please feel free to contact Desiree Nguyen.
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New Associate Members
Combining the strengths of two proven institutional asset management firms, EmStone Advisers is a Pennsylvania-based, entrepreneurially driven investment management firm committed to developing new strategies to meet needs in a rapidly changing and evolving investment marketplace. Our core value is that portfolio construction should be based on solutions to the client's needs and obligations and we are proud to serve public pension clients throughout Pennsylvania.
The Keystone Purchasing Network (KPN) is a national cooperative purchasing program that offers pre-bid contracts for roofing, construction, athletic surfaces, custodial supplies, furniture, office supplies, copiers/printers, modular buildings, LED lighting and athletic field/court lighting and many other cost saving contracts. Visit us at www.theKPN.org or call (888) 490-3182 for more information.
* Marsh & McLennan Agency / Trion Group
www.trion.com
Employee Benefits, Insurance
Marsh & McLennan has changed the way employers buy and manage employee benefits, helping companies reduce costs and maximize the value of their healthcare, prescription drug, life, disability, and voluntary programs. Through a unique fusion of consultative expertise, brokerage purchasing power, administrative support, and Internet technology, Marsh & McLennan develops innovative benefit solutions for local, regional, and Fortune 1000 companies. We also have a dedicated public sector practice.
Motorola Solutions connects people through technology. Businesses and government agencies around the world turn to Motorola Solutions innovations when they want highly connected teams that have the information they need throughout their workdays and in the moments that matter most to them.
You can find Motorola Solutions products and services in a wide range of workplaces. From the retail floor to the warehouse floor, and from the small town police station to the most secure government offices, our products support customers who make up the diverse global economy. We are proud that our products support mobile transactions of all kinds, as well as the safety and security of citizens everywhere.
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Nationwide NACo College Scholarship
Awarded to Kaitlyn Galliher
Kaitlyn Galliher, daughter of James and Ginger Galliher, was selected as a winner of the 2017 Nationwide/NACo College Scholarship. This scholarship program was established in recognition of the long-term relationship between Nationwide Retirement Solutions and the National Association of Counties - celebrating 36 years helping county employees save for retirement. Kaitlyn was one of the winners because of her comprehensive response to the essay question and her strategy through her positive experience with her parents and her future career and financial plans in preparing herself for a solid retirement. Kaitlyn's ability to respond to the essay comes as no surprise, as her mother, Ginger Galliher, is the Financial Team Leader at CCAP!
Kaitlyn is the Salutatorian of the Susquenita High School graduating Class of 2017. At Susquenita, Kaitlyn is active in the theatre program where she participated in eight theatrical productions. She also serves as President of the Spanish National Honor Society and is an active member of the National Honor Society, Quiz Bowl, Student Council, Model United Nations, and West Side Singers. In addition, she is an avid competitor in both local and state science and engineering fairs (PJAS and CASEF) and recently won the honor to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, California. Upon her graduation from Susquenita High School in June 2017, Kaitlyn plans to continue her education at Susquehanna University where she will double major in Biomedical Sciences and Spanish.
To read more about the NACo-Nationwide Scholarship winners and to view the essay question, please click
here.
Left to right: Doug Hill, CCAP Executive Director; Ginger Galliher, CCAP Financial Team Leader; Kaitlyn Galliher; Emanuel Mahand, NRS Program Director and Dave Belnick, NRS Endorsement Partner Manager
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Watch Your Step - Distracted Walking and Talking
By: Maureen McMahon, Senior Risk Control Specialist
We have all seen the videos of distracted walking. The number of injuries caused by distracted walking has increased so much that the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons released a public service announcement called "Digital Deadwalkers."
To be safe and alert when walking, the Academy has these six safety tips:
1. If you must use headphones or other electronic devices, maintain a volume where you can still hear the sounds of traffic and your surroundings.
2. If you need to talk to someone next to you, make a phone call, text or do anything that could distract you from getting where you need to go safely, stop and do so away from the pedestrian traffic flow.
3. While you walk, focus on the people, objects and obstacles around you.
4. Don't jaywalk. Cross streets carefully, preferably at a traffic light, remaining cognizant of the pedestrian traffic flow, and the vehicles and bikes in and near the road.
5. Look up, not down, especially when stepping off or onto curbs or in the middle of major intersections; and/or when walking on or approaching stairs or escalators.
6. Stay alert in parking lots, and on and near streets, especially during the winter months when it gets dark earlier and drivers aren't as likely to see you.
Keep your phone in your pocket or bag while walking and remember to Watch Your Step.
As a member of CCAP Insurance Programs, we provide Watch Your Step posters at no additional cost. We invite you to join in this effort to prevent slips, trips and falls by using the Watch Your Step resources for awareness and training activities. Contact us at
insurance@pacounties.org for more information or to request additional posters.
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Staff Updates
CCAP has added a new position to our risk control staff, and is pleased to welcome Kelly Kyzer to the CCAP staff, effective May 15. Kelly comes to CCAP from Wayne County where she was the county risk manager and prior to that Deputy Treasurer. Kelly can be reached at her direct line (717) 736-4795 or mobile (570) 616-7308 or by email at
kkyzer@pacounties.org
.
Kelly joins Keith Wentz, Dennis Cutler, Maureen McMahon and Andrew Smith on the Risk Control staff.
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Upcoming Events
NACo Annual Conference
July 21, 2017
Columbus, Ohio
CCAP Annual Conference and Tradeshow
August 6, 2017
Bayfront Convention Center, Erie
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Quote of the Month
"Every company has two organizational structures: The formal one is written on the charts; the other is the everyday relationship of the men and women in the organization. "
- Harold S. Geneen
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