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Specialty Lines
One of my dream trips - maybe after I retire - is to go to Florida for baseball spring training. I'd love to catch some early spring warmth and watch some Phillies games in early March.
The other spring training that's maybe as much fun, but certainly of equal or greater value, is our risk management training - and the spring semester has started! In April there are sessions on property and liability risk management, managing workplace performance, employee demotivation and its effect on the workplace, defensive driving courses and a county risk managers council meeting. See the Training section on the
CCAP Insurance website
.
Save some money!
For PCoRP, PComp and UC Trust members, sending attendees to risk management sponsored workshops will earn an annual discount off the program's premiums.
Since the creation of our first group insurance program in 1980, we have provided free training to program members. In 2018 we held about 40 events with a total attendance of just about 1,400 people. The topics provided are very varied, and cover all aspects of county risks - property, prison liability, HR liability, operational risk and more.
So we hope you and your staff will attend some of these workshops and discover ways to limit risks in your county or entity.
Make sure you contact us when you need help with something,
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PCoRP Board Officers Elected and Committes Appointed
The PComp Board of Directors met on February 22 at the CCAP office and elected officers for the year. Officers will be the same as last year:
Chairman:
Dan Vogler, Lawrence County Commissioner
Vice Chairman:
Jim Martin, Adams County Commissioner Secretary/Treasurer:
Dee Robinson, Union County Chief Clerk
Other members of the PComp Board of Directors are:
Pam Humbert, Bedford - Somerset BHDS HR Director Doug McLinko, Bradford County Commissioner
Mark McCracken, Clearfield County Commissioner
Jeff Snyder, Clinton County Commissioner
John Christopher Soff, Crawford County Commissioner
Sabrina Fischer, Erie County HR Director
Mike Baker, Indiana County Commissioner
Matt McConnell, Mercer County Commissioner
Steve Howsare, Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission, Executive Director
Wylie Norton, Sullivan County Commissioner
Derek Williams, Tioga County Chief Clerk
Vicky Botjer, Wayne County Chief Clerk
PComp is the Pennsylvania Counties Workers' Compensation Trust, which insures 36 counties and 14 country related entities.
The PIMCC Board of Directors met on March 8 at the CCAP office and elected officers for the year. Officers will be the same as last year:
Chairman:
Dave Kovach, Columbia County Commissioner
Vice Chairman:
Kevin Kodish, Mifflin County Commissioner
Secretary/Treasurer:
Michelle Shedden, Bradford County Chief Clerk
Other members of the PIMCC Board of Directors are:
Eloise Ahner, Carbon County Administrator
Jeff Hornberger, Clarion County Warden
Jeff Haste, Dauphin County Commissioner
Greg Gebauer, Elk County Warden
Brad Shoemaker, Lycoming County Warden
Bill Bunt, Perry County Solicitor
Bruce Herdman, Philadelphia Prison System Chief of Medical Operations
Erik Coolidge, Tioga County Warden
PIMCC is CCAP's Prison Inmate Medical Cost Containment program which works with county prisons to save on medical and pharmacy costs.
Our thanks to these county officials and staff who volunteer their time to govern these programs.
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Distracted Driving Leads To Road Fatalities
According to the National Safety Council car crashes are the #1 cause of workplace deaths with distracted driving as a leading factor in road fatalities. Fortunately, more employers are recognizing this hazardous expectation of always being connected and they are doing something about it. Some employers have adopted cellphone policies, banning the use of phones while driving. By eliminating this deadly distraction, employers are keeping their workforce safer.
FACTS:
Distraction leads to driver error. 7% of all drivers at any given time are using their phones while driving. A NHTSA survey finds 660,000 drivers using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving at any given daylight moment.
Drivers talking on phones, hand-held or hands-free, miss seeing up to 50% of what is around them like: other drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists.
Thousands have died in car crashes because drivers are distracted by cell phone conversations, emails, text messages and social media. Do not become a statistic.
Here are some lifesaving tips from the National Safety Council:
- First and foremost, turn off your cell phone. Put it in the glove compartment, in your purse or in your trunk. There is no safe way to make a call while driving - not even hands-free.
- Send and read text messages and emails before you start driving.
- If you're going on a longer drive, schedule breaks to stop, park safely, and respond to messages.
- Using voice features in your car's infotainment system is also distracting. Take care of communications before you start driving.
- Know where you're going before you put the car in "drive." Put your destination into your GPS so you do not need to touch it while the car is moving.
- Social media can wait. No update, tweet or video is worth a life.
- Park in a safe area if you must take a call, return a text or check email.
- Do not call or text friends or family if you know they are driving.
If you require additional information regarding safe driving topics please contact the Risk Control Department at (800)-895-9039; or email us at:
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PA Workers' Compensation Conference
Make plans to attend the 18th Annual PA Workers' Compensation Conference on June 3-4, 2019 at The Hershey Lodge. To view the Conference brochure,
click here.
CCAP's workers' compensation insurance pool - PComp - celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2018. In response to this milestone, the PComp Board of Directors announced a special anniversary gift to each PComp member: one free attendee of their choice at the
PA Workers' Compensation Bureau Conference to either the 2018 or 2019 Conference. This year's Conference is being held June 3 - 4 at The Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. PComp will pay travel, hotel, meals and registration costs for the attendee.
If you have any questions or are interested in attending this Conference, please contact Linda Rosito.
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SCHRPP Webinar - April 12th!
Registration for SCHRPP's second webinar of the year is now open! The webinar will be held on Friday, April 12 from 12 to 1 p.m. The topic of discussion will be "Cleaning Up Bad Language in Your Employee Handbooks," (description below) presented by Shon Worner, Esquire, from our partners Campbell Durrant Beatty Palombo & Miller.
"Not having an Employee Handbook is not a good idea, but it could be better than having a poorly written one. While HR professionals recognize their importance, the everyday demands on County HR professionals often means that a County's handbook may be old and outdated. In this webinar we will discuss the importance of having clearly written, up-to-date language, removing outdated (and sometimes illegal) provisions, and essential policies that must be included in your Employee Handbook."
This event is FREE for SCHRPP Members and $25 for nonmembers. This year, though, SCHRPP would like to give non-members a glimpse of SCHRPP benefits by allowing you to attend one of our webinars FREE of charge!
To register for the webinar, open the link below:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Should you have any questions regarding this information, please feel free to contact, Desiree Nguyen, Deputy Director, Insurance Pool Operations, CCAP and Executive Director, SCHRPP.
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Spring Workshop Season Is Here!
CCAP's Insurance Programs is offering some great educational opportunities this spring! Some of the session are covering defensive driving, county property and liability risk management, managing workplace performance, employee demotivation and our always popular prison risk management workshop and HR Boot Camp.
Here is a listing of the sessions being offered this spring:
APRIL
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Risk Management Training Director at (717) 736-4728.
Thank you for your continued support of the CCAP Insurance Programs trainings! I look forward to seeing you this spring!
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Hot Topics
Auto Leasing Contracts
Many counties have examined leasing cars instead of having a fleet of county owned vehicles. We've seen sample contracts from Enterprise and we assume other leasing companies may have similar contracts. Here are just a few things to keep in mind:
Not all contracts are the same - and some companies are using different contracts with different counties. Sometime rates vary, but even some of the fees also vary. So I'd suggest you compare notes with other counties that already have leased vehicles to see what issues or concerns they have with their contract.
Insurance - it appears most counties are continuing to insure the vehicles even though they are leased from a separate company. For PCoRP members that is not a problem, but please keep us posted if you decide to do this as this means PCoRP needs to issue Certificates of Insurance (COI's) to your leasing company. If PCoRP does not provide your auto coverage, make sure you keep your insurance company involved when making a change like this.
A reminder - just because you move to leasing the vehicles, you still need to keep your inventory list of vehicles up to date, especially if you are continuing to insure them through the county's coverage.
Maintenance - make sure you are clear about who is responsible for maintaining the vehicles.
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NACo/Nationwide Scholarship
Entries for $2,500 NACo/Nationwide Scholarship are now being accepted!
High-school seniors whose parents, grandparents or legal guardians actively contribute to a 457(b) plan offered through the NACo Deferred Compensation Program are eligible to apply for a $2,500 college scholarship. Four $2,500 scholarships will be awarded in fall 2019 in honor of the scholarship program's 15th year in existence.
How eligible students can apply
Parents, grandparents or legal guardians should talk to their eligible high school seniors about applying right away. Starting April 1, the application can be completed online at
www.nrsforu.com/scholarship.
Eligibility requirements
Graduating high school seniors who are legal U.S. residents are eligible to apply.
- Applicant's parent, grandparent or legal guardian must be enrolled in and actively contribute to a 457(b) plan offered through the NACo Deferred Compensation Program.
- Applicants must enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study no later than the autumn term of the 2019-2020 school year at an accredited two- or four-year college.
- Immediate family members of NACo employees, members of the NACo Defined Contribution and Retirement Advisory Committee or its governing board of directors, staff of individual state Association of Counties that are members of the LLC, and Nationwide employees are not eligible to apply; this program is not offered outside the United States.
- Application and entry must be submitted online at www.nrsforu.com/scholarship between April 1 and May 31, 2019.
Scholarship honors 40 years of partnership
The NACo/Nationwide Scholarship is just one of many benefits of four decades of partnership between Nationwide and the National Association of Counties (NACo) and its member counties. For additional information about the NACo Deferred Compensation Program, please contact Amy Humphrey at
[email protected] or 860-480-1211; or contact your Nationwide representative at 877-677-3678.
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Wellness Matters
By: Jean Henry, RN, Risk Control Wellness Nurse
National Stroke Awareness Month is recognized each May. According to the National Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of adult disability. Yet, few people know what a stroke is or how to recognize when a stroke is happening.
A stroke occurs when there is a lack of oxygen to brain cells, resulting in cell death. It can happen to anyone, at any time. Signs of a stroke include:
- SUDDEN numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- SUDDEN facial drooping on one side of the face
- Ask the person to smile. Does one side appear to droop?
- SUDDEN confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding
- SUDDEN trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- SUDDEN trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- SUDDEN severe headache with no known cause
It is important to understand that a person does not need to experience all of these signs. The victim may not collapse or be unconscious. The person having symptoms may deny them, ask you not to call 911, or ask you to wait for their symptoms to go away. Don't listen to them. Get them to a hospital. Stroke is an emergency and getting help and treatment quickly is extremely important. Time is crucial. For each minute a stroke goes untreated and blood flow to the brain is disrupted, a person loses 1.9 million neurons. Certain treatment must be started within three hours of the onset of symptoms; so don't wait. Getting to a hospital rapidly will more likely lead to a better recovery.
Here are some ways to acknowledge National Stroke Awareness Month through wellness:
- Use F.A.S.T. to remember the warning signs of a stroke. Act F.A.S.T. posters are available through the American Stroke or American Heart Associations to remind employees how to recognize the signs of stroke. Place these posters throughout the office.
- Hold lunch and learns to educate employees on risk factors and prevention tips.
- Work with a local farmer or orchard to be a delivery location for community supported agriculture (CSA) products. Encourage employees to eat clean and nutritiously.
- Update your vending machines with healthy, nutritious options.
- Set up onsite biometric screening with your health care provider.
- Organize onsite first aid and CPR classes.
- If you haven't done this yet, organize walking groups to get employees up and moving.
- Work with your health care provider to hold smoking cessation classes at work over lunch.
- Work with your safety committee to create an emergency medical plan.
Have some great ideas or stories to share? Please let us know so that we can share with our members in Insurance Matters. Please contact
Jean Henry, RN, Risk Control Wellness Nurse.
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New Associate Members
MGT Consulting Group is a national research and management consulting firm specializing in providing management studies and financial cost accounting services to public-sector clients. Our services include: indirect 2 CFR Part 200 Cost Allocation plans, user fee/cost of service studies, and cyber security risk assessments.
Rayliant Asset Management
www.rayliant.com
Asset Management, Finance
Rayliant Asset Management (RAM) is an institutional investment firm focused on county and municipal pension plans. RAM delivers innovative asset allocation and factor-based investment solutions ranging from quant-active smart beta to alternative and multi-asset strategies. RAM seeks to have a broad impact on the industry not just through research and results, but by how we operate and interact with clients. We pride ourselves on our knowledge of government retirement plans and their needs.
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Upcoming Events
April 10, 2019
SCHRPP Board Meeting
CCAP Office, Harrisburg
April 26, 2019
Health Alliance Board Meeting
CCAP Office, Harrisburg
May 3, 2019
CCAP Solicitors' Conference
CCAP Office, Harrisburg
May 10, 2019
UC Trustees Board Meeting
CCAP Office, Harrisburg
May 29-30, 2019
County Administration Conference
The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, State College
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Quote of the Month
"The value of volunteering is much deeper, much more fulfilling and much more important in contributing to a healthy and vibrant community than money can ever measure. ."
-Jean Ann Kochevar
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