The Connector & Collaborator

Hello, my friends! I would like to introduce myself. I am Lainey Haynes, self-proclaimed #WCGeek. If you haven't noticed, I'm a little on the GEEKY side when it comes to my career. It's an innate trait and one I consider to be a super power in the workers' compensation world. I am naturally curious and a problem-solver, two qualities that are vastly fundamental if you're going to not only be in the industry but make an impact.

Why? I bet you already know, I may be preaching to the choir if you're reading this. But, the answer is, because of how dynamic workers' compensation is. Let me ask you a silly question, one I ask my eight year old son frequently as he grows (it's ever-changing, too). His latest answer is "A lawyer, which is why you should let me argue, I'm practicing!" What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you want to be a doctor? A lawyer? A nurse? An investigator? A Psychologist?

The magnificent quality that I love about workers' compensation is that there are many different facets from start to finish of a workers' compensation claim. You get a little bit of everything in one that makes up such a dynamic field. You can zone in to one part or like me, you can have a finger in every pie.

Which brings me here, who am I? What do I do? Why is it important to the overall claims process?

I am, again, self-proclaimed, a workers' compensation liaison partner (WCLP). I currently work for a company as a workers' compensation representative handling claims from first report of injury to closure and everything in between. I ultimately represent the employer, but I do represent the employee to ensure a quality experience through the process of their claim. We know that this is rocky in the WC world and a quality experience is not always how it goes. A claim can get bogged down in regulation analysis and required processes. There are bottlenecks that seem simple but can cause quite the delay. Ultimately, I am here to uphold the integrity of the claims process for both the employer and the employee, move towards favorable outcomes and promote the timely recovery and safe return of the injured worker.

As a workers' compensation liaison partner, my role is to be the connector and collaborator through the entire claims process. Think of me as a bridge. I connect people and processes, which in the workers' compensation world can really seem like an adult-sized jigsaw puzzle. I bridge the gaps through collaboration with all stakeholders. This collaboration involves superior relationship-management skills, communication and creative problem-solving.

Why are these top skills important to the claims process?

Relationship-management skills, communication and creative problem-solving are important because a WCLP will be connecting with many different stakeholders across different levels and you will come in contact with bottlenecks that stop claims from progressing. My educational background is in Sociology and Psychology. I studied interpersonal relationships, human development, social behavior and crisis intervention. This unique background allows me meet people where they are and think of the bigger picture when identifying how to communicate with them.

For example, if I am speaking to an injured worker for the first time after an injury, I understand that a traumatic experience can elicit an emotional response of anger or fear. It can possibly put someone at risk for or throw someone into an active crisis. Understanding this, I know that active listening will be an important communication tool to ensure that the injured worker feels heard. Being able to actively listen, discern the injured workers' perspective, I will then be able to educate the injured worker on the WC process, establish expectations and provide additional and ongoing clarity throughout claim. This communication is a delicate process to empathetically build trust, meeting them where they are currently and collaborating to work together on their recovery and return to work.

This doesn't guarantee a perfect claim process or promise avoidance of litigation for the Employer but it does create trust with the injured worker in that they have someone immediately available to them that they can talk to and will provide clarity through a process that they may not understand. People like to understand what to expect and when to expect it. I find that this is a STRONG bridge-builder. If you are doing the work as the Employer representative to maintain strong relationships with injured workers by listening to them, clarifying expectations and creating a visual road-map of their claim that they can understand, they may be less likely to reach out to a legal representative who certainly will listen and give them a road-map for their claim, but it will not be a road-map that drives the claim where you want it to go.

Which leads to the next reason why these skills are important. Driving the claim. Too many times I see claims parked due to uncomplicated reasons. If an Employer is not driving their claim then that likely means a storm of more problems with higher costs is brewing. My role as a WCLP is to actively drive claims forward by connecting, collaborating and building bridges. A WCLP who is collaborative in bridging gaps is someone who is driving a claim towards closure.

For example, as a WCLP, I have already established a positive relationship with the injured worker. The injured worker is told by their Primary Treating Physician that they are referring for further treatment. To the injured worker, they were told that the PTP is referring for treatment, but what they usually don't understand is the process that it takes for a referral to be reviewed and authorized. There are bottlenecks all around. The provider office faxes the referral to a fax number they have on file which essentially is a black hole. The referral somehow never makes it to the adjuster or the adjuster receives and authorizes but for whatever reason it never makes it back to the provider. An authorization is left via a voicemail that the Provider's office never checks. So many uncomplicated, little reasons that a claim can get parked. Next thing you know, a bigger problem is brewing because of the delay which leads to higher claim costs. All it takes is a WCLP who follows through. In this situation, as a driver, I am a problem-solver. I will reach out to all parties, bridge the gap between the adjuster and the provider, and follow through with the injured worker to ensure treatment gets scheduled and going. It all seems so simple but this is just one example of many of how claims get parked and how a WCLP collaborates and connects to drive the claim forward.

As a WCLP and #WCGeek, I get to connect my curiosity, love for learning, and love for networking in an industry that is constantly changing and advancing. I am here to promote the integrity of the workers' compensation claim process for the employer and the injured worker by being the connector and collaborator while bridging the gaps from the first report of injury to the closure of claims.

This article originally ran on LinkedIn.

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