Listen as we bring together experts, leaders and innovators focused on the senior living industry and aimed at helping seniors thrive.
We tackle timely topics like COVID-19, and talk to industry partners to discuss the challenges they encounter and to offer solutions that operators and providers of senior living are seeking.
In this series:
- Episode 7: Finding Balance in Your Falls Management Program
- Episode 6: The Complexities of "Batching" COVID-19 Incidents and Claims
- Episode 5: Hurricanes, Wildfires, and COVID - Oh My! Emergency Preparedness for the post-COVID era
- Episode 4: COVID-19's Impact on Worker Safety: New OSHA Standards and Regulations
- Episode 3: The Doctor Will See You Now - How Telehealth is Impacting the Senior Living Industry
- Episode 2: Understanding the Workplace: Identifying and Avoiding Common Labor and Employment Issues in Senior Living
- Episode 1: The Senior Living Vision: How Working Together Impacts the Lives of Our Seniors
Listen and subscribe to our Risk Conversations: A Senior Living Podcast series:
Apple Podcastsmic Google Playmic Spotifymic StitchermicEpisode 7: Finding Balance in Your Falls Management Program
In this episode, Tara and guest JoAnne Carlin discuss falls management in senior living, including important elements that should be considered in a falls management program.
About our guest
JoAnne is a vice president for clinical risk services for Willis Towers Watsons’ Senior Living Center of Excellence. JoAnne's operational experience in senior living supports her practical approach to selecting and implementing risk management strategies that are sustainable, reduce loss and promote resident care. JoAnne's ongoing focus is on systems and tools that are designed to help the entire senior living industry with strategies to reduce liability and manage risk.
Episode 6: The Complexities of "Batching" COVID-19 Incidents and Claims
In this episode, Tara talks with Jim Dorion, Head of Liability Claim Consulting for Willis Towers Watson on the utilization of "batch" wording in the context of insurance claims, and the complexity of this analysis surrounding COVID-19 claims and incidents.
About our guest
Jim is the Head of Liability Claim Consulting & Carrier Relations for Willis Towers Watson, where he is responsible for all service and strategy elements of the liability claims function. Jim has decades of experience helping clients resolve disputes and maximize insurance recoveries in connection with complex liability claims, including general, product, professional and employer liability matters.
Episode 5: Hurricanes, Wildfires, and COVID - Oh My! Emergency Preparedness for the post-COVID era
In this episode, Tara sits down with guest Jim Boccher, President of Commercial Restoration at ServiceMaster Brands to discuss key aspects of an emergency preparedness plan in the senior living industry.
About our guest
Jim is the President of Commercial Restoration for ServiceMaster Brands and has over a decade of commercial restoration experience. Currently, Jim is responsible for the strategic direction of SRM including effectively communicating the vision to the team members nationwide.
Episode 4: COVID-19's Impact on Worker Safety: New OSHA Standards and Regulations
In this episode, Tara and guest Scott Bertulis discuss OSHA's new standards in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically focusing on how best to prepare for an OSHA inspection and manage through it.
If you are interested in more information on OSHA's new standards related to COVID-19, please listen to our recent webcast, OSHA National Emphasis Program (NEP) for COVID-19 and What it Means for Senior Living in 2021, found with our Senior Living Webinar Recordings and Materials.
About our guest
Scott Bertulis is a Senior Risk Control Consultant with Willis Towers Watson. Scott pioneered the firm's initiatives in the area of workers compensation management and has helped to develop many client safety training programs. Scott works with clients to develop and improve overall safety programs, including written policies, training programs, OSHA and DOT compliance and workers compensation management programs.
Episode 3: The Doctor Will See You Now - How Telehealth is Impacting the Senior Living Industry
In this episode, Tara sits down with Rhonda DeMeno and Doris Fischer-Sanchez, both clinical risk management consultants with Willis Towers Watson, to discuss the impact telehealth has had on the senior living industry, how telehealth may continue to grow in our industry, and considerations providers should think through when utilizing telehealth services.
If you are interested in more information on telehealth, please view Doris Fischer-Sanchez's article, Telehealth during COVID-19 and our whitepaper with Senior Housing News, COVID-19 Impact on the Future of Telehealth in Senior Living.
About our guests
Rhonda DeMeno is a Director of Clinical Risk Services for Willis Towers Watson. Rhonda is well known in the industry as an expert on post- acute operations and has provided education on a national basis on many topics related to Regulatory Risk and Corporate Compliance. Rhonda has also developed policies and procedures for national senior living companies on emergency preparedness and regulatory compliance.
Doris Fischer-Sanchez is a Clinical and Enterprise Risk Management Leader for Willis Towers Watson's Healthcare Industry Practice. Doris has over 30 years experience in healthcare and is a dually board certified psychiatric and family nurse practitioner. Additionally, Doris has practiced in both the in- and out-patient settings: critical care, psychiatry, private practice, ambulatory and long- term care. Doris provides organizationally specific consultation services and education.
Episode 2: Understanding the Workplace: Identifying and Avoiding Common Labor and Employment Issues in Senior Living
In this episode, Tara sits down with Caroline Berdzik, Partner with Goldberg Segalla, to discuss frequent labor and employment law hot spots affecting senior living providers and what providers can implement to help mitigate these exposures.
If you are interested in more information on this topic, download our recent whitepaper titled Avoiding common pitfalls: Wage and hour concerns in the senior living industry.
About our guest
Caroline J. Berdzik is a Partner at Goldberg Segalla and chair of the firm's Employment and Labor and Health Care Groups. Caroline devotes her practice to helping businesses, organizations and management to navigate the panoply of employment law issues, from proactive counseling through alternative dispute resolution and trial. She represents companies in diverse industries such as health care, transportation, retail, construction, insurance, and finance, as well as non-profit organizations and educational and religious institutions.
Episode 1: The Senior Living Vision: How Working Together Impacts the Lives of Our Seniors
In this episode, Tara sits down with John Atkinson and Mike Pokora, of Willis Towers Watson to learn how the Senior Living Center of Excellence was born and how the COE enriches the industry through our mission of #togetherhelpingseniorsthrive.
About our guests
John is an Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Willis Towers Watson. John has focused his career on building companies and teams designed to help organizations navigate complex business problems in the areas of risk, finance and human capital.
Michael Pokora is the Managing Director and co-Leader of the Senior Living Center of Excellence for Willis Towers Watson. With over 25 years of insurance industry experience, Michael has successfully implemented and managed insurance and risk management programs for many types of businesses, including Seniors Housing, Construction and Commercial Real Estate and Development.
Disclaimer
Each applicable policy of insurance must be reviewed to determine the extent, if any, of coverage for COVID-19. Coverage may vary depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances. For global client programs it is critical to consider all local operations and how policies may or may not include COVID-19 coverage. The information contained herein is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice and should not be relied upon in lieu of consultation with your own legal and/or other professional advisors. Some of the information in this publication may be compiled by third party sources we consider to be reliable, however we do not guarantee and are not responsible for the accuracy of such information. We assume no duty in contract, tort, or otherwise in connection with this publication and expressly disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any liability in connection with this publication. Willis Towers Watson offers insurance-related services through its appropriately licensed entities in each jurisdiction in which it operates. COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving situation and changes are occurring frequently. Willis Towers Watson does not undertake to update the information included herein after the date of publication. Accordingly, readers should be aware that certain content may have changed since the date of this publication. Please reach out to the author or your Willis Towers Watson contact for more information. In North America, Willis Towers Watson offers insurance products through licensed subsidiaries of Willis North America Inc., including Willis Towers Watson Northeast Inc. (in the United States) and Willis Canada, Inc.
