What. A. Conference!
Thank you to all of our members who joined us in Anaheim from June 7-9. It was an unparalleled three days of powerful dialogue, solutions-driven education, and some of the best networking on the planet.
Our week in Southern California kicked off with a robust legislative and political update where CCWC’s Legislative Advocate Jason Schmelzer and Managing Director Paul Yoder discussed the real state of the state, workers’ compensation legislation worth watching in 2023 and what lies ahead. If you’re interested in catching up on what’s happened since then, including the welcoming of a new Assembly Speaker, check out our most recent legislative update.
From identifying and managing high-exposure claims to the impact of wearables on a workers’ compensation claim, our breakout sessions spanned notable topics of today and those in the future. Industry leaders provided their input and perspectives on many issues of importance, including best practices for controlling prescription costs, defending compensable consequence injuries, what can be done about fraud, and resolution of problematic and costly claims. We, of course, couldn’t have had a conference without our crowd-favorites: the California Workers’ Compensation Quiz Show and our Band of Bloggers’ Panel!
Outside of the timely, content-rich breakout and general sessions with top industry experts, we were honored to present this year’s Tim East Award to Jeremy Merz. For those who did not have the pleasure of knowing Jeremy, he was an inspiring workers’ compensation advocate and leader, but much more than that, he was a devoted husband, father, and friend, and a constant source of wit and humor. Jeremy’s profound service and outstanding achievement for the industry prepared him for the fight of his life when he was diagnosed with ALS in March 2022. He worked closely with the ALS Association’s Golden West Chapter to advance a significant one-time allocation in state funding to support the organization’s wraparound model of care. This funding not only supported essential care services and offset out-of-pocket costs for ALS families, but it established the development of two new Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence and five multidisciplinary satellite ALS clinics.
It's clear that one of the great perks of CCWC membership is connecting with others. Our annual events, membership directory, and other member benefits are all tools at your disposal. Don’t forget, too, that our Annual Conference is accredited for 11.5 Continuing Education Credits. To claim your credits, you must complete an evaluation for each Concurrent Session. Evaluations are available by each session on the agenda in the conference app. Please reach out to CCWC staff with any questions.
Finally, even though we just ended our 2023 Conference, we’re already planning for next year’s 20th Annual Conference! We look forward to seeing you again next year at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa on June 12-14, 2024.