Recruitment Concerns - By Kaylene Kickhafer, President While we patiently await publication and possible hearings related to the proposed Rehabilitation Rules changes, I believe it is important to focus on a more long-term plan. The Ethics Committee and Board are currently reviewing the existing Peer Review procedures to determine whether there is a way to utilize this process more effectively (it was developed when the Rules changed requiring peer review and has never been used.)
During testimony given by Connie John Swanson before Rehab Review Panel late last year, concerns were raised regarding the "aging" population of our profession, and the difficulty in recruiting QRC's and placement specialists. In 1993 there were 473 registered QRC's, but by 1999 there were 359; a 24% reduction. It is believed that approximately 1/3 of us are age 55 to 60. (This is a bit apparent when scanning the room at MARP conferences; we all have just a few more gray hairs!) But seriously, this means in the next 5 to 7 years, our profession could see up to another 34% reduction. As an aside, I have also spoken with a few QRC's and placement vendors over the past year that have indicated a goal of "retirement" within the next 5 years and they do not fit the older age category.
Part of the difficulty in recruiting is related to the entry level and experienced salaries currently being paid. We are hopeful this will eventually change if the proposed rule changes related to fees are approved. We are also working with IARP to develop a prospect list to recruit new members to our organization. However, I would like to establish a task force to focus on the best methods to recruit professionals into our industry and identify firms or individuals willing to take on interns (I am remaining optimistic that these efforts could be successful).
Please contact me via phone, fax or email if you are interested in serving on this task force. Keep in mind we will also be soliciting nominees for various Board positions whose terms will begin next May, so you can also let me know if you are interested in becoming more involved. We are always looking for new (and not so new) faces with fabulous ideas.
Enjoy the rest of the Summer and I will look forward to seeing you at the Fall Conference!
This past year was fast-paced and we gasped for breath more than once. We planned the twentieth anniversary fall conference nearly a year before it was held. The St. Paul Hotel was booked nine months in advance.
MARP Board members and MARP members executed the planning with style. I soon learned to appreciate the transferable skills of my fellow-rehabilitation professionals in the area of planning-and implementing! (They had obviously written up and carried out a few plans before.)
"Board" may look like a noun, but it becomes a verb when "MARP" is placed in front of it. I can testify to that after working with this board. I thank each of them:
Kaylene Kickhafer, President-Elect, for her continued willingness to support me in my role, her ability to lead when needed and her knowledge of the industry.
Steve Hollander, Legislative Chair, for his patience as he watched me make mistakes, for his calm approach while under pressure and for standing up for his beliefs.
Lynn Soley, Vocational Vendor-at-Large, who worked hard behind the scenes, offered fresh ideas and spoke from experience.
Gerri McElmury, Medical Representative, whose insight and humor has been appreciated as well as her willingness to "dig-in" and get things done.
Kristi Carrington, Magazine Editor, who nonchalantly traveled through blizzards from Rochester to attend Board meetings, threw together excellent brochures at a moment's notice and worked conscientiously behind the scenes.
Paul Larson, Membership, the longest serving member on the Board, keeps a good steady pace. He has good contacts (sometimes where you wouldn't expect them) and is a first-rate resource for MARP history.
Connie John Swanson, Past President, energetic, funny, determined, and DEDICATED. She taught me a lot (we learned a lot together, too!). She seemed to work harder as past president than I did as president.
Gwen Hendricksen, Co-Treasurer, willing to "go the extra mile", support an unpopular issue and quietly do what needs to be done. (And for husband Terry for sitting in when Gwen and Marlys couldn't make it.)
Marlys Peterson, Co-Treasurer, another one who stands up for her beliefs, can be relied upon and is supportive in a crisis.
Julie Horak, Secretary, takes excellent minutes, can be coaxed to give her valuable opinion and has an excellent understanding of rehab professionalism.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- Twentieth Anniversary Celebration, including representatives from each MARP Board for the past twenty years
- Successful spring and summer conferences
- Rehabilitation professional representatives from six professional associations began meeting with John O'Loughlin, DOLI, and continue to meet regularly. This was initiated and organized by the MARP Board.
- Maintained membership
- Maintained membership rates at the same cost in spite of an IARP increase
- Helped influence the proposed Rehabilitation Rules; The MARP Board sent at least one representative to each Rehab Review Panel Meeting, met with then-Commissioner Maglich and Assistant Commissioner Ganz, and consistently communicated with DOLI about the proposed Rules.
- Successful at getting professional rates raised in the proposed rules
- MARP members raised money for Mark Anderle to help alleviate medical costs
- Donated $500 to Thomas Nathe, Employee of the Year, whose left leg was amputated after an industrial accident, when learning his home was destroyed by fire
Thank you to members and the MARP Board--the board that created a verb from what otherwise would have been just another noun.
I recognized a few of the board member's names, but really didn't know them. I dug in immediately, and with the able and experienced assistance of Kristi Carrington and other board members, the Summer conference was well attended and received excellent feedback from attendees.
Prior to the actual conference in June, work was underway to develop the fall, daylong conference. Please mark your calendars for September 14 as we gather for CEU's and to celebrate the "employee of the year".
In developing program content, I am attempting to provide at least one presentation in each of the following categories: medical, legal, self-help, Department of Labor and Industry information and MARP organization updates.
Seminar location is also a topic for discussion. Most of the seminars have been located in the metropolitan area and require significant travel from out-state members. I understand a past seminar in an out-state location was not well attended. We are currently researching the option of live teleconferencing in out-state locations or the trial of another out-state program. Anyone with interest in the teleconferencing idea is encouraged to contact a board member.
I would welcome any volunteers to assist with program development and/or tasks required the day of the seminar. There are always opportunities to assist at the registration table, introduce speakers or be a "runner", as needed.
I would be happy to discuss suggestions for topics or presenters. Please feel free to contact me by telephone at
507/287-1051 or email me at linda_hanson@corvel.com.
See you September 14!
CURRENT BOARD ACTIVITIES
PRESIDENT: Ms. Kaylene Kickhafer will be attending a Joint Association meeting with Mr. John O' Loughlin on September 11, 2001. She is providing IARP with a Minnesota Chapter update for their newsletter. Ms. Kickhafer will also be participating in a monthly conference call with other IARP Presidents.
PRESIDENT ELECT: Mr. Marlo Dahl has facilitated a meeting on August 31, 2001 between a MARP committee and MSIA representatives to discuss current rule proposals and to review dispute resolution processes. The members that are representing MARP include Mr. Marlo Dahl, Ms. Kaylene Kickhafer, Mr. Mike Donnelly and Mr. Steve Hollander.
PAST PRESIDENT: Mr. Tom Ferring is arranging the vendors that will have exhibits on display at the Fall Conference. He is also working with Mr. Dahl on arranging a committee to review and revise the Peer Review Process.
TREASURER: Ms. Peterson is working with the new management team of IARP to obtain our current membership dues and maintain a regular payment plan.
SECRETARY: Ms. Horak is currently accepting Employee of the Year Nominations. The deadline for this applications is August 17, 2001.
MAGAZINE SPECIALIST: Ms. Carrington is accepting articles and suggestions for the upcoming magazine. She can be reached via telephone or email as listed in this edition.
VOCATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE: Ms. Lynn Soley was absent at our last meeting.
PROGRAM: Ms. Carrington and Ms. Hanson are playing dual roles on our board and are making the final preparations for the Fall Conference . The conference will be on Friday, September 14, 2001 at the Holiday Inn West. Please see the brochure that was mailed out or contact a board member for further details.
SOUTHERN REPRESENTATIVE: Ms. Linda Hanson is working on establishing a network of rehabilitation providers in southern Minnesota to hear their concerns and facilitate MARP services in their area.
NORTHERN REPRESENTATIVE: Ms. Linda Thiem is hoping to facilitate better communication among the northern Minnesota rehabilitation providers. She is currently looking at facility sites for a meeting space that is easily accessible for all parties. She is also researching teleconference possibilities.
MEMBERSHIP:Mr. Paul Larson is updating our membership list with the lists obtained from IARP and the state of Minnesota. Mr. Larson will also be taking over the role of our webpage management.
MEDICAL REPRESENTATIVE: Ms. McElmury is attending the Medical Review Committee Meetings. Ms. McElmury has a goal of increasing the interest and membership of medical specialist. She is planning a joint meeting for medical professionals in the fall.
LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE:Mr.Hollander is a concurrent member of the Minnesota Rehabilitation Review Panel. The next Rehabilitation Review Panel meeting is set for August 2, 2001. There was not a meeting this the month of July. Mr. Hollander did announce that Ms.Gretchen Maglich resigned as the Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner. There have been no announcements of a replacement as of this time.
The MARP Board will be accepting nominations throughout the summer season. If you have successfully closed a case, consider the following criteria:
1. Examples of determination and application of special skills in overcoming a disabling condition.
2. Stability of work
3. Uniqueness of placement
4. Perseverance in a treatment program
5. Determination to achieve goals
Sound like one of your clients? If your employee met any one of the above criteria, just send in their name, address and telephone number, as well as your own, to:
Julie Horak, MARP Secretary at 612/436-2499.
In the Fall, the MARP Board will review all nominations and call you for more details on the case. The award will be presented at the MARP Fall Conference in September. For those of you that fear public speaking, a member of the MARP Board will do the presentation for you. So don't hold back, send those nominations in today!
Fulcrum We support the injured worker to help them make change. We sometimes have to hold them up. We certainly supply the capability for change and act as a hinge with all the parties in the system. We communicate effectively with all parties to help make a positive outcome with a rehabilitation plan. When the parties get split or seem to be heading in different directions, we need to remain focused on the rehabilitation plan. That is the forward progression of putting the person's life back in his or her own hands and in their control. The rehabilitation plan and work with an effective qualified rehabilitation consultant enables the employee to return to employment. When this is accomplished all parties benefit but none more than the injured worker who gets their life back.
Another information sharing meeting will be held in October 2001. Details available at the MARP Fall Conference. Call Gerri McElmury for further information (651-582-0330).
I will begin to attend the Medical Review Board meetings. Updates from these meeting will be enlarged upon in the MARP Magazine.
But wait - what did that money give me? Why should I belong to MARP? What's it ever done for me? These are interesting questions, since MARP doesn't necessarily exist to serve me, rather, it's a vehicle to work, through to achieve common goals.
So how can I get the most out of my MARP membership? Let's see...
First, join the group. "But I'm not sure I like the politics and I don't know that I'm really being represented." How can I be, if I don't belong and let my issues be known?
Second, find a committee that's of interest. It's almost overwhelming to think of the hundreds of years of experience represented in a room of MARP members. It's a personal advisory panel and sounding board.
Third, attend meetings. What a great way to stay in touch with colleagues, get out and let off some steam, take a break from work and obtain CEU's. Meetings offer the opportunity to exchange ideas, find out what others are doing, learn what's new, feel a sense of support and have the opportunity to gain a broader perspective.
Fourth, consider the training opportunities. Volunteer to be a board member, a committee member, assist with special projects and programs. What an opportunity to hone personal and professional skills. In addition, Department of Labor and Industry Specialists attend MARP meetings, giving access to industry specialists for issues and concerns.
Fifth, take advantage of continuing education programs. MARP offers CEU's for a nominal fee. Obtain new information and make new connections with colleagues, while earning credits. That's hard to beat. In addition, MARP celebrates colleague's achievements (employee of the year). With the amount of negative influences in our lives and work, it is important to take time for celebrations.
Finally, "don't ask what MARP can do for you, but ask what you can do for MARP". Basically, you can get at least as much, if not more, out of MARP than what you put into the organization. If you join, but don't attend meetings, don't get involved and sit around waiting for MARP to do something for you, you'll miss the benefits. Join and get involved! Be part of the MARP Team!!
T ogether
E veryone
A chieves
M ore
Some of you may have noticed a change in how memberships are processed this year. Previously applications were processed and entered in to a database locally for all MARP Members and then applications were forwarded to IARP to be entered in their database. This became very confusing trying to synchronize two different databases.
This is the first year that IARP has completely taken over processing new and renewal memberships. If applications are submitted to MARP, they are forwarded directly to IARP where they have the resources to take applications over the Internet and can process credit card payments.
The biggest problem has been for QRC who need documentation of their memberships when they renew their QRC license. IARP has been sending membership cards to all members showing their expiration date and membership number, which usually takes about two weeks. I have no longer been printing membership certificates as this was duplicating the work that the IARP (paid) staff was already doing. In instances where members have needed expedited confirmation of their memberships, I have been able to fax or e-mail confirmation.
The easiest way to renew (for you and me) is to sign up at the IARP website, www.rehabpro.org . You can simply complete the application form and pay with a credit card or print the form and mail it to IARP. If anyone needs further assistance, they can feel free to contact me, Paul Larson at ((52) 844-0132 or fax requests to (952) 897-0724.
President Kaylene Kickhafer (612) 508-8338 kickhaferconsulting@pobox.com
President-Elect Marlo Dahl (612) 436-2449 marlo_dahl@corvel.com
Legislative Chair Steve Hollander (952) 930-0694 shollander@visi.com
Vocational Vendor At Large Lynn Soley (763) 550-0104 LynnSoley@aol.com
Medical Vendor At Large Gerri McElmury (651) 631-0055 Geraldine.mcelmury@liberty.mutua.com
Co-Treasurer Gwen Henricksen (507) 625-3599 gwen@prairie.lakes.com
Co-Treasurer Marlys Petersen (507) 625-6828 marlys@prairie.lakes.com
Secretary Julie Horak (612) 436-2400 julie_horak@corvel.com
Membership Paul Larson (952) 844-0132 prlarson@mn.rr.com
Past President Tom Ferring (651) 582-0335 Thomas_ferring@us.crawco.com
Southern MN Rep/Program Chair Linda Hanson (507) 287-1051 linda_hanson@corvel.com
Northern MN Rep Linda Theim (218) 694-3394 thiem@gvtel.com
Anyone who has worked as a QRC in the Northland knows that the job title is the same, but the job description is quite a different matter. It wasn't until I moved north that I ever made these (true!) statements:
"So...the receptionist is also responsible for driving the tow truck?" "Let me see if I have this right: turn left by the old Johnson place that burned down in '79, and travel west for 28 miles on the gravel road. Park by your mail box because the driveway is full of mud, and walk 3/4 mile until I get to the blue house?" "I know it's hunting season, but there must be at least one physician in this month, isn't there?" "No, the employer doesn't have any 'desk work' available, he doesn't even have an office."
As many of you know, there hasn't been a Northern Representative for a number of years. Consequently I am learning as I go, in my effort to serve in this capacity. My initial goals are to network with as many Northern MARP members as possible to gain a better understanding of your needs and concerns as well as to explore the possibility of utilizing teleconferencing to bring the MARP conferences to you. I would greatly appreciate any an all ideas, suggestions, input, and insights you can offer. I can be reached at (218) 694-3394 or thiem@gvtel.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Both St. Paul Fire & Marine and National Professional Group (NFG) were contacted. At this point it is best to give you general information and suggest each member explore specifics on your own. However, NFG indicated they would cover legal expenses at the DOLI level, but would not cover fines. St. Paul Fire and Marine's policy does not cover legal fees for disciplinary proceedings generated by state agencies. The contact at St. Paul indicated he would do additional checking and let me know. I haven't heard anything else to date, but will follow up by the March conference and report any new information.
St. Paul Fire & Marine insurance representative is Larry Marble at 952-837-2544.
NFG can be reached at 1-877-769-IARP.
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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF REHAB? - By Kristi Carrington, Magazine Editor
To keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the world of rehab, please make certain your address and phone number are current. Changes should be sent to IARP headquarters, 783 Rio Del Mar Boulevard, Suite 61, Aptos, CA 95003. You can also call Penney Colburn at 831-662-0310 or fax your changes to 831-662-8487, or for the technically-advanced, make your changes through the web at www.rehabpro.org.
MARP PROGRAMS - By Linda Hansen, Program Chairperson
I'll be honest; I reluctantly accepted the program chair position for MARP. I have had some experience in putting together a corporate weekend seminar and also organizing and presenting a healthy living seminar, but...
News from The MARP Board
EMPLOYEE of the YEAR
Spring into a great Summer but don't Fall behind in making your nomination for The 2001 Employee of the Year Award! The MARP organization has created this award as an opportunity to honor individual workers for their determination and perseverance in the rehabilitation process.
Fence or Fulcrum - By Marlo Dahl, President-Elect
Are you on the fence or are you a fulcrum? How do you view your position as a QRC? As long as I have been in this industry we have been talking about being neutral and objective with all parties. Some folks struggle with this more than others. Where do you fall? Are you on the fence feeling pulled between all parties, teetering on the edge of neutrality, trying to walk a fine line? This is one view. Another approach would be to view your position as a QRC as a fulcrum. What is a fulcrum you ask? What does the Webster's say?
Medical-At-Large Action Item - By Gerri McElmury, Medical Vendor at Large
On April 20 a group of medical professionals gathered to discuss recruitment. The medical professionals/QRC's who attended were occupational therapists and registered nurses. Many views were communicated regarding the importance of medical within the rehabilitation process. Good rehabilitation services demand sound medical and vocational team concepts. Knowledge needs to be shared and every career as it relates to rehabilitation needs to be respected for its input in providing a positive outcome.
WHY ME - WHY MARP? - By Linda Hanson, Southern Minnesota Representative
With the potential rule changes, the requirement for belonging to a professional organization may be eliminated, thus saving membership costs of at least $145.00 a year.
Am I a Member? - By Paul Larson, Membership Chair
MARP Board Members
Greetings From Northern Minnesota - By Linda Thiem, Northern MN Representative
I am excited and honored to be serving as the Northern Representative for MARP. On a note of introduction, I have been a QRC for about 14 years, working in Northern Minnesota for 11 years. I have been an independent provider since 1992, based out of Bagley, Minnesota. My husband, Joel, is a Placement Specialist and we have four children to keep us busy when we aren't "rehabilitating"!
Professional Liability Insurance -
By Kaylene Kickhafer, President
Over the past few months I was working on obtaining some basic answers to questions related to coverage parameters of the two current professional liability policies we have access to. Specific questions had been raised as to coverage for legal expenses at the initial DOLI level, appeal level and fine coverage.
Begin by Dreaming Out Loud
COMMISSIONER OF DOLI
Gretchen B. Maglich, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announced on July 13, 2001 that she will be leaving DOLI on August 20. She has accepted a regional operations director position with a Twin Cities engineering company. MARP will keep you up to date regarding the new appointment.
IARP/MARP News
August, 2001
Webpage by A. Hafez / Vital Link Consulting