Message from SAWCA'S President

Greetings from Virginia:

SAWCA IS IMPORTANT TO YOU

I am honored to serve as President of SAWCA for the 2008-2009 year. This organization is an invaluable resource to all of us who struggle with the complex issues of workers’ compensation on a daily basis. It matters not whether the issues involve government, labor, business, health care, or insurance.

First, thanks are in order to Laura Feight who hails from New Mexico. Laura led SAWCA as its President during the 2007-2008 year, and under her leadership, SAWCA had very a successful year. The Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., was full of information, inspiration, and fun for all who attended. It will be a tough act to follow. Likewise, the All Committee Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, was a source of knowledge relevant to many areas of interest in workers’ compensation. Both the Convention and the All Committee conference were well attended.

Second, I anticipate that 2008-2009 will be another exciting and challenging year. I especially look forward to working with President-Elect Warren Massey of Georgia, and each of SAWCA’s dedicated committee chairpersons. However, the strength of our association is its members.

Third, Gary Davis, SAWCA’s Executive Director, deserves special thanks. Gary’s diligence and determination have generated organizational growth, program enhancement, and expanded services to the membership. The organization has become significantly stronger since he came on board.

Fourth, SAWCA is important to you, regardless of your relation to workers’ compensation programs. These are exciting times. Regulators, businesses, labor, and insurance all face challenges that cannot be addressed or even appreciated in a vacuum. SAWCA is one of the few, if not the only, organizations that brings together all the disciplines involved with workers’ compensation. It is not so large that personal interaction between professionals is compromised. The opportunity to associate with others involved in the workers’ compensation system is an invaluable resource in addressing problems and reaching solutions. Even though you may not have had to deal with a particular issue, another member of SAWCA probably has faced it, and you are in a position to draw upon that accumulated experience. Take advantage of it. The “hot” issues are innumerable. To name a few, they are:

1. Increasing costs, especially medical;
2. Medical utilization;
3. Medical cost containment;
4. Volatility in the financial markets;
5. Evaluating financial responsibility of self-insured’s;
6. Prompt delivery of benefits;
7. The national health care debate;
8. Professional Employer Organizations;
9. An aging workforce and its consequences; and
10. Undocumented workers.

The foregoing is only a sampling of the multiple issues with which the workers’ compensation system is concerned. SAWCA is your resource. It is in your interest to be actively involved. When you contribute your expertise and experience to SAWCA our association becomes a better resource for all members. To the extent that you help to make SAWCA more vibrant, you and your organization will reap the benefits.

We look forward to seeing you in Naples, Florida, at the All Committee Conference. Naples is a wonderful place to be in early-December.

Bill Dudley