2004 Risk Management Pools Awards winners

The Association’s Risk Management Pools presented their annual awards Aug. 21 at the 97th Annual Conference in Buncombe County.

The Risk Management Pools’ Awards Program is designed to encourage members to improve their risk control programs and thereby reduce their overall pool cost. Awards are given in three categories for each of the three pools — Group Benefits, Workers’ Compensation and Liability & Property.

The Most Innovative and Effective Program Award recognizes members who have implemented the most innovative and effective programs in county government during the past calendar year. Each winning county receives $10,000.

The Most Improved Award recognizes members who have worked hard to improve their claims frequency and severity. Each winning county receives $5,000.

The Best Loss Results Award recognizes pool members who have produced the best risk control results. Each winning county receives $2,500.

Most Innovative and Effective Program

Employee Wellness Screening
Transylvania County – Group Benefits Pool

Transylvania County’s Employee Wellness Screening program was established in the early 1990s. In 2002, the Board of Commissioners set a policy that all employees were required to participate in the annual health screening program or show certification that a physical was performed by a physician.

The county pays 100 percent of the cost of the screening and has set up a discount program for a full blood panel to be performed at the local hospital. The program targets high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, back injury prevention, smoking cessation, and weight and stress management. It promotes physical activity and provides discounts for local fitness centers.

The return on investment the county has seen has been reflected in improved wellness of employees, as well as savings in health coverage and claims activity.

Drug and Alcohol Testing
Randolph County – Liability & Property Pool

Randolph County decided it was time to truly live up to its billing as a drug- and alcohol-free work place by implementing a testing policy. The county personnel director, attorney and safety and training officer helped develop the program from the ground up in a year’s time.

Program officials state that it takes time, research and sound, reliable policies – as well as a commitment from county leaders – to make the program work effectively. The program involves a pre-employment drug screen for new hires, an orientation process that educates employees on the policy and testing procedures, plus random testing for safety sensitive positions, and in post-accident and reasonable suspicion cases.

EMS Physical Standards
Workers’ Compensation – Catawba County

Catawba County decided to implement a physical standards program in June 2002 for its 72 full-time and 35 part-time Emergency Medical Services Division employees.

The nature of the job leads many EMS employees into poor eating habits by “eating on the run.” The program sought to enhance physical ability to perform essential functions of the position and reduce the number of injuries and workers’ compensation claims.

Collaborating with a local medical center gave the EMS division access to fitness facilities and experts. Testing on 39 program participants over a six-month period showed a marked improvement in body fat percentage, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular conditioning and endurance.

The program also set standards to be used in the hiring process and created a two-level incentive program that reimbursed fitness center dues and awarded $250 to employees who reached all prescribed goals.

Since the program’s implementation, participants have increased strength and lost weight. Average annual sick leave taken by EMS workers dropped from 78 hours in 2002 to 57 hours in 2003, and some participants even quit smoking.

Most Improved Loss Ratio

Appalachian Regional Library – Group Benefits
The library cut its Per Employee Per Month (PEPM) expenses from $378.42 to $122.23. The PEPM statistic, calculated from data provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, was based on paid loss experience for a full 24-month period beginning March 2002 and ending March 31, 2004.

Avery County – Liability & Property
The county lowered its loss ratio from 355.5 percent to 9.1 percent.

Greene County – Workers’ Compensation
The county lowered its experience modifier from 1.0 to .71 – a 29 percent decrease – for 2004.

Best Loss Results

Kerr Area Transit Authority (KARTS) – Group Benefits
The Authority had a Per Employee Per Month (PEPM) expense of $97.15. The statistic was calculated from paid loss data.

Pasquotank County – Liability & Property
The county posted an impressive 18.7 percent ratio, which was calculated based on five consecutive years of participation in the pool.

Duplin County – Workers’ Compensation
The county’s experience modifier of .71 was based on three consecutive years of pool participation.

RMP establishes scholarship in name of late Frank Bonner

The Pools also announced the establishment of a college scholarship to honor the memory of longtime Beaufort County Commissioner Frank Bonner, who died Feb. 7 after a battle with leukemia.

The NCACC will award a $2,500 scholarship each year to a student expressing an interest in public service and majoring in insurance or risk management at a North Carolina college, university or community college.

“Frank was a major supporter of the Risk Management Pools from the beginning,” said NCACC Executive Director C. Ronald Aycock. “It is extremely appropriate that we honor his memory by establishing this award, which not only honors his work on our Risk Management Pools’ Board of Trustees but is also a testament to his commitment to education as a county commissioner.”

Bonner was a member of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners for 30 years. Prior to becoming a commissioner, he served as the mayor of Aurora.

He served as chair of the Risk Management Pools’ Board of Trustees and won the Association’s Outstanding County Commissioner Award in 1999.