More Organizational Changes at DWC

Saturday, June 3, 2006 | 0

On May 16, 2006, Workers' Compensation Commissioner Albert Betts took additional steps in his on-going re-organization of the Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC). Betts made several significant changes to the organization structure of the DWC.

The DWC will have the following program areas managed by a Deputy Commissioner:

* Legal and Compliance
* Dispute Resolution
* Field Services
* Workplace and Medical Services

The following is a summary of the most recent DWC organizational changes:

Legal & Compliance Program Area Created

The Compliance & Regulation Program Area no longer exists.

A new Legal & Compliance program area has been created and will take on the compliance and enforcement duties of the Compliance & Regulation Section. The DWC's Legal Services attorneys and Compliance & Regulation auditors are being transferred to the new Legal & Compliance Section. The auditors are also being reclassified as investigators. The attorneys will focus more on enforcement. The new section is modeled after TDI's Legal and Enforcement Division.

The Deputy Commissioner for the Legal & Compliance program area, who will be an attorney, will report to Commissioner Betts. Norma Garcia, who will continue to serve as the DWC's General Counsel, will also serve as Acting Deputy Commissioner for Legal and Compliance until the position of Deputy Commissioner for Legal and Compliance is filled.

The DWC's current investigations and audit staff will remain within the new Legal and Compliance program area. This group will utilize referrals from the Complaints resolution group as well as data from the Monitoring and Analysis to help direct compliance efforts. Legal Services attorneys and staff will also report to the new Legal and Compliance program.

The Violation Intake Section of the former Compliance and Regulation Area has been merged with the Customer Services section of Field Services. The former Intake Unit and Customer Service program will now focus on customer service, complaint resolution, reporting complaint data to Data Monitoring, and where needed, referring matters to Legal and Compliance for further investigation or action.

Dispute Resolution Program Area to Have New Deputy Commissioner

The Dispute Resolution Program Area will have a new Deputy Commissioner. This program area will be responsible for managing the DWC's dispute resolution process that includes benefit review conferences, contested case hearings, medical dispute resolution, and Appeals Panel reviews. Commissioner Betts is expected to hire an attorney who will serve as the Deputy Commissioner for Dispute Resolution.

Heidi Jackson, who previously served as the Director of Hearings for the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission and as the Acting Deputy Commissioner for Dispute Resolution, has assumed the duties of Special Assistant for Medical Dispute resolution. Jackson will direct the DWC's efforts to resolve a 14,000 plus backlog of medical payment disputes and to implement changes to the medical dispute resolution process at DWC as preparations are made for new rulemaking and related procedures for the independent review organization (IRO) and medical dispute processes.

Field Services Program Area Continues Under the Leadership of Hatch

The Field Services Program Area will continue to be managed by Deputy Commissioner Brent Hatch. Hatch has worked at the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (TWCC) and Division of Workers' Compensation for the past 14 years where he has served as a benefit review officer, El Paso Field Office manager, central office program specialist, and as the Director of Customer Service. He has also been involved in the rule-making process at both TWCC and the DWC.

The responsibility of providing intake services for complaint and alleged violation referrals has been moved from the Compliance & Regulation Section to the Field Services Section's Customer Service Area and will be managed by Tammie Fulton, a 12-year veteran of the now defunct Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (TWCC) and DWC. Fulton's past positions at TWCC and DWC include medical dispute resolution officer, acting manager of Medical Dispute Resolution, compliance auditor, and compliance medical audit team leader.

Workplace and Medical Services Program Area Continues Under the Leadership of McDonald

The Workplace and Medical Services Program Area will continue under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Allen McDonald. McDonald, who has over 14 years of experience with the Texas workers' compensation system, previously served in positions at TWCC and the DWC that included management positions in business records management, business process improvement, customer services, and dispute resolution. In addition to his tenure at TWCC and the DWC, he worked as an insurance adjuster for a large self-insured employer in Texas.

The Return-to-Work Section, which is managed by Virginia May and is responsible for the administration of the return-to-work pilot project for small employers and monitoring system return-to-work outcomes, will continue to be part of the Workplace and Medical Services Program Area.

The Workplace and Medical Services Section has assumed the responsibility for the management of the DWC's self-insurance program.

New Monitoring and Analysis Section Established in DWC Executive Management Area

Commissioner Betts has established a new Monitoring and Analysis Section in Executive Management. The Monitoring and Analysis Section will be responsible for developing data monitoring tools for use in the DWC's compliance efforts and for providing information to DWC management for use in policy discussions and decision-making. This section will also monitor the House Bill 7 mandated Performance Based Oversight (PBO) process. The PBO process is one of several significant changes made to the Texas workers' compensation system by House Bill 7. Teresa Carney, who formerly served as the Director of Compliance for the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission and as the Acting Deputy Commissioner for Compliance & Regulation, has assumed the duties of a program director for a new section. She will have a staff of five and will manage this important program and the PBO process.

This new program section will report to Laurie Biscoe, Executive Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Research.

Other Organizational Changes

Commissioner Betts will be hiring a Commissioner's ombudsman who will be responsible for responding to issues raised by system stakeholders and participants. The Commissioner's Ombudsman will work closely with DWC staff in gathering information in preparation for responses to complaints or inquiries to the Commissioner's office.

The latest round of DWC reorganization follows on the heals of other significant organizational structures changes.

On May 8, 2006, Commissioner Betts announced the initial steps associated with an on-going re-organizational effort. Betts announced the following changes to his management team:

Executive Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Research Position Created

Laurie Biscoe, formerly the Chief of Staff for TWCC and DWC, was appointed as the DWC's Executive Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Research.

Biscoe's new responsibilities will include strategic planning and performance measures, managing the DWC rulemaking process, coordination with the DWC's Deputy Commissioners on workers' compensation policy issues, researching initiatives to support DWC activities and responsibilities, analysis of data to provide input into policy and rulemaking activities, and coordination of DWC strategic communications.

Executive Deputy Commissioner for Operations Established

Patricia Gilbert, formerly the DWC's Director of Business Process Improvement, was appointed to the position of Executive Deputy Commissioner for Operations.

Gilbert's responsibilities will include the coordination and monitoring of administrative support activities with TDI administrative support and DWC programs, review of business processes and business process implementation-operational reviews and implementation, implementation of TXCOMP and EDI initiatives, monitoring of organizational structure to ensure efficiencies and optimal business structure, monitoring and reporting on budget, and staffing and purchasing issues.

Executive Deputy Commissioner Gilbert will, at the direction of Commissioner Betts, be responsible for day-to-day operations of the DWC.

Special Projects Director Position Created

Chris Cook, a long time employee of TDI, has been hired by Commissioner Betts to serve as the DWC's Special Projects Director.

Cook's responsibilities will include coordinating an internal staff workers' compensation steering committee, strategic management plan implementation and monitoring, other initiatives and projects assigned by Commissioner Betts, working with Executive Deputy Commissioners and staff on business implementation and program improvement initiatives, working with Deputy Commissioners in coordinating DWC projects.

More Organizational Changes Expected

Commissioner Betts has directed each Deputy Commissioner to meet with their respective staff to discuss specifics of the organizational and operational structure in each program area. As appropriate, the Deputy Commissioners will be making organizational changes in their respective program areas and will seek candidates for some management and team leader positions.

Organizational Changes Expected to Improve Efficiency of DWC Business Operations

The organizational structure changes made to the DWC by Commissioner Betts are expected to better positions each program area to accomplish DWC goals, develop a centralized customer service and complaint resolution area, and improve the efficiency, customer service, and daily operations of the DWC.

Article republished with the permission of the Insurance Council of Texas. www.insurancecouncil.org

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