Stronger Together, the theme for
Annual Issues Symposium (AIS) 2021, also makes a powerful statement about the future of the workers compensation system. The system and NCCI are emerging from the pandemic stronger than ever. Stronger because of cooperation, collaboration, and commitment to our noble purpose: helping injured workers.
This letter to you, our stakeholders, gives me the chance to reflect on 2020 and the lessons it taught our industry and our organization.
Our Industry
We often take for granted that the workers compensation business performs in relatively stable and highly predictable ways. The past year has taught us to be cautious when making assumptions about the future. If we wish to remain a system that withstands the test of time, we must focus on responsiveness, resilience, and fresh thinking. We should learn, for example, from how quickly we embraced the broad adoption of telemedicine for its efficiency, effectiveness, and speed.
The system has responded remarkably to the COVID-19 crisis. Carriers, regulators, employers, and other system stakeholders have stepped up when needed most. You paid claims. You helped injured workers heal. You embraced innovations. And you shifted the landscape to make workplaces safer against an invisible and aggressive threat. This was a moment to rise to the challenge, and you delivered.
At NCCI
Throughout 2020 I worked alongside a remarkable team at NCCI. They supported the workers compensation system with a sense of urgency, grit, and commitment that should make you proud.
From the very first day we switched to a remote working environment, colleagues across NCCI teamed up to meet customer needs despite an unfamiliar array of obstacles. They had no script. They faced new challenges around every corner. They needed to provide answers in the face of deep uncertainty. Still, the NCCI Team didn’t miss a beat.
Our experts stepped up with COVID-19 tools, research, and insights to help you make informed decisions. We pivoted to a virtual approach to our thought leadership and events, reaching a broader audience than ever. And best of all, we delivered on our core promises to support a healthy workers compensation system.
Importantly, we set upon a journey to be a more inclusive organization, leveraging our diversity to strengthen value to stakeholders. We’re fostering new dialogue and expanding career development. And as community volunteers, we’re making a difference by focusing on education opportunities for the underserved.
Stronger Together. It means being aligned and committed to a shared set of goals. Within our industry and across the NCCI family, this unity of purpose is critical to our future.
The experiences of the past year give me hope and confidence that we will be ready for whatever the future brings.
Bill Donnell
President and CEO
