Date: Friday, May 16th 2008
Guest Speaker: Lynn Thornstrom
Hello again to all our members and guests!
With only two more meetings before our summer break we have a lot to accomplish. We will be emailing you the new 2008-2009 Certification applications soon but we are also at the beginning stages of amending the requirements to keep up with the CE credits required of our colleagues and clients involved in Workers Compensation. Our meetings are a valued way to accomplish this requirement.
We are pleased to announce that our May speaker is Lynn Thornstrom from Hughes Occupational who will be following up last months meeting on the subject of The ADA Compliant Job Analysis. This is the tool to assist the process of determining the strength of our medical reporting, to determine the ability of the injured worker to return to his usual and customary job and what if any modification could allow that return and therefore help to keep our client from the dangers of the FEHA lawsuit. Please join us and take the new information back to your clients.
Our June meeting will be Don Barthel on the subject of the AMA guides. We are so very pleased to have him back as he is not only extremely knowledgeable about the subject of the AMA guides but also he his working on the 6th edition and can give us some inside scoop!
We will not have meetings in the months of July & August but will be working behind the scenes to make next year even better for our members. In September we will have Bob Nagel on the subject of Medical Fraud and in October Aida Hughes is coming back by popular demand to speak on the subject of Diminished Earning Capacity. We have no meeting in November but have our annual Holiday meeting in December.
Our meeting in May is the third Friday of the month, May 16, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Buena Park where the 91 Freeway and Beach Boulevard meet. Please RSVP. We also encourage you to visit our website and join our Forum.
Date: Friday, April 18th 2008
Guest Speaker: Ms. Aida Hughes
Hello again to all our members and guests!
Well last month I announced that Spring had sprung.....it feels as though my spring had not only sprung but that it broke and flew across the room! I do apologise for the late notice of this month's meeting but life gets away from us sometimes!
This month we are so very pleased to have Aida Hughes as our guest speaker to present us with information about FEHA and work site accommodations. Yes FEHA is a four letter word but we can benefit our clients with our outstanding of the issues and how to overcome the pitfalls and preventing the lawsuit. Ms. Hughes has been involved in Vocational Rehabilitation, Ergonomics and Return to Work Consultation for many years. She is a wealth of knowledge on these subjects.
Please join us for this meeting on April 18, 2008 at 11:30 p.m. Lunch and meeting cost is only $25.00 and Membership is $50 per year. We are nearing time for our certification renewals. The monthly meetings are credit towards the certification requirements and your input and attendance benefits all of us.
We are in the process of working on the certification requirements to make us more compatible with the requirements of the state CE requirements for Adjusters & Paralegals. We are open to your ideas and welcome your input. The amended requirements will be put before you once all is ready for the membership to vote.
Please RSVP....I look forward to seeing you and your guests.
Date: Friday, March 21th 2008
Guest Speaker: Mr. Bill Koppany
Well here we are in March 2008 and Spring has SPRUNG! Daylight Savings is due this weekend. This means that next week we can all look forward to feeling like the cat dragged us into Court! Your AHRC Board is working behind the scenes to make certain that we have an informative and interesting subject each month for our meetings and that you are able to depend on learning something new and helpful every time we meet. We will have a sneak peek at the meeting this month.
We are once again fortunate to have an excellent speaker for our next meeting. Mr. Bill Koppany from the Law Firm of Tobin Lucks will be sharing his expertise on the subject of Subrogation, Third Party Liens and C&R's. He comes highly recommended and promises to have a few stories to tell about his experiences and helpful information about what to look out for as we encounter this issue in the handling of our Workers Compensation cases.
As usual we will be meeting at the Buena Park Holiday Inn at 11:30 a.m. on Friday March 21, 2008. Lunch is $25.00 and membership is $50.00.
We would GREATLY appreciate your RSVP so that we are not scrambling for seats as we were last month.....Ahh we don't mind the crowds....we just want to be certain that we have a chair for you! Please feel free to bring colleges and coworkers. We will have a drawing for a prize for every attendee and you will receive an extra ticket if you bring a guest.
Date: Friday, February 18th, 2008
Guest Speaker: Judge Roger Tolman
From Kathi Ruhe:
Hello members and friends of AHRC:
Well here we are...a month under our belts in 2008. Time is flying by and we are getting closer and closer to some exciting changes in the California Workers Compensation System. We all need to be prepared for the PAPERLESS SYSTEM! Yikes!
Do not fear we will be prepared for the changes!
This month we are very pleased to be able to present the Honorable Judge Roger Tolman who will speaking on the following subjects;
1) Preparing for Trial, 2) Defending At Trial and 3) a teaser/overview of the paperless system per your request, 4) Any current, new and pertinent cases that would benefit those defending the carrier and or employer will also be provided as to case in chief and liens.
Our meeting is scheduled for February 15, 2008 at 11:30 at the Holiday Inn in Buena Park. Cost is $25.00 for a great lunch and outstanding learning experience. Please do your best to be there and please invite a friend or colleague to join us as well.
Date: Friday, January 18th, 2008
Guest Speaker: None
From Kathi Ruhe:
To our members and friends:
Well here we are in 2008 ready to take on a new year with new resolutions and ambitions for the upcoming year. My resolution with AHRC is to make every effort to get the information regarding upcoming meetings to our members early enough to plan your time and to invite colleagues to attend.
The next meeting is set for January 18, 2008 at 11:30am at the Buena Park Holiday Inn. Please do RSVP to Larry.Ruheclaims@gmail.com so that we are prepared for the large crowds we hope to see there. We will enjoy a great lunch and the topic of the meeting is AMA Impairment Overview for non-physicians, Activities of Daily Living and the medical report…from a doctor's (and lien representative) prospective. Martin Pryal who is a lien representative and former Chiropractor will be presenting this topic. Please plan on a provocative discussion with Dr. Pryal.
As I sit here in my living room typing this update to you I feel a new appreciation for why the activities of daily living and apportionment are so very important in a medical determination. My husband Ray had surgery last week to repair his complete tear of his rotator cuff. The surgery went very well but his life has been profoundly impacted by this surgery. He has very little use in his legs. Walking is a struggle for him when healthy and this surgery and the complete loss of use of his major (and strongest) arm for at least six weeks means that he has one good limb. For the time being the ADL of this strong man who has overcome a lifetime of disability has been IMPACTED! Standing, walking, bathing, hygiene, brushing teeth, drinking and eating, dressing himself, preparing meals, driving (just getting him in and out of a car is a feat) as well as numerous other activities with less importance are all affected. He will not be able to work for at least two months and possibly longer. He is much more impacted than a healthy male his age. All of these factors need to be assessed by the examining physician when making his determinations to make his report probative and substantial.
There will be a gift for the member bringing a guest who joins AHRC at the January meeting. So tell your friends and coworkers to come and become a part of this Association. The food brought in by some members at the December meeting was donated to a shelter for battered Women and Children called The Sheepfold. Please continue to bring in any donations large or small as any amount is helpful.
See You There!
Date: Friday, December 7th, 2007
Guest Speaker: None
From Kathi Ruhe:
Hello to all our members!
Well... Thank you to all you voted me in as President in my absence...that is what I get for not attending last months meeting! Really though, you all know that I desire to get this organization growing and that it become a great learning tool as well as an opportunity for us to promote good practices and ethics for our membership. So I am really excited for this opportunity. So thank you to all of you!
I have been working very hard to set up some great speakers over the next few months. I aim to have the information for each upcoming meeting ready for you so that you can spread the word to others outside our membership so that we can build up our numbers this year. Please do your best to promote attendance at our meetings and I will do my best to provide meeting that are worthwhile and beneficial to our continuing education.
For our Christmas meeting scheduled for December 7, 2007 at 11:30 am at the Holiday Inn in Buena Park we are once again honored to be joined by Jim Umholtz, Esq. from the Law Offices of Schlossberg & Umholtz. He will presenting a lesson on the subject of Burdens, Presumption and Evidence. Of course as it is our annual Holiday party we will also be celebrating with our raffle...come prepared to buy lots of raffle tickets. I thought that it would also be nice to see if we can bring some gifts or canned goods for the less fortunate this year. I will have a box available for our donations at the meeting. Please be generous and bring something to contribute to the area charities. Cost for the meeting is 25.00 and raffle tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. With each $25.00 worth of tickets purchased you get a bonus ticket....Who can resist?!!
Our Annual Membership was actually due back in October. Please bring your membership dues to the meeting in the amount of $50.00. We will have membership applications available at the meeting for you. Remember that membership is required for Certification.
I will have preview of the our upcoming speakers at the Holiday Meeting....See you there!
Guest Speaker: None
The election of the new board members for the next two years will be held this Friday. The positions must be filled. If you are AWOL you may find that you have been nominated so please be present and voice your preferences.
Antoinette Smith has volunteered for the Treasurer position. Kathi Ruhe and Susan Colias have indicated their willingness to continue on the board. Kathi is interested in taking the President's position. I hope that Susan will assume my duties as the Secretary. We are looking for someone for the Vice-Presidents position.
Most of all we need your votes to make this election process work. We are looking forward to a bright future for our organization. With your help we will continue to be a valuable resource, educational and networking group for a long time to come.
Date: Friday, September 21st 2007
Guest Speaker: None
Hello AHRC Members,
We really need your input to give our organization direction for the future. We are in serious straits at this time. We may not be able to continue with our faltering memberships. We are at the point that needs the attention of everyone. Do we go on or do we disband?
The present board has reached the end of their two year terms. Are any of you willing to volunteer your time and energy to serve on the board of AHRC? If so, please speak up and let us know what positions you would like to fill.
I urge all of you to attend our meeting on 9-21-07 and let us know how we can regroup to face the future challeges for our organzation. We cannot succeed without your help. We do not have a speaker confirmed for the next meeting but your attendance is crucial.
Date: Friday, June 15th 2007
Guest Speaker: Daniel Goldsmith
Mr. Goldsmith, a former senior investigator for the medical board of California, provided us with aids in combating the ongoing medical provider fraud that continues to confront us under different disguises.
Date: Friday, April 27th 2007
Guest Speaker: Judge Roger Tolman
The honorable Judge Roger Tolman offered his learned advice regarding making successful objections during trial. He guided us through the process of preparing the proper legal foundations that will enable us to prevail when encountering attempts from applicant's counsel to sway the evidence in their favor.
Date: Friday, March 16th 2007
Guest Speaker: Tony Baroldi
Tony went over the latest case law, focusing on recent changes.
Date: Friday, February 17th 2007
Guest Speaker: Jim Umholtz, Law Office of Schlossberg and Umholtz
Jim discussed the proper use of Petitions and Trial Briefs in preparing our cases for a successful result at Trial. He shared the insight he has gained during his years as defense counsel.