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Upcoming Shows

Mar 23
William Vanderbloemen
Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest

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Mar 30
Linda Riddell, MS,
Addressing In-Work Poverty

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April 6
Thomas Wright
The Social Security & Medicare Power Hour. 7 Basics in 60-Minutes!

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April 13
Vicky Oliver
8 Ways to Attract Women Back to the Workplace

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April 20
Karin Hurt and David Dye 2024 show 2
Powerful Phrases for Dealing With Workplace Conflict

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April 27
TBA
TBA

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May 4
Drew Jones
The Open Culture Handbook

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May 11
TBA
TBA

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May 18
Ashley Goodall
The Problem with Change

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May 25
TBA
TBA

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Jun 1
Tony Martignetti
Campfire Lessons for Leaders

Archives

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Colleen Kavanagh – Innovation in Healthcare Access

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Show Topic:
“It’s no secret that our healthcare system is broken and that people are having trouble accessing care,” says Colleen Kavanagh, who spent the first decade of her career working with hospitals to implement new technology and maximize profitability.

“But to solve this problem quickly, we’re asking the wrong questions, and we’re asking them of the wrong people.” In this episode, host CMA’s David Ciullo speaks with Colleen Kavanagh, CEO of SoulBeing, about Innovation in Healthcare Access: An Integrated Approach to Evidence-Based Healthcare.

Learn about leveraging existing mechanisms to help your teams find healthcare services more easily and affordably. Consider an expanded view of healthcare services that incorporates all aspects of physical, mental, and emotional health to provide truly integrated support, and empower your team and their families to be their healthiest, happiest selves.

 

About The Guest:

Colleen Kavanagh is the Founder and CEO of SoulBeing. She spent over a decade consulting with hospitals on how to run their imaging businesses more efficiently and profitably, and in the process discovered that over 70% of imaging patients were being treated for preventable conditions.

Now, she and her team at SoulBeing are on a mission to get people better access to care options outside of the hospital system, by designing an infrastructure to help keep people from getting sick, and managing symptoms and conditions more proactively and affordably.

Elizabeth Johnston & Robert Brooks – 2023 NLRB Decisions

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Show Topic:
The National Labor Relations Board has had a busy 2023 and employers of all sizes, both unionized and union-free, need to make sure that they are up to date on what the NLRB believes complies (and violates) a host of provisions of the National Labor Relations Act.

In this episode of HR Power Hour, join co-host Tawny Alvarez as she speaks to labor attorneys Robert Brooks and Elizabeth Johnston from Verrill concerning the top four NLRB actions of 2023 that employers should be mindful of and steps that they can take to guard against an unfair labor practices charge with the Board.

About The Guest:

Frank Verdi Bio: Elizabeth Johnston Bio: Elizabeth is a Labor and Employment attorney at Verrill. She is a regular contributor to Verrill’s Taking Care of HR Business blog, and handles a variety of employment matters, including working with businesses of all sizes to ensure that their policies are in compliance with the latest legal updates and are working effectively for the organization in practice.

Liz also advocates for clients facing claims before state and federal courts, the Maine Human Rights Commission, and the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board.

Robert Brooks Bio: Rob provides advice and representation to management on all aspects of the employment relationship. He works with clients engaged in construction, health care, manufacturing, transportation, utilities, and other industries throughout the country. Rob has successfully handled matters related to union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining, unfair labor practice charges, strikes, and arbitration.

Rob routinely handles claims for wrongful discharge, discrimination, unpaid wages, breach of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, and other disputes before judges, juries, and administrative agencies, and has successfully represented clients at all levels of the state and federal court systems. Rob also regularly provides advice and assistance to clients on proper termination procedures, Family Medical Leave Act issues, labor relations, disability issues, stock option and employee benefit disputes, and other matters.

Rob has a particular focus on negotiating project labor agreements for large-scale construction projects. Rob has also advised public and private entities concerning the lawful use of project labor agreements in the context of a state’s competitive bidding laws.

Stephane Miller & Frank Verdi – Selecting a Broker Can Be Fun and Rewarding.

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Show Topic:
Your broker helps you manage a budget of 25-40% of payroll. Even a small difference in capabilities and results can have a dramatic difference on costs.

So why do so many employers fail to properly select a broker? Typically, it’s because employers don’t evaluate brokers very often as it is hard to understand how brokers deliver different results and they don’t see a measurable difference in broker options clearly enough to warrant change.

In this episode, host CMA’s David Ciullo discusses with VP Stephanie Miller and VP Frank Verdi from Alliant Employee Benefits, how Selecting a Broker Can Be Fun and Rewarding. Learn the timing when to selecting a new broker, steps/criteria, and core questions you should be asking, and how to make the process benefit you.

About The Guest:

Frank Verdi Bio: In May 2023, Frank joined Alliant Insurance Services as Vice President within its Employee Benefits Group based in Boston, Massachusetts. Frank will focus on designing, implementing, and managing strategic employee benefits solutions for clients throughout the Northeast.

For more than 35 years, Frank has helped organizations across the Northeast drive growth through comprehensive, competitive, and cost-effective benefit programs. He has extensive experience on both the carrier and brokerage sides of the business and is highly regarded for his ability to develop and nurture strong, long-term relationships with his clients and partners.

“Frank has centered his career upon helping a range of businesses focus and optimize their benefits programs by designing, implementing, and managing employee-focused solutions that meet today’s business challenges,” said Kevin Overbey, President of Alliant Employee Benefits. “His strategic approach and deep knowledge of the benefits industry provides a strong competitive advantage to his clients.”

Prior to joining Alliant, Verdi was Area Vice President for a global insurance brokerage, risk management, and consulting firm in Boston. Prior to that, he spent 15+ years at the largest global brokerage firm in NY. To round out Frank’s experience, he spent the first 14 years of his career on the carrier side. This gave him firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of our carrier partners.

Frank is also a member of the LBGTQIA+ community and has been an advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion throughout his career. He continues to be passionate about helping change the industry for the better and for future generations.

Frank earned his bachelor’s degree from Dowling College in Oakdale, New York, and holds health and life licenses in various states. Frank is also an active member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) committee at Alliant.

Stephanie Miller Bio: Stephanie is a seasoned professional in the world of employee benefits, known for her expertise and dedication to helping organizations thrive. With a background that spans employee benefits, business development, HR technology, and client advocacy, Stephanie has made a significant impact throughout her career. She studied at Saint Joseph’s College and the University of Southern Maine.

Stephanie is the Vice President of the Employee Benefits Group at Alliant Insurance Services Based in Portland, she now focuses on designing, implementing, and managing tailored employee benefits solutions for a diverse portfolio of clients across the Northeast region. Her global perspective and her ability to create and maintain strong client relationships have quickly made her an asset to the Alliant team.

Jeremy Vesta – Addressing the Hidden Costs of Insurance

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Show Topic:

Recent studies show that 31% of US healthcare costs can be directly attributed to “behaviorally influenced chronic conditions,” while 69% of costs are influenced by consumer behaviors.

These statistics hold true for your workforce. The employees who walk through your door each day are managing more than just the workload; they have families, lives outside of work, and health conditions.

Is there a way, however, that employers can commit to helping their employees understand their health conditions, embrace different treatment options and change their behaviors to positively influence chronic health conditions? The answer is yes; but it takes work.

The good news, however, is that hard work has significant returns on not just your employees’ health, but also their commitment to your organization. In this episode of HR Power Hour, join Tawny Alvarez of Verrill as she speaks to Curally’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeremy Vesta, concerning addressing the hidden costs of insurance.

In this episode Tawny and Jeremy will discuss the current issues employers are faced with concerning employees with chronic health conditions, the work that Curally has undertaken to provide employers with a path to respond to these challenges, and the positive long-term effects this strategy has on both employees and employers.

About The Guest:

Jeremy Vesta is Chief Financial Officer of Curally where he uses his expertise as an economist and his extensive business leadership background to empower companies to optimize their investment in their most valuable resource—their employees—through innovative strategies.

Additionally, Jeremy is the Managing Director of Vesta Holdings, a company with diverse interests in the fresh beef industry. Among its ventures, Vesta Holdings is involved in beef manufacturing through Harmony Beef, a company established and run by Jeremy and his family.

Before joining Vesta, he gained experience as a commodities trader at Bunge. One of Jeremy’s core beliefs is that to address the challenge of rising insurance costs, businesses must adopt new approaches that go beyond the surface-level factors like plan design, benefit providers, and coverage provided. Instead, the focus should be on identifying and resolving the underlying factors driving these costs. By doing so, business owners, benefit administrators, and HR leaders can effectively mitigate the impact of escalating insurance expenses.