IAIABC Member Spotlight

Each month, the IAIABC highlights one of its member organizations, asking about what the organization does; what challenges it sees workers' compensation facing; and why they're involved with the IAIABC. Find past member spotlights here. 

IAIABC: Please provide an organizational overview (number of employees, years in business, vision)

Mary Beth Woods, Executive Director, PERMA: PERMA, Public Employer Risk Management Association, Inc. is a self-administered, not-for-profit association providing risk management services and workers’ compensation coverage. For over 40 years, we have served New York public entities across the State. Our staff of approximately 80 professionals provide in-house claims management services, including nurse case management, risk management, coverage underwriting, and account management services. 

At PERMA, we focus on being a comprehensive partner to our members – going above and beyond providing strategic workers’ compensation coverage. Our members also receive exclusive safety training, grant offerings, educational conferences, awards, and discounted value add services through our vendor partnerships. 

Our Mission:
PERMA strives to be the best partner to public employers in New York State by providing Workers' Compensation coverage, customized workplace solutions, delivering exceptional value with membership, and prioritizing personal and dedicated service to members and their employees.

Our Pillars: 
Prevent. Provide. Protect.

IAIABC: How does your organization serve the workers’ compensation industry? 

MBW: PERMA partners with public entities in New York State to proactively address workplace risks, protect workers’ health and safety, and helps reduce costs associated with Workers’ Compensation. Our dedicated claims administration focuses on nurse-driven case management and collaborates with proactive case analysts to help implement transitional duty programs to help get injured employees back to work safely in less time. A differentiator of PERMA includes making returning to work a team effort by the injured employee, medical provider, employer and PERMA.

IAIABC: What do you see as some of the major challenges the industry is facing, and how can we as a community address them? 

MBW: Some significant challenges in the industry involve adjusting to remote work and hybrid schedules, which bring specific risks. The industry is also experiencing a shifting workforce in demographics, such as smaller hiring pools and integrating new employees while losing institutional knowledge of the most experienced workers. Furthermore, the competitive landscape emphasizes public entity budget limitations while maintaining workplace safety and rising claim costs (both in wages and medical expenses).

Collaborating and sharing innovative solutions is crucial in tackling some of these challenges. Utilizing technological advances where possible such as Artificial Intelligence and implementing flexible work schedules to help accommodate evolving employee needs in the workforce. Additionally, providing targeted risk initiatives to enhance workplace safety for retained employees can help train inexperienced new hires improving the gap of organizational knowledge and skills.

IAIABC: Are there any projects/programs/initiatives going on at your organization that you are particularly excited or enthusiastic about?

MBW: As we continue to reinvest in unique safety initiatives, we are excited to introduce new interventions to support our members and address their needs based on our current claims data. This includes:

• Mobile Slip Simulator
  • This Fall, we will be introducing our Mobile Slip Simulator by Inbiodyn to help train members at their own locations. The Simulator places individuals in a safe, controlled training environment while harnessed to provide a real-life experience of walking on slippery surfaces. Participants perform tasks learning the right movements or tactics based on different surface conditions. Our goal is to utilize this unit for reduction in slips, trips, and falls, egress and more!
• RISE (Reducing Injuries in Special Education)
  • This program is designed for our school members and received national recognition at the 2024 Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) award for Innovation in an Intergovernmental Risk Pool. It combines staff professional development and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) within the special education setting to protect staff and reduce injuries. Our Schools Risk Management Specialist collaborates with administration to address current issues within their special education department along with a comprehensive review of past claims using data analytics.
• Sensory Room Grant
  • Sixty-six percent of our workers’ compensation claims in the school setting result from staff contact with a student. Most of these types of claims occur in the special education setting. Student contact is often sudden and can result in unintentional staff injuries. Sensory rooms are an innovative method to decrease injuries caused by interactions with students with special needs. Having a plan and program in place to address behaviors is critical to preventing staff injuries. We are offering a competitive grant opportunity to provide funding for a sensory integration room for our school district members.
• Large Deductible Option
  • Many years of advocacy efforts recently resulted in updates to current legislation. These changes have allowed our program to provide a large deductible option for larger entities. This offers comprehensive coverage as a more affordable option for these types of organizations.
• Employee Appreciation Events
  • Our organization offers a hybrid structure allowing employees to be remote three to four days a week. Once a month, we host an employee appreciation event to continue to engage our employees and build team cohesion. Events range from an hour of painting to an hour of spring cleaning, to friendly office competitions. Flexible formats allow people to participate in a variety of activities with the goal of recognizing employee contributions and strengthening relationships across departments. 

IAIABC: What's an interesting fact about your organization that most people don't know?

MBW: 

• Recipient of GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for more than two decades
• Our members stay with PERMA with a 97% retention rate.
• We are endorsed by the State’s largest educational and governmental associations as their provider of choice.
• Received PRIMA’s 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award for an Intergovernmental Risk Pool Program for our Reducing Injuries in Special Education (RISE) Program.

IAIABC: Why is your organization a member of the IAIABC? What would you tell others about the benefits of membership?

MBW: Membership in IAIABC enables us to engage and network with individuals within these regulatory settings while having a voice in the development of standards. PERMA additionally participates in educational forums and webinars to enhance staff training and awareness best practices.

Previous Member Spotlights

2024 Member Spotlights

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) -September 2024
American Medical Association (AMA) - August 2024
Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) - July 2024
American Association of Payers, Administrators, and Networks (AAPAN) - June 2024
The Beacon Mutual - May 2024
Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation - April 2024
Arbicare - March 2024
Acuity Insurance -February 2024
Alaska Division of Workers' Compensation - January 2024