Florida

The Florida Stay at Work Consortium held its first meeting in August 2008 following their Summit in June 2008, and has been meeting periodically since then. For more information or to get involved, contact President Sherrie Goldsmith at sunshineapproach@aol.com.

Brief History

Feasibility sessions were held in Orlando and Tampa in April 2007, out of which arose a single Summit planning team with volunteers from a wide array of stakeholder groups.  The group named themselves the Florida Stay at Work Consortium and adopted a purpose/vision statement.  The first Florida Summit on Preventing Needless Work Disability was held June 1-2, 2008 in Orlando.

Summit Summary

Approximately 120 people participated in the Florida Summit, representing a wide array of stakeholder groups with particularly strong attendance by both employers and physicians.  Most of the people had not met each other before, and had never sat side-by-side to find solutions in this type of multi-stakeholder environment.  A shared commitment to preventing needless work disability and achieving better results for both employees and their employers kept the conversation focused and the communication collegial.  The fast pace and challenging subject matter kept everyone thoroughly engaged.

The evaluations received from attendees after the event were glowing.  For example, 97% of attendees agreed that the event was a good use of their time.  The percentage of people reporting good-to-great satisfaction with the small workgroup sessions (90%) and with facilitation (86%) were the highest to date of all Summits in The 60 Summits Project.  The attendees also made it clear that they want to remain engaged with one another, and with the initiative as a whole.  Of all those of who participated in the workshop, 67% signed up to join the follow-up Consortium, 75% joined the 60 Summits mailing list, and 80% joined the Florida mailing list!

Information about the Florida Summit:

• The members of the Summit Planning Committee
• An overview of the Summit and a summary agenda for the two days

Consortium Update - June 2010

Since their Summit in June 2008, the Florida Stay at Work Consortium has formed a 501(c)3 organization and conducted a strategy session that has created a 2010 plan with two major initiatives. The first consists of gathering statistical information and legislative updates to better assist our industry with its ever-changing focus. The second is creating and developing educational programs addressing medical causality, apportionment, and the role of the physician in the WC continuum. This will be created and presented primarily by physicians and employers, utilizing a case study approach. Part two of this initiative will address developing an educational program for clinicians, employers and all other stakeholders involved in the WC continuum. In addition, the Consortium continues to initiate partnerships with professional organizations in order to spread the word regarding the SAW/RTW effort.

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