The 2024 National Comp Conference took place October 15-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Once again, this key annual event was a meaningful forum to connect with peers, clients, and partners, and share Paradigm’s thought leadership and latest advances in life-changing outcomes for injured workers and their families. Along with serving as a Gold Sponsor, experts from Paradigm participated in four inspiring, interactive, and thought-provoking sessions that covered the future of the industry, the disparity in outcomes between workers’ comp and group health, redefining quality case management metrics, and real injured worker stories that illustrated the life-changing difference that whole-person, value-based care makes.

Members of the Paradigm team at National Comp

Throughout the conference, visitors to the Paradigm booth were asked to share their passion for workers’ comp in the “What’s Your Why? Portraits of Purpose” engagement activity. There, an on-site artist transformed guests’ submissions into one unifying illustration.  

Artist’s rendition of Paradigm booth activity: “What’s Your Why? Portraits of Purpose” 

We are proud to announce that, on behalf of everyone who took part in our booth activity, Paradigm is donating a total of $4,000 to our core philanthropic partner, Kids’ Chance of America. This activity was inspired by our “Human-Centered Care & Compassion: Real Workers, Groundbreaking Recoveries” session, where two catastrophically injured workers shared their newfound purpose and renewed spirit after experiencing life-changing events. Read on to learn more.  

Left to right: Jennifer Malenky, Director of Corporate Giving, Kids’ Chance of America; Debbie Mason, COO, Kids’ Chance; two Kids’ Chance Student Ambassadors; and Kevin Turner, CGO, Paradigm  

Moving our industry forward
Kicking off the conference on Tuesday, October 15, John S. Watts, Jr., CEO, Paradigm, joined an elite panel of industry leaders to explore meaningful change in workers’ compensation. Moderated by Joe Paduda, Principal, Health Strategy Associates, “Moving the Industry from Talk to Change” empowered attendees with actionable insights and innovative strategies to shape the future of our industry.  

Left to right: Joseph Barardo, Jr.; Joe Paduda; John S. Watts, Jr.; and Sri Sridharan

During this interactive, provocative session, the panel explored innovative revenue models, market trends, and the impact of data on goals and objectives and provided real–world examples and best practices from parallel markets. Along with Sri Sridharan, CEO, MedRisk; and Joseph Barardo, Jr., CEO, Carisk Partners; Watts fielded questions ranging from how to move toward outcomes-focused care to the evolving role of data and artificial intelligence in workers’ compensation. Watts emphasized how Paradigm’s 30+ years of data and deep clinical expertise allow the organization to accurately predict cost of care, optimal care management models, and potential clinical outcomes. 

The extraordinary power of expert-driven, human-centered care
During our second session on Tuesday, two catastrophically injured workers inspired attendees with their incredible stories of hope and determination. In “Human-Centered Care & Compassion: Real Workers, Groundbreaking Recoveries”, Paradigm HERO Alexander Borges—a structural engineer who experienced a traumatic brain injury and multiple trauma injuries from a 35-foot fall—joined Paradigm’s Chief Medical Officer for Workers’ Compensation Michael Choo, MD to discuss his inspiring recovery.  

The panel—which also included Shawn Deane, General Counsel and VP of Claims Solutions, Kind Souls Foundation/J29; and Aaron James, a lineman who survived a 7,200-volt electric shock while on the job—emphasized the critical importance of a team-based approach to catastrophic injury recovery.  

Left to right: Shawn Deane, Alexander Borges, Aaron James, and Dr. Michael Choo 

The injured workers and care management professionals took part in a heartfelt discussion on the value and impact of personalized catastrophic care management, and how to find purpose after a life-changing event. By showing the importance of keeping people firmly at the center of care, working closely with family members, and creating evidence-based recovery plans, this highly impactful session showed the tenets of achieving positive outcomes against all odds. Borges and James shared their thoughts on their experience as an injured worker: 

“You have to heal physically, but you have to heal mentally, too. And that can be the hardest part.” – Aaron James, Injured Worker 

“We can’t do this alone.” – Alexander Borges, Injured Worker  

How workers’ comp can close the outcomes gap 
To close out the first day, Paradigm leaders led a forward-looking discussion on the troubling disparity of outcomes between workers’ compensation and group health. Moderated by David Lupinsky, Paradigm Vice President of Clinical Product Solutions, “Group Health Is Beating Comp on Outcomes? Understanding Why, and What Needs to Change” was a wide-ranging and thought-provoking exploration.  

Left to right: Dr. Adam Seidner, Dr. Michael Choo, David Lupinsky, and Dr. Gerry Stanley 

The discussion was inspired by the white paper, “Is Workers’ Compensation Driving an Epidemic of Healthcare Outcomes Disparity?” written by two of the panelists, Adam Seidner, MD, Chief Medical Officer, The Hartford; and Gerry Stanley, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Express Scripts by Evernorth. The white paper provides evidence that surgical outcomes for workers’ compensation patients lag behind group health, despite a younger and healthier workers’ comp population. The panelists took a critical look at what stakeholders across the industry need to do to take an objective look at this gap.  

The panel, that also featured Dr. Choo, examined potential solutions, including smarter patient engagement, the need for proactive behavioral support, and better alignment of incentives. During the session, Lupinsky and Dr. Choo emphasized the promising results of Paradigm’s HERO MSK℠ program, which offers a high–engagement, value-based solution to workplace musculoskeletal injuries. 

Changing how we think about quality metrics
On Wednesday, Paradigm Case Management leaders Shannon Ford, SVP, Case Management Solutions; and Brenda Calia, VP, Case Management Delivery; joined Sharon Scott, SVP, Medical Programs, ESIS®, Inc. and Dolly Root, Director, Nurse Case Management, Berkley Medical Management Solutions in “The New Frontier of Case Management: Effective Metrics for Modern Challenges” session.   

Left to right: Sharon Scott, Dolly Root, Brenda Calia, and Shannon Ford  

This engaging, interactive panel highlighted the ongoing evolution of case management and examined the missing link between quality measures and outcomes. In particular, Ford and Calia shared some of the most recent case management success stories and the key role that data technology and rigorous quality measurement play for Paradigm Case Management Solutions. Root and Scott shared examples of implementing quality assurance and data programs in their organizations and spoke to their challenges and successes along the way. 

Supporting positive visibility and belonging
For the second year in a row, Paradigm’s Go-to-Market and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) teams partnered up as a Bronze sponsor of the Rainbow Risk Alliance Glitter and Groove event held on Wednesday, October 16, at the MGM Grand. This fun gathering was a great opportunity to come together and support LGBTQ+ risk management and insurance professionals. This year, more than 500 attendees lit up the night and promoted positive visibility and awareness, and we were proud to be a part of it.  

Paradigm was also pleased to sponsor AWWC’s “Ignite Your Potential” session, focused on the importance of continuous learning, mentorship, and leading with empathy and authenticity.  

Thank you again to everyone who visited our booth, shared your “What’s Your Why?” and engaged with us throughout the conference. We can’t wait to see you in Nashville, November 11–13, 2025, for National Comp 2025!