Please join us in congratulating Elizabeth Gwin, Senior Claims Examiner in the Torrance office, for being recognized as a distinguished claims examiner during Examiner Appreciation Week. Elizabeth joined Keenan as a senior claims examiner in May of 2023. Since that time, she has been triumphant in resolving over thirty claims via Compromise & Release (C&R) settlements, which means these claims are released with no further liability the client, and the injured worker is provided a lump sum settlement to manage their own medical needs. Moreover, Elizabeth’s responsiveness, efficiency, and accountability has been the cornerstone in establishing a cohesive working relationship with her clients. Because of this, clients feel comfortable knowing that their employees are being taken care of and their concerns are handled intentionally. Recently, Elizabeth participated in the first in-person file review post-COVID in over four years for Westminster School District. With Elizabeth’s ability to effectively detail the more challenging files, the client found great value in the interaction and expressed their sincerest gratitude.

Congratulations to Elizabeth on being recognized as an extremely skilled examiner who effectively strategizes to resolve claims. Gaining the trust and confidence of your clients matters, and she understands the importance of these qualities for a successful partnership.

Please join us in congratulating Sukhdeep Kaur, Senior Claims Examiner in the San Jose Office, for being recognized during Examiner Appreciation Week. Sukhdeep sets the bar high when it comes to going above and beyond. In a recent file review where the client faced various ongoing challenges with some catastrophic claims, she provided clear claims strategies that were meaningful and effective. This resulted in the client’s confidence as she was able to thoroughly engage the team while exercising care and patience. The strategies presented were complex and required out of the box thinking. The client was confident in her professional perspective and was very appreciative of her efforts to help the injured worker. Because of Sukhdeep’ s effective handling and delivery at the file review, she received complimentary feedback from a wide range of her colleagues, including the Account Executive, Risk Management Analyst, and her own Management Team.

Since last year, Sukhdeep has also been assisting her manager with providing training on Keenan procedures and best practices in addition to offering mentorship for new employees. On top of all of this, Sukhdeep recently asked to join another unit’s Teams chat group in order to provide support for new employees. She is also more than willing to handle more complex or contribution files and also steps in to lend a helping hand when the management team is out of the office for meetings.

Congratulations to Sukhdeep on being recognized and celebrated for these astounding achievements. She is a constant, trusted, team player, who places great value and importance in every aspect of her work on a daily basis.

Please join us in congratulating Andria Cselovszki, Senior Claims Examiner in the Rancho Cordova office for being recognized as an exemplary claims examiner during Examiner Appreciation Week. Andria has been a senior claims examiner with Keenan for over nine years. Recently, a claimant obtained counsel on their claim, which resulted in the scheduling of a deposition. Recognizing this as key opportunity for an early resolution, Andria took swift action to prepare and present the necessary information for resolution. Using strategy and recognizing the immense value of early claims resolution, Andria successfully resolved the claim via Compromise & Release (C&R) at the deposition, which also yielded a favorable outcome for both the injured worker and the client.

Since day one, Andria has been recognized as an examiner who prioritizes building strong relationships with her clients, injured workers, and peers. Andria is always willing to assist with special projects, training, and mentoring new employees.

Congratulations to Andria for being recognized as an extremely skilled examiner who effectively strategizes to resolve claims. She is a fervent believer in the power of teamwork and a champion for her peers. She continues to excel as an examiner by utilizing her vast knowledge of claims handling and leadership. 

Please join us in congratulating Norma Navarro, Senior Claims Examiner in the Torrance office, for being honored for her stellar customer service and claims handling during Examiner Appreciation week. Most notably, Norma is the dedicated claims examiner for Coast Community College District for over ten years. According to her supervisor, “no other examiner can match what she does on Coast.” She has been instrumental and highly adept at resolving payment related issues for this client. She is professional and attentive to the needs of her clients, which includes making herself available to respond to questions or concerns as they arise. Although not a routine requirement of an examiner, Norma provides bi-weekly claim status updates which has proven very impactful with her clients as well as their district school board. In a heartfelt email from the client, they expressed their extreme gratitude and indicated that they feel very fortunate to have Norma assigned to their account. These attributes have added to the ongoing success in building a bridge of trust and confidence with this client. Additionally, Norma understands the value in effective communication with injured workers, and practices compassion and care when responding to all inquiries.

Congratulations to Norma on being recognized for her incredible customer service skills and exceptional claims handling. She understands the lasting and positive effects of forming solid relationships with her clients and injured workers and is reflected through the multitude of positive feedback she receives.

Please join us in congratulating Kristin Mays, Senior Claims Examiner in the Oakland Property & Liability Claims Administration (PLCA) department. Kristin joined Keenan in 2023. As a Senior Examiner with less than one year on the team, Kristin is looked at as a mentor by other examiners. Her supervisor describes her as the ultimate proactive examiner. Kristin’s exceptional customer service focus, communication skills that consistently exceed expectation, and her ability to handle complex cases effectively make her deserving of this recognition. In just her first year with Keenan, Kristin has successfully mitigated financial exposure totaling well over a million dollars through mediations for districts including Modesto City Schools and Scotts Valley USD. In addition, her strategic efforts have generated significant savings for Northern California Relief (NCR).

Congratulations to Kristin for being recognized during Examiner Appreciation Week. Her skilled efforts and extraordinary contributions have meaningfully impacted her fellow PLCA examiners, clients, and pools.

Please join us in congratulating Victoria Juarez, Claims Examiner in the Oakland Property & Liability Claims Administration (PLCA) office for being recognized during Examiner Appreciation Week. Victoria has been with Keenan for over 16 years. Both clients and coworkers look to Victoria for her historical and technical knowledge as well her constant willingness to help. She has gone above and beyond to support onboarding new employees with individualized care for both examiners and administrative assistants. She goes out of her way to provide exceptional customer service which is exemplified through close collaboration with our clients in resolving claims. Victoria is highly skilled in obtaining third-party subrogation recoveries for clients. When a property loss is caused by an outside party, such a as a motor vehicle accident, Victoria has time and time again successfully collected full payment from these parties to reimburse the district for claim damages. Most recently, she recovered $50,000 for Foothill De Anza CCD, McKinleyville Union SD, and Konocti USD.

Congratulations to Victoria for being recognized during Examiner Appreciation Week. Victoria’s dedication, loyalty, and service to Keenan coupled with her technical abilities have positively impacted the program.

Please join us in congratulating Cheryl Harrison, Senior Property Claims Examiner in the Torrance Property & Liability Claims Administration (PLCA) office. Cheryl joined Keenan as a Senior Claims Examiner in November of 2019. Cheryl’s caseload consists of complex related property matters, some of which include claims with significant exposure and value. She consistently handles her assigned claims with pride and compassion, identifying potential collateral sources in order to transfer risk exposure. For example, on a high value property loss involving significant damage to Mira Costa Community College’s Oceanside Campus’ pedestrian bridge, Cheryl identified the cause of the incident and immediately tendered the claim to the district’s contractor as the responsible party. Cheryl’s proactive measures saved the District and Statewide Association of Community Colleges (SWACC) pool from having to incur the demolition and replacement costs totaling in upwards of $3,350,000.

Congratulations to Cheryl for being recognized during Examiner Appreciation Week. Cheryl is a significant asset to Keenan’s claims team as she has extensive knowledge in the property realm and provides the clients with a hands-on approach. The PLCA management team recognizes Cheryl for her “overall skills and performance.” They are “grateful and honored to have her as part of the team.”

Please join us in congratulation Kathleen Ennes, Senior Claims Examiner in the Torrance Office, for being recognized for her tremendous efforts during Examiner Appreciation Week. Kathleen has been presented with managing CMS Conditional Notices for one of our Loss Portfolio Transfer (LPT) programs, which has seen a large influx of critical lien notices in the past five months. She collaborates with Management on every lien to include strategy roundtables and handles 100% of these notices internally. All of CMS Conditional liens requires immediate communication with the Coordination Recovery Center in Florida. These early morning calls are critical to successfully making contact with a CMS representative, sometimes requiring hours on hold. Currently, out of 22 notices received, Kathleen has successfully mitigated and resolved a total of 17 with exceptionally favorable results at $0 owed! In total, this amount exceeds $680K in liability removed for our clients. Due to her swift, efficient handling and these remarkable results, Kathleen has received multiple accolades reflecting on the wonderful job she is doing with this key responsibility. Kathleen has received numerous compliments from clients, reinsurers, managers, CCT and her peers.

Congratulations to Kathleen on being recognized for her hard work and successful handling of these notices. Kathleen continues to go above and beyond with her efforts to resolve these notices and the favorable results are shown by her continued high rate of success.

Please join us in congratulating Christina Henderson, Senior Claims Examiner in the San Jose Office, for being recognized during Examiner Appreciation Week. Permanent Disability Ratings can be incredibly complex at times and can change throughout the development of a claim. Permanent Disability can also be frequently in dispute. This is where Christina’s expertise has recently shined. When Christina received a medical report that resulted in a large PD rating, and a final Disability Evaluation Unit Ratings supporting the large PD rating, she quickly identified some issues that needed to be resolved. She took initiative to outline issues and make a good argument for the reduction in the PD rating and submitted a Request for Reconsideration, on her own and without the need for a defense attorney. Taking this initiative is not easy and requires a thoughtful plan as the DEU is a state department within the WCAB. It is not easy to get the state to change their minds on something. After several months of pursuing the Reconsideration, she was successful in the granting of a reduced PD rating, saving our client several thousand dollars.

Christina is very detail-oriented, is customer service-centric and spends many hours on the phone with her clients and injured workers guiding them through the complexities of workers’ compensation regulations. She is always professional, patient and a good listener. She has received accolades from her supervisor including “there is calmness in her voice that goes a long way.” Christina also finds it very impactful to always be available for all clients, no matter the amount of need they may request or require. She is also known to “challenge the status quo” by advocating for examiners on conference calls regarding new processes and procedures.

Congratulations to Christina on being recognized for her remarkable customer service skills and expertise in claims handling. She values and understands the importance of forming solid relationships with her clients, injured workers, and peers. Kudos to Christina for always going the extra mile!

Silvana Brownlie is a Senior Claims Examiner in the Riverside Office, and a loyal Keenan employee for 29 years! Her positive attitude and willingness to help others is described by her supervisor as “immeasurable.”

Recently, Silvana was the first to volunteer and took the initiative to complete tasks for two weeks for two fellow examiners that were out of the office. This is a common occurrence with Silvana, she is always first to volunteer to help others and assist even when it is outside of the scope of her own work. Silvana is well respected by her clients and peers and always receives positive feedback. Not only are all file reviews timely and thorough, but she also places great importance and value in responding immediately, from injured workers to clients and to her teammates. She takes initiative to check in with her teammates on critical needs to see if anyone needs assistance and is trusted by her management team to help wherever needed. By Silvana’s proactive efforts to understand the department’s needs in always having a pulse on issues is an exceptional resource to her supervisor. Silvana gives 100% to everyone, everyday, which is a testament to her dedication.

Congratulations to Silvana on being recognized for all these amazing attributes. Her loyalty and dedication to Keenan and her team can be seen time and time again, through her teamwork and willingness to volunteer to ensure the team and Keenan remain successful.

Cristian Rodriguez has been a Claims Examiner in the Rancho Cordova office for seven years. Cristian consistently demonstrates excellence in collaborating with both his clients and colleagues. A recent excellent example of this is the gratitude Christian received from a client that they were “extremely happy with the excellent job [he] has done”, and they expressed his performance is “5 out of 5 stars”. This client also commended his great work, responsiveness, inclusiveness, and that he is always ready to provide quick solutions. When this client had claims which required additional investigation services, the client felt confident and reassured, noting that Cristian was there to provide guidance throughout the entire process.

In addition, Cristian is a problem solver, who actively engages in collaboration with his peers and is always looking for a valuable solution. When providing coverage for a colleague, he is thorough in managing each task and treats it as his own. Recently he was covering for a fellow examiner and noticed that there was subrogation potential on a high exposure claim. He took immediate action and requested approval to refer out to a subrogation counsel. He also clearly outlined the issues to and provided direction for an effective strategy. This not only assisted his teammate but provided continuity in the handling of the critical issues on the file.

Congratulations to Cristian on being recognized for these outstanding results. His proactive collaborative efforts and dedication continue to make a very positive and lasting impact for both his clients and his fellow co-workers.