Inspiration. Despite all the challenges that COVID-19 brought with it, that word still comes to mind. We have been inspired by stories of resilience and survival as well as the hard work and selfless determination to help all those who have suffered through this disease.

But COVID-19 has certainly presented challenges.

At A.I.M. Mutual, employees had to collectively rethink how we do business. What for years had been a corporate office model turned into a work-from-home model almost overnight. A.I.M. Mutual’s Information Technology team worked long hours deploying laptops, monitors, and computer support to the homes of more than 100 employees. This monumental task ensured seamless business continuity with our policyholders and broker partners while allowing us to focus on what we do best—returning injured employees to work.

For our claim operation, the challenge began in March of 2020 after receiving the first of what would be thousands of COVID-19 claims. What started as a slow trickle quickly became a flood during April and May. For the claim staff, it was all-hands-on-deck, with each team helping others manage the flow. This orchestrated teamwork and collaboration between adjusters and claim services staff ensured the timely payment of medical bills and delivery of indemnity checks.

Resilience and Inspiration

Among the industries hardest hit by the pandemic was health care, a large sector of A.I.M. Mutual’s book of business. It was not uncommon to see our Nurse Case Management team helping fellow nurses recover from COVID-19. Return-to-Work Adjuster Jamie Cohen said it best: “Nothing is more rewarding than helping a health care worker return to the front lines.”

And thankfully that happened for Victor Ng, whose battle back from COVID-19 over the course of several months was a source of inspiration. He agreed to share his remarkable story which began in the early days of the pandemic.

A career change led Victor from his job in higher education to the health care industry, where he is Asian Program Coordinator for Quincy Health and Rehabilitation. His father had been a resident there, and Victor soon became well-versed in the needs of that community. When his father passed, he was asked to stay on as an employee. When not working, he was active in the Lions Club, played both hockey and basketball, sang and played guitar for a Chinese musical group, and served as a wedding host/DJ for a large karaoke company.

That all changed on April 4, 2020, when he tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to the ICU shortly afterward.

Like so many health care workers, he went from devoting time and energy for the betterment of others to relying on the skill and compassion of strangers to survive. In addition to his hospital health care providers, he had ongoing support from his employer and the injury management team at A.I.M. Mutual, including Case Management Nurse Mary Kane.

While Victor faced a long road in his recovery, it was through sheer will and determination that he was literally able to make amazing strides. In a word, he was resilient.

“I was recovering in the ICU until the end of May, when I started to improve on my breathing and standing,” Victor recalled, adding, “I was not going to lay back and let the atrophy beat me.” Victor overcame his complications from COVID-19 and was able to literally view the benefits of all his hard work on the day of discharge. The word on the whiteboard outside his hospital room changed from “Dependent” to “Independent,” the word he’d been waiting to see for two long months. He credits his home rehab regimen and his new puppy, Oliver, for getting himself back in shape. Oliver, he says, “exercised me plenty.” On August 25, Victor returned to work. “I need to give a 100 percent heartfelt thank you to Mary Kane,” he told us recently. “She followed up with me and made sure the process was easy to follow and let me know exactly what I needed to do.”

A Team Response to Covid

In addition to the “all-hands” Claim team response, the Injury Prevention team pivoted to infection prevention. To help insureds navigate the constantly changing CDC guidelines, each Injury Prevention & Workplace Wellness (IPWW) consultant completed the CDC’s Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training Course. Self-help resources were provided to direct-care workers, helping alleviate stress and anxiety. Due to travel restrictions, IPWW transitioned to virtual attendance at Safety Committee meetings.

Special thanks to Quincy Health and Rehabilitation and to Victor Ng for allowing us to chronicle this return-to-work journey.

 

 

 

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ABOUT

Andrew Burton, Claim Supervisor, has worked in workers’ compensation claims for A.I.M. Mutual since 2012. Prior to coming to A.I.M. Mutual, he served as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council. Andrew oversees a team of adjusters that handles claims in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Government from Clark University.

 

 

 

Keith Mailloux, Claim Supervisor, has worked in workers’ compensation claims for A.I.M. Mutual since 2003. Prior to being promoted to Claim Supervisor in 2017, he held the position of Claim Technical Coordinator and was responsible for the training needs of the claim department. Keith is licensed in New Hampshire as well as Massachusetts and is also responsible for Longshore and Harbor workers’ compensation claims. Keith holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and English from Merrimack College.