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2025 Tools & Tactics Webinar: Loosening Chronic Pain’s Grip on Patients and Programs

Wednesday, May 14
9:00 am PT | 12:00 pm ET

The ongoing issue of chronic pain has remained a significant challenge and has even intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, further contributing to rising disability claims and increasing healthcare and workplace costs. As individuals struggle with prolonged pain, often compounded by other physical and mental health conditions, the need for effective claims management and risk mitigation strategies has never been greater.

In this presentation, a panel of disability claims experts from a variety of organizations will examine shifts in chronic pain prevalence, duration, and associated costs. They will explore emerging trends, key co-morbid factors influencing risk, and best practices for managing complex claims in an evolving healthcare and workplace landscape. Through data-driven insights, this session will provide a deeper understanding of how chronic pain impacts claim outcomes and what strategies can help improve both individual well-being and organizational cost management.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the statistics, prevalence, and cycle of chronic pain and acute pain. View chronic pain through the lens of a bio-psycho-social model and social determinants of health.
  • Examine the data behind chronic pain as a primary and secondary diagnosis. Understand the differences between disability and workers’ compensation durations and the financial implications of co-morbid mental health conditions.
  • Recognize the prescription trends, medications, and pathways for pain management. Determine alternatives to pharma including best practices, behavioral interventions, and cognitive-behavioral therapies.

Our Presenters

Medical Director
The Hartford Financial Services Group
Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacy Services
Enlyte
Director of Product Management
ODG by MCG

This session qualifies for the following CEUs:

1 ADMS, 1 CDMS, 1 CLMS, 1 PHR, and 1 SHRM

TO QUALIFY FOR CEUs

  • You must attend the full duration of the webinar. Following the webinar and once attendance has been confirmed, you will receive an email with CEU reporting information.
  • You must register for and watch the webinar individually. Group participation does not qualify for CEU credit.

Exclusively offered by DMEC, the Certified Leave Management Specialist (CLMS) program is the only professional designation of its kind that provides interactive, hands-on training to ensure your programs effectively comply with state and federal leave laws. Learn more about the CLMS program.

Registration Fees

DMEC Members

Free

Non-Members

29.99

DMEC members receive free registration for webinars.

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Dr. Michael Lacroix
Michael Lacroix, PhD
Medical Director
The Hartford Financial Services Group

Michael Lacroix, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist. He has worked in the areas of disability and workers’ compensation for 30 years in clinical, management, program development, and consulting roles. Prior to joining the corporate world, he held academic appointments, developed a large clinical practice focused on the assessment and rehabilitation of injured/disabled workers, and carried out grant-supported research over many years, resulting in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and papers. He is a frequent contributor at industry conferences.

Nikki Wilson
Nikki Wilson, Pharm.D, MBA
Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacy Services
Enlyte

Nikki Wilson, Pharm.D./MBA, provides clinical leadership and strategic direction as Senior Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services at Enlyte. As a licensed pharmacist, Nikki has over 13 years of comprehensive industry experience through leadership roles across prescription home delivery programs, pharmacy operations and benefit management (PBM), and clinical program development. She is responsible for evolving and operationalizing strategic pharmacy initiatives as well as overseeing clinical service teams and program capabilities at Enlyte. Dr. Wilson serves as a national thought leader and frequent contributor to industry presentations and publications. Dr. Wilson received her Doctor of Pharmacy and a Master of Business Administration degrees from Creighton University in Nebraska.

Pam Bloom Pugliese
Pam Bloom-Pugliese, RN, BSN
Director of Product Management
ODG by MCG

Pam Bloom-Pugliese, RN, BSN, is the Director of Product Management with ODG by MCG. She has been a nurse for over 30 years, starting in ER, Trauma, and Critical Flight and then moving into Disability and Workers’ Compensation, where she has been involved in various clinical, management, and senior leadership. Pam was a Clinical Specialist at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, concurrently a Clinical Professor at Palm Beach College’s RN/BSN Program. Pam joined the corporate world at Aetna, which was acquired by The Hartford, where she focused on best practices for claim handling, claim segmentation, analytics, and clinical processes. At ODG, she focuses on developing evidence-based tools for the workers’ compensation, disability, and auto injury industries to manage claims better. She encourages a holistic focus to provide fair and consistent claim-handling guidelines.

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Lindsay Lueken

VP, Disability & Leave Operations

BROADSPIRE

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce quis arcu placerat, condimentum nisl vel, mollis metus. Etiam lobortis, libero eget blandit pretium, augue ipsum pellentesque lorem, scelerisque aliquet magna enim non ligula. Proin ac imperdiet augue, non auctor ex. Aliquam felis felis, ultricies venenatis dapibus quis, elementum eget magna. Aliquam erat volutpat. Phasellus felis ex, semper vitae erat a, consequat ullamcorper leo. Donec mattis lobortis tincidunt. Nulla pulvinar ac nisl eget ornare. Aliquam elementum elit sit amet dignissim tempus. Ut sed ante vitae eros ultrices porta.

Alice Cotti

VP, Government Segment Business Solutions

AFLAC

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce quis arcu placerat, condimentum nisl vel, mollis metus. Etiam lobortis, libero eget blandit pretium, augue ipsum pellentesque lorem, scelerisque aliquet magna enim non ligula. Proin ac imperdiet augue, non auctor ex. Aliquam felis felis, ultricies venenatis dapibus quis, elementum eget magna. Aliquam erat volutpat. Phasellus felis ex, semper vitae erat a, consequat ullamcorper leo. Donec mattis lobortis tincidunt. Nulla pulvinar ac nisl eget ornare. Aliquam elementum elit sit amet dignissim tempus. Ut sed ante vitae eros ultrices porta.

Seth Turner, Chief Strategy Officer
Seth Turner

Chief Strategy Officer

ABSENCESOFT

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce quis arcu placerat, condimentum nisl vel, mollis metus. Etiam lobortis, libero eget blandit pretium, augue ipsum pellentesque lorem, scelerisque aliquet magna enim non ligula. Proin ac imperdiet augue, non auctor ex. Aliquam felis felis, ultricies venenatis dapibus quis, elementum eget magna. Aliquam erat volutpat. Phasellus felis ex, semper vitae erat a, consequat ullamcorper leo. Donec mattis lobortis tincidunt. Nulla pulvinar ac nisl eget ornare. Aliquam elementum elit sit amet dignissim tempus. Ut sed ante vitae eros ultrices porta.

Dr. Michael Lacroix
Michael Lacroix, PhD
Medical Director
The Hartford Financial Services Group

Michael Lacroix, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist. He has worked in the areas of disability and workers’ compensation for 30 years in clinical, management, program development, and consulting roles. Prior to joining the corporate world, he held academic appointments, developed a large clinical practice focused on the assessment and rehabilitation of injured/disabled workers, and carried out grant-supported research over many years, resulting in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and papers. He is a frequent contributor at industry conferences.