Parker, Smith & Feek

The latest Risk and Insurance News from around the world - Updated: May 15th

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Who knew that there would come a time when you cannot go anywhere with a personal computer in your pocket? Nokia Lumina, Galaxy S, Kindle Fire and the iPhone 4S all help us to not only find our coffee shop but sometimes to pay for your cappuccino and biscotti, too. How does someone managing a technology department keep the corporation working smoothly with this avalanche of personal technology? My personal favorite is to ignore it, but I have been told a better approach is to try to welcome them into the fold while making them fit into corporate policy.

Our corporate phone policy started on stone tablets when cellular devices were rare, expensive and weighed as much as a stone tablet. We hand these radio wave handcuffs to key staff so they can be on call at any time while the company picks up the bill. Later we switched to the million button business version to focus on email and calendars but they were still rare and spendy. Businesses were setting the direction of technology development because consumers could not afford it. And then came the iPhone, Android, tablets and it appears that consumer devices will be dictating technology use for the foreseeable future. Sorry, BlackBerry.

The key to a good mobile device policy is to ask, “if I were crafting this for the first time, what would our device support look like?” Does our policy still work today? Nearly everyone carries a cell phone and it is safe to say that for even our reimbursed devices are used significantly for personal use. Is it reasonable to consider the possibility that an employee carrying a cell phone is part of their expenses much like buying clothing that meets corporate dress code? Perhaps. Or maybe we should expand the expense to all exempt staff for client availability. Maybe. Then there is the issue of the device itself. Why limit the thinking to just a phone? Tablets, Google Voice, laptops and an iPod Touch all force us to re-define what should be required to be available.

I kid myself into believing that we do not have the definitive answer to these questions because it is ever changing. Who knew our phones today would know we are driving by a QFC and nag us to get some milk? (They tell me this is progress.) Corporations are often the joke of the party because we are so late to react to technology, but it takes time to switch our policies from business devices to personal ones. That stone tablet Motorola phone used purely for business phone calls has become a computer that is desired as much for Instagram and Facebook as it is for accepting a business meeting. We really have to think through how best to meet client needs while making them secure to adjust corporate policy to match this new frontier.

Today, we allow personal devices to connect to our email system including iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices which allow our work force to use the technology and software that best meets their needs. Each person must sign an agreement stating the expectations while we also have policies that take confidential information into account and various security settings were enacted on our servers. We have a Wi-Fi network (on optional network) in all of our offices that staff have unlimited use of to be able to connect with any gadget they choose. So far it has been a nice compromise of allowing our employees to use their new iPad for getting emails and taking notes but also defining acceptable use.

Tomorrow – who knows. Maybe we will pay for every personal device in the office. Perhaps we will abandon reimbursement entirely. Or it could be that everyone will be wearing those wacky electronic Google Glasses. I know our employees will continue to gravitate toward exciting new consumer technology and we will do our best to enjoy the challenge of making them useful and secure for getting a little work done in-between posting Instragram’s to Facebook.

In the recent Clint Eastwood film, ‘Gran Torino’, a car plays center stage in the story of a retired auto worker who is disillusioned with his life and with the changes in America and his Detroit neighborhood. The Gran Torino, produced by Ford from 1968 to 1976, was a muscle car, and symbolic of a time in history when US auto production reined supreme and America was the acknowledged muscle of the manufacturing world. The Gran Torino in the film also becomes symbolic of a more systemic change in life in America that Eastwood’s character, Walt, cannot understand or appreciate. If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth a look.

Cars are a big part of our lives in the US. The car your parents had, the first car you drove, the first you purchased, and for some of us, the family car.

In 1994 I bought a Ford Explorer. It was the first new car I had ever purchased. Till then I had either owned used cars or had a company car. I bought it just after Christmas when we were visiting my in laws in Kalispell, Mt. My father in law was sales manager for the local Ford dealer. I remember well the new car smell, how it was the nicest family car we had ever had. How I babied that car! Hand washing it weekly, keeping the inside in mint condition, I drove it for 8 years before deciding that I was ready for something different. It served our family well. Lots of vacations, fishing trips, skiing at Alpental (until I ripped the ski rack off trying to drive under a parking garage gate), and all the motoring about you do when you are raising active kids.

Rather than trade it in, I decided my daughter could benefit from solid, reliable transportation, so I gave it to her to drive her senior year in high school. She was headed for college at Montana State University and I thought with its four wheel drive it would be perfect for her. When she was ready to leave for college, we loaded all her stuff into the Explorer and drove her over. I remember vividly Libby standing on the sidewalk in front of her dorm, by the Explorer, as we drove away. Everyone was in tears.

At then end of each school year I would fly to Bozeman and help her load up the Explorer to come home for the summer. Those 12 hour drives back to Sammamish were some of the best days of my life. Just the two of us, laughing and talking, as we drove back home. On one occasion we had to nurse a failing transmission those 600 miles, but the Explorer never let us down. Libby took great care of it, making sure it stayed just as clean as when I drove it.

When she graduated and got her first job she was ready to buy a car of her own. Again, I wasn’t ready emotionally to let the Explorer go, so I offered it to my son, Matt. His car was in terrible shape and was failing him repeatedly. I made him promise that if he took good care of it, he could drive it. That was a big reach, because Matt wasn’t known for being particularly kind to cars or feeling any attachment to inanimate objects.

Soon after, Matt decided to move to LA and pursue a career in film and video, but most importantly, a young lady. Once again, I helped load the Explorer with his worldly possessions and strike off for a new adventure. He’s been in LA for almost three years and the young lady is now his fiancée. When we visit we’re chauffeured to all their favorite LA spots in the same car. And true to his word, he’s kept it immaculate.

That Explorer has survived a lot. Totaled once while parked on the street in LA in front of Matt’s apartment, we bought it out of salvage and got it running again. But it couldn’t go forever. Finally, after 18 years, 187,000 miles and following two kids (three if you count me) on their dreams and adventures, it was done. No longer reliable, it had more issues than Matt could really fix, so we made the decision to donate it. Matt found the Make A Wish organization and on April 17 arranged to have it towed away. To me, if felt like having the family dog put to sleep. It was the right thing to do, but parting with such a loyal friend, that had played a role in so much of our lives, was hard.

There will never be another Explorer, a car that meant so much in the lives of our family. Unlike Walt in Grand Torino, the Explorer doesn’t symbolize what was once good that is now seemingly lost. It’s more of a Viewmaster that held all the memories of those eighteen amazing years in the life of our family. My only regret was that I couldn’t be there to say goodbye and thanks when it left. It was more than just sheet metal and paint.

Seattle’s Swedish Medical Center has performed more than 2,000 kidney transplants over the past twenty years. One of those transplants was a gift of life from Jessica Luck, an Account Administrator in our Commercial Department. While many living donors are family members or close friends, Jessica donated a kidney to an acquaintance, a friend of a friend. Since then, she has become a volunteer advocate and speaker on behalf of Swedish’s Transplant Program. Each quarter, she addresses groups of potential donors, recipients, and their families about the benefits of the living donor program and her own experience as a donor. Jessica also talks one-on-one with potential donors during their decision process. As a reflection of Swedish’s regard for Jessica’s advocacy, they have asked her to speak on their behalf at the 2013 living donor conference at Stanford.

While many of us are daunted by the idea of living donation, Jessica has a positive, can-do attitude. Her decision was based on several factors: she was healthy, a good match, able to donate, and she had a "spare to share." Jessica strongly believes that it was right thing to do. She considers it a rare, life changing experience to "have that kind of impact on someone’s life."

Kidney recipients are usually in end stage renal failure and dependent upon dialysis, so the transplant is a lifesaving measure. There are multiple advantages to living donation compared to cadaver donation. The waiting time is shorter, living organs last longer, recovery time is shorter (living organs begin to function immediately upon transplant), and the survival rate is higher (about 97% vs. 92%). According to Swedish Medical Center, there are more than 1200 people in Washington state on the waiting list and that number is expected to continue to increase in the future, due to an aging population and chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

Swedish Medical Center is one of seven kidney transplant centers in the country. They are on the forefront of medical developments in living organ transplant, with programs in lung, liver, pancreas, and intestine as well as kidney. A program for bone marrow transplants, in conjunction with other living organ procedures, is also in development.

We enjoy a great quality of life here in the Pacific Northwest. An excellent, innovative medical community is certainly an important contributing factor and we are fortunate to have Swedish’s cutting edge Transplant Program in our own backyard. We also know that it’s the people that make this a great place to live and we believe that Jessica exemplifies the very best of who we are as a community. We are proud of her generosity of spirit and work with Swedish Medical Center.

Learn more about the Swedish Transplant Program at www.swedish.org/Services/Transplant-Program.

Parker, Smith & Feek employees gathered together on April 11th to raise the flag on a newly installed flagpole at our Bellevue office. The ceremony was especially significant because of the history of the flag itself. Todd Syvrud, an Account Manager in our Benefits department, spent six months on deployment at the New Kabul Compound in Afghanistan in 2011. When he heard about our plans for a flagpole, he offered to donate his own flag that had flown in the combat zone on September 11, 2011. We’re happy to have this new addition to our Bellevue location—a symbol of our country that is both patriotic and a daily reminder of our colleague’s service to the country.

Sharing Sydney:  “My Dog is Here to See Me!”

Sharon Hall has dedicated her professional career to quality healthcare issues. Before joining Parker, Smith & Feek as our Healthcare Risk Management Specialist, she spent her early career as a nurse and then hospital risk manager. Outside of work, Sharon’s passion is animals and she has found a perfect way to meld her interests. Sharon and Sydney, her golden retriever, volunteer with Pet Partners, an organization dedicated to incorporating animal therapy, service, and companionship into people’s lives.

Sharon and Sydney regularly visit with residents of senior assisted-living facilities, including people with Alzheimer’s. They focus on pet visitation and companionship because Sharon knows the incredible range of benefits that people derive from simply spending time with an animal. While studies have confirmed health benefits, such as reduced blood pressure, some of the most important aspects are less tangible. A visit from Sydney can help alleviate loneliness and invoke fond memories of beloved pets for seniors. Animals help stimulate people with mobility issues beyond their everyday limitations—they want to interact with a pet and will find a way to stroke Sydney or even walk her down the hall. According to Sharon, pet visitation can also help people who are socially withdrawn. Interaction with an animal can get a depressed person to speak again and begin the process of re-engaging with people. In the case of Alzheimer’s, pet visits can help patients focus on the ‘now.’ Sydney is well suited to her volunteer work because she is calm, friendly, and happy to meet new people. She and Sharon are a great team and both of them find deep satisfaction in their work together, bringing joy, compassion and motivation to others.

Pet Partners (formerly the Delta Society) is an international program with over 10,000 teams volunteering in all 50 states and 13 countries. Volunteers visit a wide variety of institutions and pet partners include dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses, llamas, and other domesticated animals. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and this video http://www.firstgiving.com/petpartners illustrates the wonderful effect that our pets can have on others. You can learn more about the Pet Partners program at http://www.deltasociety.org/.

Sharon and Sydney also volunteer for the Humane Society, participating in the visiting pet program for Kids Camp and the Max Mobile Truck that visits schools for Show and Tell. If you see them at local fairs, where they do marketing for Pet Partners, stop by their booth and say hello. Sydney would love to meet you and it will be good for you!

Parker, Smith & Feek has always been a large supporter of local charities, and our clients are the same way. Our client Bartell Drugs and Warm 106.9 have partnered for the 2012 Teddy Bear Patrol.

From March 5 to April 1, you can drop off a new or gently used teddy bear, no larger than 12", at any Bartells location. Teddy bears collected are used by police officers, firefighters and hospitals to calm and comfort frightened, injured, or lost children. In 2011 Bartells collected over 4,000 bears for this great community program. They need help to beat that number this year!

Even better, when you purchase and donate the official Bartell teddy bear—just $7 at all Bartell stores—they will match your donation bear for bear!

To make a donation just visit any Bartells location.

Click on the image to take a look at our company's history

Our COO, Jim Chesemore, is doubly committed to Provail, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people with disabilities fulfill their life choices. He first became involved with Provail through the Pacific Northwest Insurance Council (PNIC), an industry group committed to advocacy and fundraising on behalf of Provail. Jim has served as co-chair of the golf tournament and auction, raising about $100,000 annually, for the past three years. Recently, Jim joined the board of Provail and, in addition to his PNIC responsibilities, will take on an expanded, active role in the organization’s future development activities.

While Provail serves both children and adults, their primary focus is working with young adults, often as they transition from school to work. The agency provides comprehensive, integrated programs that encompass many facets of people’s lives and effectively address a wide variety of needs for people with disabilities, including those with traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and learning disorders. Provail coordinates programs by working with schools, businesses, governmental agencies, and program and nurse care managers. According to Jim, needs can often be quite complex and require intensive help, but Provail’s programs make a huge difference in individual lives, providing people with the skills, training, and support to become more fully engaged in the larger community.

Parker, Smith & Feek is committed to being a good citizen and neighbor, and we encourage our employees to get involved in the community. Our firm supports Provail through an annual corporate gift and employee participation in the golf tournament and auction. With Jim’s expanded role in the organization—and his unbridled enthusiasm—some of us will undoubtedly find ourselves bidding on some big ticket items at Provail’s 2012 wine tasting and auction.