Good Humans Doing Good Things in the Industry: Connie Baker Porter

Speaking with Connie Baker Porter, RN, COHNS, CCM, Priority One Case Management 

Embracing the Joy of Doing Good in Our Industry 

"Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give." -- Eleanor Roosevelt 

In the continued journey to speak with good humans in our industry, finding people who absolutely love what they do and find joy in helping others hasn’t been that easy, and that’s so surprising. Did you know that doing good for someone else, directly impacts how you feel inside about yourself? Helping others in different ways not only goes a long way, but it changes something in you.  

We are in an industry where a human gets hurt. Having had countless conversations with injured employees, it’s rare that I have heard of a good experience. We have failed in looking at the human aspect. We should find joy in doing good for others.  

Connie Baker Porter was kind enough to share her perspective as a nurse case manager for over 19 years, and currently the director at Priority One Case Management. Being in different roles in the past, Connie saw the disconnect of communication to the injured employee and with the employer. Having so many layers on each claim, it either leaves the injured worker lost, confused, looking for answers, delay in care – the list goes on and on, and this also impacts the mental health of the injured employee.   

Never forget – the injured employee is why we are here and have a job. It’s our job to communicate, do good things, listen – even when we feel they are difficult. They are going through a difficult time. We can ease that feeling by having empathy and listening.  

"The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them" – Unknown 

Communication is Key 

Good communication solves so much confusion and can help alleviate the feeling loneliness for an injured employee. Communication is key for Connie. She likes directly to go to the injured employee who had a catastrophic claim or a bad injury that’s affecting their life so she can establish initial communication and help them understand the dynamics of the claim and her role. In doing so, a comfort level is built, and the injured employee can feel seen and heard from the start. 

Some people stay on their laptops or their phones, doing reports and checking boxes, and they miss the opportunity to really connect with the injured employee in their families. Connie says, “Start on day one and be present throughout the entire recovery process. Focus on the positive outcome relay the messages to the injured employee in their family.” That’s exactly what Connie has done and tries to keep the communication clear and focus on the positive aspects as much as she can. 

The injured employee has instant questions with an onset of an injury. How will things get paid? Who do I need to reach for questions and how? How do I work with the employer? The employers must communicate any instructions and is important that the case managers also work with the employer to do reach out and communicate with their employees.  

Remember, we are the ones that need to communicate with the injured employee. They are lost during that time, and we need to relay messages to them. Connie says we need to anticipate the client’s needs before they ask. She reminds us that it’s the lowest part of their life and it’s and then we need to provide any surprise expectations. 

Think Outside the Box 

Connie says to “think outside the box.”  

Thinking outside the box means if it’s a long-term injury, work with the injured employee to think about other things they would like to do or accomplish. In the past, Connie has recommended college to an injured employee and received help for the injured employee to do so by working with attorneys on the claim to see what they can do to help the injured employee get funding to go to school.  

It's not always an injured employee who can go back to the things they used to do at work or in general. By recommending a new outlet for an injured employee it can vastly improve their mental health and their willingness to get better. It may not be as easy as getting them to school but helping them navigate something new that will fulfill a new passion can go a long way.  

Connie has been able to help several injured employees find a new hobby, or a new outlet in life. She’s even had them come back to her to share their progress and things they have done. As a nurse case manager, it’s rewarding to be able to see the progress of a patient by thinking outside the box.  

Find the Joy in What We Do 

Be a servant. Be a servant in our industry. Be present.  

One of the things Connie notices, especially for those who are taking care of injured employees, is they really miss out on the joy of taking care of somebody. There’s a reward we get and there is a joy in the reward from helping others. We gain joy from doing simple things and helping where we can, such as walking the dogs for the injured employee, and helping them find a new hobby. That may be little bit more than what most people would do or feel that they are getting too close or maybe we think it’s too close, but it’s just being nice being kind.  

It’s getting to know the family and helping them feel comfortable all while making a difference in someone’s life, especially when they’re out of work. Listen to the injured employee, work with the employer to learn more about them and do what you can in your capacity to help. Then find the joy and the reward from being a good human and kind.  

"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." -- The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation 

Continue to Make a Difference and Strive for a Change 

Connie continues to make a difference in people’s lives and strives to make a change in our industry. Be a good human. Be kind along the lines of what we’re doing now with a good humans in the in the industry and empower the injured employee. Connie reminds us to go directly to the employer to work with the injured employees with their injuries. There’s so often when there’s a barrier between the employer and the parties involved in helping their employee that got hurt. 

It’s our job in the industry to make sure that the one person that’s hurt understands what’s going on and so they aren’t confused. That’s part of our role in the industry. Remember that someone is hurt. They may have a family, kids and a spouse. All that are affected by the injury.  

Make the difference. Communicate. Help where and when you can. Be kind and be a good human. This is a role we can all take on in our industry. Remember to listen. Everyone wants to be seen, heard and valued. Everyone wants to be understood. Communication goes a long way.  

Being a good human paves the way.  

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