Municipal Pooling Municipal Pooling Authority Laughter is the Best Medicine Risky Business Authority Winter 2020 Spring 2004 We Wish You a Safe and Healthy Holiday Season! Well,… we made it to the end of the year as unbelievable as it was! Wishing you all the ability to live life to the fullest and may we have calm in the new year. Happy holidays from Linda and all of us at MPA.

News from WC Department (continued from Pg 1) Our team remains grateful to all of our member cities, and would like to extend a personal thanks to each of you. You are all a pleasure to work with, and your patience and understanding with our work, and the heavily bureaucratic processes involved, are appreciated as well. We always strive to bring about the best possible resolution to all our claims. From our team to yours, here’s wishing you a wondrous holiday season! by: Barbara Esquivel, Workers’ Compensation Manager

4. Spend time and money wisely The Gift of You: 7 Self-Care Tips Your time and money are valuable. Running out of either can News from The Workers’ Compensation Tis the season of giving — from buying presents to making put a damper on your mood — and lead to unnecessary Department home-cooked meals to spending quality time with loved stress and anxiety. You can avoid this by creating a holiday ones. But this time of year can also be stressful — budget and sticking to it. And don’t be afraid to ask people The Workers’ Compensation Department has seen some significant and stress levels are already at an all-time high due to what they want instead of spending hours searching for the COVID-19. perfect gifts. changes over the past quarter, and some of these changes have been Stress can take a toll on your health. That’s why self-care is 5. Let go of perfection long time coming. essential. Without proper self-care, you’re more likely to ex- This time of year comes with great expectations. But trying to perience burnout, fatigue, and illness. And no one wants to make everything perfect is a recipe for stress-induced Effective 11/1/2020, MPA’s WC has a new managed care vendor, Genex. feel that way over the holidays. burnout. Remember, your house doesn’t need to be As with any transition, there were a few bumps, but nothing significant that spotless. Not everything has to be made from scratch. Give So, now’s the time to put yourself at the top of your wish list. In this issue of Risky Business: wasn’t easily remedied. Our team looks forward to time-saving processes Try these self-care tips to help reduce stress. yourself a break and ask for help when you need it. 1. Stay active 6. Do something nice for yourself that their Mitchell, a software company that specializes in bill review, Maintaining your workout routine — especially in the winter While we’re so busy giving to others, it’s important to take a Season’s Greetings 1 backed portal brings, as well as the overall benefits to MPA as a JPA. — can do wonders for your health. Daily exercise can boost moment and treat ourselves too. So, go ahead and relax on your immune system, which can help prevent illnesses like the couch with a nice cup of tea, read a good book, or take a News from the Workers’ 1 On another note, after 32 years with MPA, Lisa Italia has retired. Lisa the flu and common cold. Exercising can also help improve leisurely walk. Compensation Department worked in various positions throughout her tenure here, and was recently 7. Ask for help your mood and reduce stress and anxiety. a Senior Claims Examiner III. We wish Lisa the absolute best in what 2. Eat healthy There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it. Congratulations and Welcome 2 Keep your spirits burning bright through the holidays by stick- If you feel there’s too much on your plate, ask a partner or retirement brings for her, and we will miss her terribly. ing with healthy eating habits. Make sure to eat plenty of loved one to pitch in with your to-do list. You can also reach Goodbye to Janice Yardley 2 fruits and vegetables. Dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale, out to a professional for help — especially if you’re having Lisa’s departure has allowed for a rare opportunity to promote from within. and broccoli are always a good choice. And if you need trouble coping with holiday stress. Sarah Taylor promoted to Claims Examiner I and she brings her exper- MPA’s Merry Holiday Memories some healthy eating inspiration, check out our Food for When stress takes a serious toll 3 tise, as well as, her certification with the State of California Self-Insured Health blog. Even when practicing self-care, holiday stress can still 3. Get some good rest overwhelm us. And this stress can sometimes trigger more 2021 Board Calendar 4 Plans. We are certain that Sarah will excel in her new position, and Life can feel overwhelming when you’re not getting enough serious issues — or make existing mental health conditions continue to learn more fun stuff about the Labor Code, and all of the daily rest. You’ll want to get 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted like depression worse. Laughter is the Best Medicine 4 changes that the world of workers’ compensation brings with it. sleep each night. And take breaks throughout the day when It’s not uncommon to need extra support this time of year. Source: kp.org Congratulations, Sarah! (continued on page 4) you need them. The Gift for You: 7 Self-Care Tips 4 Page 2 Risky Business Page 3 MPA’s Merry Moving On… Holiday Memories Congratulations to Lisa Italia on her retirement after working at MPA for 34 years! She retired as a Sr. Workers’ Compensation Adjuster.

We wish her all the best!

Movin On Up… MPA has new Congratulations to Sarah Taylor Board Members! on her promotion to Claims Adjuster! Sarah started at MPA in 2017 as a Workers’ Town of Danville: Compensation Claims Diane Friedmann, Assistant to the City Manager Assistant and is now absolutely City of Manteca: ready for this new challenge. Aaron Slater, Director of Employee Services and Well done Sarah! Engagement City of San Pablo: Charles Ching, Interim Assistant City Manager City of Clayton: MPA will be closed from Thursday, December 24, Reina Schwartz, City Manager 2020 through Friday, January 1, 2021. Wishing WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Tell us about a unique situation, upcoming events, or an you all a very happy holiday interesting problem and how your City solved it—we may feature your City in an upcoming issue of Risky season! Risky Business is published quarterly for the Business. benefit of City Members by Municipal Pooling Authority. For more information about the newsletter, contact Jasmin Intravaia at: jin- Sadly, We Say Goodbye to Janice Yardley (1954-2020) [email protected] phone (925) 943-1100

Janice Yardley was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and migrated to the Bay Area in 1964. Prior to joining MPA, she was an adjuster for 26 years handling claims for Sanitary, Sewer, Water / Wastewater Districts throughout Northern and Southern California. Janice joined MPA in May 2015 and was an integral member of the General Liability department.