Kids' Chance - Montana
We are in a complicated, eye opening, sometimes stressful, always filled with new and different situations kind of business. MCSi / IIC administrate workers' compensation claims in Montana. There have been situations that would challenge even the strongest of tummies. Some of the things we have seen, to quote a friend, can't be unseen (forgotten). A rock falling on a person and crushing 50% of their body. A staph infection that turned a worker's body septic, pulmonary arrest, revived, long period of ICU and many, many surgeries. An individual whose scalp was degloved by a machine. A person whose maintenance drugs turned against them, leading to their eventual death. And a person who succumbed to the devastation of long term opioid use prescribed to her by her physician, leaving a family and children behind to cope with her loss. Sad and upsetting stories for us as workers' compensation claims professionals. But DEVASTATING for the families and children involved.
One organization has taken steps to extend the workers' compensation system beyond what is provided by the law in each state. That organization is Kids' Chance. From the Kids' Chance web site: "Kids’ Chance is a 501(c)(3) organization that was created for the purpose of creating, assisting and supporting Kids’ Chance organizations throughout the United States and other similar programs that provide educational opportunities and scholarships for the children of workers seriously injured or killed on the job. We believe that by investing in our children’s future, we can provide them with the tools and opportunity to be successful in the workplace, so that they can make a difference in their own and other people’s lives."
Montana is joining the other 33 states that have an independently operated Kids' Chance non-profit. Thanks to a number of individuals within the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (Bill Wheeler and Peter Van Nice) and a number of engaged, thoughtful Montana residents, Kids' Chance has been formed for the children of Montana We are excited, honored and ecstatic that Michael Marsh has been included as a Founding Director on the Board of the newly formed Kids' Chance - Montana.
Kids' Chance has also been selected by the National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters ("NAIIA") as their official charity. Michael is currently the Western Region Vice President of NAIIA.