MACS NEWSLETTER, March 2020 | causes for celebration & caution
COVID-19 means business and so do we!
In the past few days, the NBA has suspended play indefinitely, the NHL has followed suit, and the NCAA has canceled the biggest basketball tournament in the world. This is just a sample of how the pandemic called Coronavirus or COV-19 has impacted one industry.
International travel has been restricted. Some states have banned gatherings exceeding a certain number. School districts have extended Spring Break for their students by a week. Toilet paper, water, and hand sanitizer are all flying off the shelf.
While some are in full panic mode, others are taking a more measured approach to the crisis at hand.
Mid-America Catastrophe Services’ approach to dealing with COVID-19
Recognizing the seriousness of the virus and the fact that it is now considered pandemic, we urge extreme caution and awareness in the performance of your duties as an insurance claims professional. For field adjusters especially, the nature of your job means you are interacting with a variety of people in various settings.
We have a business continuity plan in the event our facilities need to be shut down for any period of time, so that we will be able to carry on our daily business and attend to the needs of our clients and their customers
We received the following from one of our carriers and are passing it along to you as best practices for carrying out your duties during this time.
In the hopes that everyone remains healthy in the midst of the current coronavirus outbreak, we would like to share with you the best ways to prevent becoming infected.
- Wash your hands often
with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are
not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60%
alcohol. - Avoid touching your
eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. - Avoid close contact with
people who are sick. - Stay home if you are
sick. - Cover your mouth and
nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and then throw the tissue in
the trash. Immediately wash your hands or clean your hands with hand
sanitizer. - Clean and disinfect
frequently touched surfaces daily.
In the interest of protecting everyone’s health, if you are experiencing the symptoms of an acute respiratory
illness, please stay home and seek medical attention. Please do not return to work until you are free of fever and other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines. The most common symptoms of an acute respiratory condition include:
- Fever of 100.4 degrees
Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or greater - Coughing
- Shortness of breath
The following websites provide additional helpful information about how to respond to the coronavirus outbreak:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
We hope that this situation will subside quickly and that everyone remains healthy for the duration
What About Bob?
EVP Bob Uhler is celebrating 40 years in the insurance claims industry!
In January 2019, Mid-America added one of the most respected and recognized names in the independent adjusting space to our roster when we named Robert Uhler Executive Vice President and put him in charge of business development.
In the year and two months since Bob’s hiring, our client base has doubled. We have added such notable accounts as Germania, Texas Wind, Farm Bureau, and South Carolina Wind, among others thanks to Bob’s energy, expertise, and industry connections.
We are thrilled to celebrate Bob’s 40th anniversary as a claims professional. We think it is cool that he started in the industry the same year Mid-America did…in 1980!
Our very own Mike Sternad sat down with Bob to talk about his 40 years and the insights he has gained along the way.
So, we threw a party!
Congratulations, Bob!
