Debra Livingston, Founder and CEO of ReEmployAbility, will join a panel of industry leaders at National Comp 2026 to discuss one of the central questions facing workers’ compensation today: how organizations can adopt rapidly evolving technology while preserving the human connection that drives successful recovery outcomes.
Livingston will speak during the session “Smart Tech, Smarter Human: Designing Digital Tools That Actually Support Recovery” on September 29, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM PT in the Industry Theater. It will examine how AI, digital communication tools, self-service platforms, and automation can improve efficiency without sacrificing the clarity, empathy, and personal support injured workers need throughout recovery.
Joining Livingston on the panel are:
- Mark Byers, Vice President of Risk Management, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.
- Emily Cameron, Head of Product and Customer Success, Crosstie
- Gia Sawko, EVP & Chief Claims Officer, Signal Mutual
Together, the panel will explore how to design technology that supports people rather than simply automating processes. Topics will include the psychological realities injured workers experience during recovery, communication strategies that build trust and engagement, common pitfalls of over-automation, and practical approaches for integrating meaningful human touchpoints into digital solutions.
As technology becomes increasingly embedded throughout the claims process, employers and carriers face growing pressure to improve efficiency while maintaining a positive experience for injured workers. Panelists will discuss how recovery outcomes are shaped not only by clinical care and claims management, but also by communication, connection, and an individual’s confidence in the process, and how thoughtful technology design can help strengthen each of those elements.
“Every workers’ compensation claim represents a person whose life has been interrupted,” said Debra Livingston, founder and CEO of ReEmployAbility. “Technology has created real opportunities to improve communication and access to information, but recovery is still a human experience, and the organizations seeing the strongest outcomes are using it to strengthen that experience, not replace it. That’s the conversation I’m looking forward to having with this panel.”
For more than three decades, National Comp has brought together leaders across workers’ compensation, risk management, and injury prevention to share practical strategies and address emerging challenges impacting employers, carriers, third-party administrators, and injured workers.
Conference attendees interested in the future of workers’ compensation technology, recovery, and return-to-work strategies are encouraged to attend the session and participate in the discussion.
About ReEmployAbility
With over 20 years in business, ReEmployAbility is the largest national provider of early return-to-work (RTW) services and transitional employment. Their Transition2Work® program offers employers a cost-effective solution to modified light duty assignments, reducing claim costs while giving the injured employee time to heal. Utilizing an accredited, national network of not-for-profit partners, they help employers accommodate injured workers in the transition back to workby connecting people to a greater purpose so they can have a better life. For more information, call 866-663-9880, or visit www.ReEmployAbility.com.