Ohio Appoints New SID Head

Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) Administrator/CEO Steve Buehrer recently announced the appointment of a 25-year Ohio State Highway Patrol veteran as director of BWC’s Special Investigations Department.

James Wernecke began his duties recently, overseeing 123 employees who work to deter, detect and investigate workers comp fraud. The department pursues cases of claimant, medical provider and employer fraud by identifying savings, disallowing claims and referring criminal matters for prosecution.

“With more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, Jim is a public safety and criminal investigation expert who is exceptionally qualified to lead our fraud prevention efforts,” said Buehrer. “We look forward to having Jim join our outstanding team of skilled, professional investigators and take the lead in identifying wrongdoing to protect the State Insurance Fund, keep employer premiums as low as possible and provide the best care possible to Ohioans injured on the job.”

A Tuscawaras County native, Wernecke began his career as a trooper in Massillon in 1990 and later served as an investigator in Massillon and Bucyrus, and commander at the Mansfield Patrol Post. He was appointed in 2012 commander of the Ohio Investigative Unit, which is charged with enforcing the state’s liquor laws and is the only state law enforcement agency specifically tasked with investigating food stamp fraud crimes.

Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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