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After taking a painful hit from unchecked comp costs, Catholic Healthcare West made a commitment to doing things in a new way. Now workers' comp isn't just another department to be managed, it's a core part of how the organization is run.

Four noteworthy workers' compensation programs, two each in the private and public sectors, are singled out from the entries received this year for the annual Theodore Roosevelt Workers' Compensation Awards. Exceptional programs like the ones profiled here made this year's judging process more difficult than it's ever been.

From modified duties to permanent assignment, so-called "task banks" help companies place ill, injured and aging workers. Some companies, however, are now applying the concept to help them reassign their aging workforces.

Building upon their previous propositions for revamping the workers' compensation model, two consultants tackle the challenges of implementing return-to-work programs and urge employers to commit to the practice of returning injured employees to work--even if that means changing their culture and their policies.