Selling the Vision

EMPLOYEE FEATURE: DAN DAVIS

In 1987, Dan Davis was working for the nation’s leading provider of managed care services when Gordon Clemons called him up on a Sunday morning and said, “How’d ya like to step off the battleship onto a rowboat?” Most people may have hesitated, but Dan had worked with Gordon in the past and believed in him and his vision for this new company he was creating. So, he jumped into that rowboat and never looked back.

Dan is one of the ‘originals’ at CorVel. His career with the company began in business development, and he is now a Senior Vice President. He still remembers the early days when the goal was survival. “We didn’t have a wide range of services back then—we were kind of a one-trick pony offering case management services in a crowded marketplace where anyone could hang a shingle,” said Dan. “The difference was that we had a vision of where CorVel was going, and it was Gordon who taught me to sell that vision.”

Gordon envisioned a company that valued people and relationships. He wanted to bring a passionate group of trusted people together and empower them to provide the highest level of service and care for customers. That vision set the foundation for CorVel 33 years ago and continues to guide the company forward even now.

Over time, CorVel expanded and evolved, becoming one of the leading providers of bill review, an early provider of PPO networks, a pioneer in telephonic case management and so much more—but the vision never changed. The team always looked for ways to innovate bringing technology to its managed care and more recently its claims management process. CorVel was the first to automate many of the time-consuming manual tasks required of claims professionals, and more recently to reimagine and streamline the process by leveraging technology. CorVel also was an early adopter of telehealth and the first to implement Advocacy 24/7 nurse triage for workers’ compensation cases, changing the entire trajectory of a claim due to the patient-focused interactions. Throughout the years, the company has developed a robust array of services that cover the full spectrum of managed care and claims administration.

“Even on those long days when I’m trying to squeeze 20 hours of work into an 8-hour day, it’s a labor of love,” said Dan. “I can’t imagine waking up and not being a part of this amazing organization and team—it really is a family.”

Communication and collaboration are key. In 33 years, CorVel’s core values and culture remain the same. It continues to be an organization that revolves around its people. Leadership engages with staff, provides mentorship, and encourages growth. Gordon once said, “Even if we get to be big, let’s behave like we’re small.” And that’s what happened. CorVel is a leading national provider of risk management solutions that feels like a family-run company that cares about every life it touches.

“I am so proud to be a part of CorVel from the beginning—to know where we came from and to see what we’ve built is something that fills me with pride every day.” – Dan Davis