At Palmetto GBA, the commitment to be a leader in our industry is a high expectation. No matter their role, employees work toward that goal every day. Palmetto GBA had much to celebrate in 2019, including our exceptional employees who went above and beyond to support their colleagues and elevate the company.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

The 2019 Team of the Year is a prime example of teamwork, as 13 employees from multiple departments came together to tackle the task of developing a workflow to manually process a 21,000-claim case. This team met 100 percent of performance requirements while saving 197 manhours.

Congratulations to the following associates who worked on this team:

Garrett Black, Stephanie Brantley, Anita Chisolm, Reni Gonzalez, Selena Haskins, Necole Jacobs, Shaquana Linder, Neosia McDaniels, Jason McEwen, Kristin Naylor, Catherine Root, John Sessions and Daniel Toson

ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR

A great associate is willing to help others and is always looking for ways to improve workflows. Hunter Jones, an accountant II who has been with Palmetto GBA for two years, provides superior support to team members, other divisions, management and auditors by offering training and quickly responding to inquiries. She has designed and implemented or led the implementation of 11 process improvements in 2019, including developing a new communication method that resulted in cost reports being booked within seven days upon notification of receipt.

Congratulations, Hunter!

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT OF THE YEAR

Who couldn’t use more time? Our Process Improvement of the Year winner not only reduced the number of servers needed to transmit claims, but also saved 200 manhours per year by streamlining workflows. The EDI Logical Unit One Enhancement involved moving from a legacy system and implementing a new industry standard system. The result of the new system was 100 percent of claims transmitted on the first attempt and no out-of-balance situations.

Congratulations to the following associates who worked on this process improvement:

Geetha Anavankot, Beau Bauerschmidt, David Blalock, Hal Bowles, Charles Hope, Thomas Kehoe, John Serio Karen and Zajicek Paula Zappala

COACH OF THE YEAR

Our 2019 Coach of the Year is not only an expert on Medicare Second Payer claims processing, but also shares her knowledge with others to help them succeed. Freyda Sherard has been with Palmetto GBA for 21 years and has continued to demonstrate a collaborative and supportive work ethic. Freyda provides support to all levels of management as well as to Provider Outreach and Education and the Provider Contact Center. She also has been recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for her knowledge and her coaching skills.

Congratulations, Freyda!