Happenings
Celebrating March Associate of the Month Winners
Division 93 – Augusta Operations
Dayna Bruce
Dayna Bruce has spent more than 10 years supporting Palmetto GBA’s Appeals Department growing from Medical Reviewer III into her current role as a Training and Quality Assurance Coordinator. In this role, she supports training, quality assurance, organization tasks and policy updates. Her strong focus on accuracy and consistency in managing these responsibilities has made her someone the team relies on for guidance and well-researched information.
Dayna also looks for ways to keep the team informed and improve how work is done. She established monthly huddles to help staff stay aligned on organizational updates, and in 2025, she submitted eight process improvements to support clearer instructions and more efficient workflows. Her work has helped to address topics ranging from reopened document control numbers to Microsoft Forms instructions and payment-related processes. Dayna consistently exceeds quality expectations of 100 percent and brings the same level of attention to special projects.
Division 6M – Jurisdiction J Operations, Audit & Reimbursement
Sabrina Culler
Sabrina Culler, Accounting Technician II, provided clear leadership and support for the team during a busy season. With five new associates joining the group, Sabrina stepped up as the most senior associate and helped guide them as they learned their roles. She answered questions, explained processes and provided tools to help them build confidence.
Sabrina is a trusted resource for management on more complex inquiries. Her knowledge of processing Changes of Ownership, terminations and new providers makes her a key source of support, especially when subunits are involved. Sabrina’s willingness to share her knowledge has helped strengthen the team and supported a smoother onboarding experience for new associates. Her steady guidance and subject-matter expertise make her a deserving Associate of the Month.
Divisions 5/29 – Shared Services
Susan Gonnella
Susan Gonnella, Change Order Analyst, has been recognized for the important support she provides for the Change Management Organization team. Susan works primarily with Draft Change Requests (CR), while also supporting required reports for the CMS. In addition to her regular responsibilities, Susan handled five complex Draft Change Requests that called for close communication with executive leadership and functional area management
Susan has also contributed to meaningful process improvements for the team. She was heavily involved in creating a new Level of Effort (LOE) process requested by executive management and provided training to help functional areas adjust to the change. She also recommended an enhancement to a pricing template spreadsheet that provided more pricing details and contract-specific dropdowns, making the template easier to use and helping improve quality. Through her attention to detail, strong communication and commitment to timely work, Susan has helped the team meet its year-to-date metrics.
Division 34 – Systems & Support
Clifton Larsen
Clifton Larsen, Developer IV, brought significant improvements to the Front End Systems team. Through his work on the Dental Edit Module, Clifton helped modernize a core system used to validate Medicare Advantage Dental encounter files before they are sent to the CMS. His development work replaced manual steps with a more reliable process, allowing the team to review files with greater accuracy and efficiency. These improvements helped the team achieve 100 percent performance on all internal and external metrics.
Clifton’s contributions have also created measurable time savings for the team. His process improvement contributions reduced tasks that once took months to complete down to minutes, while also supporting stronger security and improved data quality. Beyond the technical results, Clifton is known as a collaborative teammate who helps analysts, testers and other developers work through complex issues across systems. His ability to improve complex systems while supporting the people who use them has made a lasting impact on the Front End Systems team.
Division 54 – Finance & Accounting
Shavonne Leonard
Shavonne Leonard, Accountant III, has been recognized for the care and accuracy she brings to her financial work. She plays an important role in handling payment suspension holds, ensuring the work is completed with close attention to CMS requirements. Her review process helps support reliable financial data submissions and protects the integrity of the department’s work. By staying focused on accuracy and compliance, Shavonne helps the team meet expectations while providing dependable support to the clients and partners who rely on this information.
Shavonne also strengthens the team by sharing her knowledge and providing training and guidance to help others grow in their roles. Her ability to identify and help resolve financial discrepancies has also supported process improvements. Through her attention to detail and commitment to quality, Shavonne has made a meaningful impact on her team.
Division 10 – Support Operations
Jaleel Miller
Jaleel Miller, Business Analyst I, has been recognized for the professionalism he brings to his work. He recently received commendation from a Texas state agency for the proactive support he provided on a complex provider issue. Through clear communication and thorough assistance, Jaleel helped address the concern while reflecting the high level of service expected from the team. His ability to take ownership of an issue and support providers with care makes him a trusted resource.
Jaleel has also contributed to process improvement efforts that support greater efficiency. He played an important role in streamlining the retrieval of Electronic Funds Transfer information, helping reduce duplicate work and making the process easier for others to manage. Along with his project contributions, Jaleel is known as a dependable teammate who shares knowledge and supports those around him.
Division 28 - Jurisdiction M Operations
Melissa Robinson
A project administrator, Melissa Robinson, has been recognized for the steady support and deep company knowledge she brings to Medical Affairs. During her nearly 24 years with Palmetto GBA, Melissa has served in several roles, giving her a broad understanding of the organization and the teams she supports. In her current work with Medical Affairs, she serves as a trusted information hub and coordinator, helping keep people connected, informed and able to move work forward.
Melissa’s experience and willingness to assist make a daily difference for her teammates. She is known for being approachable and dependable, even when managing outside pressures, and she consistently looks for ways to make the work easier for others. For the care she brings to the team and her long-standing commitment to Palmetto GBA. Melissa has been named the Associate of the Month.
Division 1M – Jurisdiction J, Customer Service
Latoiya Scott
Latoiya Scott, Senior Claims Research Analyst in Medicare Part A Program Management, brings in-depth knowledge and steady support to the team. Latoiya supports Jurisdictions J and M, helping answer complex provider questions, researching policy issues and supporting inquiries not only for Part A but also for Part B and Home Health. Her knowledge has been especially valuable in helping maintain accuracy and consistency. As a webchat agent and concierge team member, Latoiya works directly with providers, large facilities, clearinghouses and internal teams to make sure questions are answered accurately and in a timely manner. Her ability to provide clear guidance on the first contact helps reduce repeat inquiries.
Latoiya and the team have stepped in during high-volume call periods and taken on additional call responsibilities while continuing to manage the regular workload. Latoiya also attends Medicare Administrative Contractor and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) meetings, then shares important updates with leadership and teammates to help strengthen internal processes. Whether she is assisting with team chat questions, supporting special projects or helping bridge gaps between departments, Latoiya leads through reliability, initiative and a willingness to help wherever she is needed.
Division 4M – Prior Authorization Programs
Stephanie Wood
Stephanie Wood, Medical Reviewer II on the Outpatient Department (OPD) team, has been recognized for the care and consistency she brings to her medical review work. She approaches each task with close attention to accuracy and a willingness to keep learning, which helps strengthen the quality of her reviews and the support she provides to the team. Stephanie is dependable in her role and takes pride in doing her work well, making her someone teammates trust to follow through.
Stephanie’s positive attitude helps create a welcoming and supportive environment for those around her. She’s quick to help new team members, offering guidance to their questions and assisting when needed. Stephanie not only does a great job in her own role but also helps others succeed.
