Happenings
Celebrating our 2026 Fall Customer Xperience Award Winners
Congratulations to our 2026 Fall Customer Experience Award winners! Through their work, these associates make it easier for providers to get the information they need and for colleagues to serve customers effectively. Their contributions show how excellent service reaches across Palmetto GBA.
Caitlin Allen
Training Specialist II
Provider Customer Service Program
Caitlin Allen earned the Customer Xperience award for strengthening training and supporting colleagues in the Provider Customer Service Program. As a Training Specialist II, her ideas improved the onboarding experience for new hires and continuing education for experienced staff. Drawing on her knowledge of Medicare processes, she patiently answers questions and helps colleagues prepare for new roles serving providers. Caitlin also steps in to assist with special projects, adapting to changing policies and staffing needs while keeping her work accurate.
Leah Barber
Change Order Analyst
Support Operations
When a coworker took an unexpected leave of absence, Leah Barber stepped in to take on complex responsibilities while continuing her regular work as Change Order Analyst in Support Operations. She learned new daily reporting processes and coordinated a Management Control Review audit for the first time, preparing the required audit materials and keeping work on track. Her efforts ensured that the teams relying on her unit continued receiving support without disruption. Colleagues also count on Leah’s clear communication and prompt responses to keep projects moving.
Valerie Day
Senior Provider Enrollment Analyst
RRB Operations
Valerie Day brings extensive knowledge and a willingness to help others to her role as a Senior Provider Enrollment Analyst. She supports work across multiple contracts and readily takes on responsibilities beyond her assigned duties. Her attention to quality and understanding of customers’ needs guides her approach to service, while her consistent professionalism sets an example for colleagues.
Zack Dedonis
Accountant IV
Finance Operations
Accountant IV, Zack Dedonis applies programming and database skills beyond his regular duties in Finance Operations to retrieve information that would be impractical to gather manually. He quickly pulled large data sets to review medical procedure codes and compiled detailed check records to help Finance and Accounting staff research a claims payment issue. Zack continues developing these skills to support departments across the company and provides valuable feedback on Medicare regulations and guidelines.
Laurie Donahue
Business Analyst II
Shared Services
When questions arise about billing codes for experimental and investigational services, Laurie Donahue looks beyond the individual inquiry to identify ways to improve the process. As a Business Analyst II in Shared Services, she tracks new codes and workload changes to recognize when process instructions need clarification. She works with Medical Affairs to review those instructions, helping Claims, Medical Affairs and Pricing use consistent guidance. Her initiative and willingness to share knowledge help those teams manage the codes and respond more consistently to customers.
Megan Grey
Senior Provider Education Consultant
JM Operations
Providers rely on Megan Grey for clear, thorough explanations of their medical review results. As a Senior Provider Education Consultant, she educates home health and hospice providers. When the Medicare Part B team faced a high volume of outreach, she expanded her expertise to help support their providers. Alongside her regular workload, Megan continues providing these training sessions to help meet demand. She also draws on her experience across the company to show coworkers how to find information and resolve questions independently.
Tammy Lassiter
Training Specialist I
Jurisdiction J Operations
Tammy Lasiter, Training Specialist I, carefully reviewed more than 200 Medicare Part A appeals to ensure the correct decisions were applied to each case. In addition to her daily work, she processed each appeal through the required systems and created a detailed spreadsheet to track the reviews. She balanced this project with her daily training responsibilities and continued supporting teammates, who regularly recognize her willingness to help.
Bobby Mack
Developer IV
Systems and Support
As a Developer IV in Systems and Support, Bobby Mack developed reports that helped the appeals team submit timely, accurate information to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for two types of claim reviews. He also learned the installation process for quarterly Medicare Part B system updates to prepare for a colleague’s retirement while continuing to assist with customer requests. Bobby shares his knowledge with new trainees, explaining complex technical information in terms they can understand.
