Happenings
Division 1M Recognizes Top Performers for Q3 2025
Associate of the Month – July
Latoya Harts
Senior provider relations representative Latoya Harts has demonstrated exceptional dedication since joining Provider Outreach and Education (POE). She not only embraced her new responsibilities but also stepped in without hesitation to support her former department, Appeals, when they needed help to meet a critical metric. This is an outstanding example of serving both internal and external customers.
For POE, Latoya assists with testing web tools, researching education topics, facilitating webinars and analyzing Medicare Learning Network (MLN) feedback. She also gathers current information from appeals to enhance provider education. Along with these responsibilities Latoya leads key initiatives, including the Provider Contact Center Call Reduction Workgroup for POE Part A, the Inpatient Short-Stay Workgroup and the Ambulance Workgroup.
For her knowledge, adaptability and willingness to go above and beyond Latoya has been named July’s Associate of the Month.
Associate of the Month – September
Phabian Barrett
Phabian Barrett, a senior provider relations representative, has made a significant impact since joining the Part A and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) services Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) team in January 2025. He quickly immersed himself in the role by asking the right questions and researching provider behavioral patterns to better serve IRF RCD providers.
Phabian promotes quality by introducing innovative ideas to make presentations more engaging and leveraging data to improve communication across teams. He is known for fostering collaboration and open communication. Phabian regularly leads meetings and serves as a liaison between different lines of business. His commitment to teamwork and process improvement makes him an invaluable asset to the organization and Division 1M’s July Associate of the Month.
Coach of the Quarter
Belinda Marin
Provider Outreach and Education manager Belinda Marin has played a pivotal role in her team members’ career development. She meets with each staff member weekly to provide personalized coaching, helping them pursue goals and encouraging them to step beyond their comfort zones.
Belinda champions quality by actively supporting Lean Six Sigma projects and process mapping initiatives. Belinda was named Coach of the Quarter because she promotes a culture of open communication and collaboration, listens to her team’s ideas and inspires continuous improvement across processes.
Team of the Quarter
Palmetto GBA MACtoberfest 2025 Team
Team Members: Sandra Booker-Maston, Shawn Canaday, Shelly Dailey, LaToya Harts, Jason Hicks, Jamela Hillary-Harris, James Kirk, Belinda Marin, Bonnie A. Miller, Katie Ocasio, Tiawan Riley
This group of POE associates won Team of the Quarter for successfully hosting MACtoberfest 2025, a large-scale educational event. Serving more than 200 providers across all lines of business, this two-day event in Columbia, SC delivered 30 sessions focused on Improper Payment Reduction Strategy (IPRS) and Medical Review auditing.
Planning required extensive collaboration among POE staff and multiple functional areas. The team developed presentations, marketing materials and registration systems to deliver a seamless experience that featured 22 speakers, 16 moderators and a keynote address. This achievement reflects the team’s resourcefulness, professionalism and commitment to quality.
Process Improvement of the Quarter
Happy 60th Birthday Medicare
Team Members: Teresa Brown, Charles Canaan, Shawn Canaday, Shelly Dailey, Areka Freeman, Dan George, Kimberly Jeter, James Kirk, Bonnie A. Miller, Katie Ocasio, Tiawan Riley
The POE team earned recognition for designing and delivering a full-day virtual event celebrating Medicare’s 60th birthday. This initiative addressed a critical gap, prior to this event, Medicare Administrative Contractors had not provided education on Medicare’s history.
This event was essentially a ‘pop-up’ planned quickly by a small team of POE staff. The results demonstrated how nimbleness, creativity and collaboration can have a significant impact. The event featured three dedicated sessions for Medicare Part A, Part B, and Home Health and Hospice providers, drawing more than 230 attendees and achieving an overall satisfaction score of 4.9 out of 5 (98 percent).
Their rapid planning and execution earned the team Process Improvement of the Quarter for delivering excellent content and results with limited resources and time.
