Happenings
Division 1M/5M/6M Quarterly Awards Announced
Process Improvement of the Quarter
Creation of Three Auditor Files to Eliminate Manual Entry
The cost report reopening team had a large batch of reports that needed to be reopened to make the same three adjustments. Instead of making each adjustment manually, Meredith Cate proposed creating three auditor files that could be imported into the cost reporting software. Once implemented, auditors could select and import the appropriate auditor file and the software would update several values on the report automatically. This left just two fields to adjust manually. This automation, which was named Process Improvement of the Quarter, produced time savings and reduced the opportunity for data entry errors.
Associate of the Month – January
Meredith Cate
Meredith Cate, a lead auditor in the Provider Audit and Reimbursement Department, was named January Associate of the Month for 2024 by Division 1M/5M/6M (M Team) for her dedication to resolving issues for providers and her contributions to improving processes. Providers often reach out to Meredith because she is reliable and provides timely responses to their inquiries. To ensure providers have sufficient time to review and respond to adjustments, she has taken on additional reviews and worked with auditors when deadlines are tight. In addition to training team members to ensure they meet quality requirements, Meredith has initiated process improvements and contributed to several others that have improved efficiency and reduced opportunities for human error.
Associate of the Month – February
Michele Hathorne
Because she consistently completes her work quickly and accurately and is always looking for ways to improve processes, Michele Hathorne, an accountant II in the Medicare Reimbursement Department, was named February Associate of the Month. Since she is relatively new to working on hospice services, she has identified several processes, including changing addresses and assigning invoice numbers, that could benefit from improvement. As a member of a two-person team, Michele is very conscientious and understands the importance of good communication. Because she always copies her teammate on all internal and external emails, her coworker is able to resolve issues when she is out on leave.
Associate of the Month – March
Tiawan Riley
While Tiawan Riley has been with Palmetto GBA for 21 years, she is new to the Provider Outreach and Education (POE) Department, where she serves as a policy communications specialist. She was named the M Team’s Associate of the Month for March because of her willingness to take on additional responsibility and provide outstanding customer service. Tiawan has played a leading role in organizing POE events, to include securing venues and organizing agendas and customer registration. She also helped spearhead the department’s transition to the web-based CVENT education platform, which is expected to improve virtual and in-person events and increase customer satisfaction and Qualtrics scores.
Coach of the Quarter
Felecia Wallace
Felecia Wallace, the Medicare Part A Program Management customer service manager, was recognized as the Coach of the Quarter because she is diligent about offering her associates training, coaching and side-by-side guidance when they need assistance. She also helped streamline the quality coaching process, which increased accountability and resulted in higher quality assurance scores.
Felecia’s natural communication skills have helped her foster employee trust, strong relationships and effective teamwork. Her staff feels trusted, so they have taken ownership of their work and responsibilities. Felecia takes the time to discuss career aspirations with each employee and identify the skills and knowledge each person needs to achieve them. To help them improve, she offers honest appraisals of their performance—even if it’s negative. But she also understands the importance of recognizing and thanking her staff for their hard work, which she does with daily kudos emails to those who meet their goals. This is a real morale booster.
Team of the Quarter
Telephone Reopenings – Jurisdictions J and M Part B Provider Contact Center
Team members: Maryjane Aitchison, Tracy Crawford and Mary Pimpleton
Known for being knowledgeable, respectful, and hardworking, the three associates in the Telephone Reopenings (TRO) team were named Team of the Quarter. They consistently meet quality standards and productivity goals and even maintain quality, service and performance standards when one of them has been out on leave. Matter of fact, their average speed of answer (ASA) rate is low enough to significantly reduce the average ASA for both Jurisdictions J and M. The TRO associates welcome and encourage communication from customer services associates, management and training staff regarding valid transfers, confusing audit messages and locating information about the reopening process and denial resolution. They also share job aids and present training sessions to improve the overall quality of work completed by the Provider Call Center. They are truly valued for their commitment to Palmetto GBA and their willingness to assist providers.
