The HOME Team – Helping Others Move Everything

Late February and March of 2020 was filled with uncertainty due to the pandemic. As more information about the pandemic was shared, a decision was made to send in office associates to work at home. The transition needed to occur as quickly as possible to safeguard associate’s health.

  The HOME Team formed to ensure that 1,300 associates transitioning to work at home were properly equipped to succeed in their new work environment. Due to the pandemic, procuring needed equipment was a challenge because of increased demand.

As equipment was secured, workstations were also configured and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephones deployed with USB headsets. In house testing areas were set up for employees to check their equipment before leaving the office. A special hotline was established to assist with technical issues employees experienced while working at home. Most of this transition occurred in a two-week time frame. For their excellence through an unprecedented transition, this team is recognized as Team of the Quarter.

Team Members:
Deirdre Asbill, Hal Bowles, Sarah Brewer, Bonnie Buntin, Scott Burkholder, Kendrick Crawford, Alex Delage, Charlie Genova, Jeanine Hunt, Jon James, Billy Osborne, Vince Presutti

Creating a specialized search engine was the answer to enhanced efficiency

The Call Center Technology Group (CCTG) programs and develops 11 separate Integrated Voice Response (IVR) units. The units are supported and maintained in South Carolina, as well as on a mirrored platform in Georgia. Incoming calls are allocated 50/50 between the two locations. The team is responsible for documenting all IVR reported incidents. Prior to the creation of the specialized search engine process improvement, the data was often searched across four contracts with six Part A and 11 Part B control files. The search results often had to be reviewed on the South Carolina server and then again on the Georgia media server before findings were produced. This regularly required searching through hundreds of telephony events in multiple file folders. The team eliminated the need for this duplicate search by developing a specialized search engine. All recorded events are now searched based on specific criteria including contract and then the “findings log” automatically populates the IVR incident report template. The new method saves 1 to 1 ½ hours per search, a significant time savings, and earned the group Process Improvement of the Quarter.

Team Members:
Deirdre Asbill, Christine Brown, Kendrick Crawford, Johnathan James, Shane Locklair, Cynthia Lucas, Billy Osborne, Jason Sumpter, Alexandr Umanskiy and Jeanine Valvano

His “stronger together” attitude earns Thomas “Jordan” Smith Coach of the Quarter recognition

Jordan Smith, Statistics and Research Manager, supports professional growth and wants his teammates to build on their knowledge base. When asked a question, he will respond with multiple questions.

Jordan knows that his teammates will then think through his questions, do further research and ultimately arrive at the right answer. “He makes each of us feel like we know the answer to our own questions, which is wonderful and empowering,” stated Kevin Wunderlich, Statistical Programming II Analyst. Jordan also continually assigns team members different tasks to ensure they are knowledgeable in all areas of the contract.

Open communication is important to Jordan. He encourages the team to express concerns and to bring new ideas forward. This helps foster greater collaboration. Team members know when they can ask other members for help that they will get it. Even though Jordan is very humble he is quick to express thanks and offer praise to his team.

He leads with a kind heart, never a harsh word. In turn he has created a kind, yet hard working team dedicated to each other.

A pro-active, self-starter describes our Associate of the Quarter

David Tilley, an Applications Development Systems Analyst, is a member of the team responsible for supporting the systems that process billions of Medicare and Medicaid transactions annually. David willingly accepts all tasks. He relies on research and his ability to analyze complex program logic to complete new assignments. For example, David had no SAS experience, so he taught himself the language in order to update a report. David also learned HTML commands and wrote complex program logic to complete a priority project for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. His willingness to accept these challenges is a reflection of his ability to develop new skills that benefit the entire team.

Despite his heavy workload, David consistently finds ways to help his co-workers. He recognizes when others are overloaded and offers his assistance when needed. When he finishes his work early, he asks for additional projects to stay as productive as possible. David brings a positive energy to the team and goes above and beyond the normal work effort in pursuing excellence.