Coach of the Quarter – Courtney Faison

Courtney Faison, an Accountant I, played a crucial role in the creation of the Electronic Correspondence Referral System (ECRS) Screening Quality Control (QC) processes. She works hand in hand with the ECRS Screeners to ensure they are up to date on any recent process changes. She offers quick responses to the screeners on how to categorize documentation that does not follow the normal screening process. When a training need is identified, she is quick to set up a session with the necessary materials to ensure that all screeners understand the process. Courtney holds her team to the highest of standards and leads by example while being open and available. For this and much more, we say congratulations, Courtney, on being named our Division 54 Coach of the Year.

Team of the Quarter – Finance Appeals

The Finance Appeals division is comprised of many hard-working individuals. This division has seen a steady increase in work volume in the last year, and in response, the team has been able to increase timely completions due to this increased workload. This year, 99.91 percent were processed and updated timely, up from 99.89 percent in 2021 and 99.43 percent in 2020. On numerous occasions, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent requests for overpayment appeal details related to high-priority provider inquiries. In turn, the overpayment appeals team provided detailed and comprehensive responses, including associated documentation. The quick turnaround for requests like this demonstrates the team’s commitment to providing superior customer service. Congratulations to our Finance Appeals Team!

Team members - Ashley Belton, Krystal Cato, Jodie Cunningham, Kym Davis, Ciera Dawson, Shavonne Grant, Bryan Greenhow, Scott Hall, Stephen Lever, Jenipher Moore, Tyler Pearre, Julia Ramer, Thomas Sorrells, Yajaira Strait, Tykir West, and Henry West

Process Improvement of the Quarter – Creation of the Job Profile Details Report with Education and Experience

Before the creation of the Job Details Report, multiple files were needed for comparison, pricing, and developing rates for new contracts. The new report combined the files into one unified document utilizing VLOOKUP formulas to find data and compare rates. This saves a significant number of manual hours as multiple documents do not need to be referenced. Congratulations on the Job Profile Details Report for being awarded our Process Improvement of the Quarter.

Team members - Tiffany Johnston, Jeannine Pierce, Jennifer Ross, and Kelly Sago

Associate of the Month (October) – Ashley Belton

Ashley Belton, Accounting III Technician, has been with the Overpayment Appeals area since she started with Palmetto GBA. She is a hard-working team member who jumps in to assist with additional workloads, new projects, and training new team members. According to her department, Ashley is a team player who "is always willing to take on additional responsibilities and learn something new." Congratulations, Ashley, on being named our Associate of the month.

Associate of the Month (November) – Ellen Edwards

Ellen Edwards, an Accounting Technician III, has been with Palmetto GBA for over 11 years. Most recently, she showed exemplary work by assisting with training four new associates while also continuing to complete her tasks and provide excellent customer service to our external customer, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS). Ellen meets and exceeds departmental quality objectives for processing provider checks. According to her team, "Ellen has been our go-to person to share her knowledge and wisdom. We have truly benefited from Ellen’s knowledge and her patience with us as we learn the world of Medicaid." Congratulations Ellen!

Associate of the Month (December) – Brandi Samuel

Brandi Samuel, an Accountant IV, works in the budget department, and since 2022 was Brandi’s first year doing the budget, she has hit the ground running. Brandi is very resourceful and has no issues asking for help when needed. Many of her team members come to her with questions, and Brandi is more than happy to sit down for a one-on-one or group session to ensure that all members are up to date with all things accounting. Most recently, she helped the Jurisdiction J and Jurisdiction M accounts with their travel reports and variance analysis reports so they could meet and exceed both the CMS deadlines and key measures. For her hard-work and dedication to excellence we are excited to announce Brandi as our Division 54 Associate of the Month.