Coach of the Quarter

Tamesha Bryant

Tamesha Bryant uses her knowledge of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) audit process to help reviewers navigate complex requirements and complete their work accurately. As a Government Audit supervisor, she leads biweekly meetings to address questions, share resources and keep the team focused on its goals. She also makes a point to recognize individual and team accomplishments. Recently, Tamesha worked alongside a reviewer to update a workpaper, helping develop a useful resource for Jurisdictions J and M. Her practical guidance supports employee growth while improving the team’s work.

Team of the Quarter

Reopenings

Team members: Michelle Anderson, Marcia Austin, Kelly Bultema, Laura Canup, Angie Faulds, Lori Fisher, Vanessa Holmes, Uday Ponkshe, Vonetta Prince, Nirju Rodriguez, Sharon Wood

The Reopenings team created a review process tailored to reopenings and appeals involving nursing and allied health education, which require careful review of several complex steps. Over several months, team members developed and tested new workpapers, gathered feedback from preparers and reviewers and refined the templates before introducing them through a two-part department training. The completed process breaks a complex review into clear, manageable steps, helping both experienced and newer employees.

Process Improvement of the Quarter

Appeals Substantiative Claim Letter Review Workbook

Team members: Kelly Bultema, Jessica Jackson, Nikki Kern

The Substantiative Claim Letter Review Checklist was revised to make the review process more consistent and reduce redundant steps for auditors. The updated workbook eliminates unnecessary file downloads when a review is not required and allows provider information for group cases to be imported instead of manually entered. When a supplemental Challenge Letter is needed, the workbook also creates a standardized email for the provider representative. These updates reduce manual work and allow auditors to complete reviews more efficiently.