Each accountant at Palmetto GBA serves a vital role in the company’s day-to-day operation. There is no one-size-fits all role for an accountant here.

“What people don’t realize is the wide range of jobs or professions available to people with accounting degrees,” said Randy Bailey, Government Audit Manager at Palmetto GBA. “If you're an accountant, that doesn't necessarily mean you're dealing with tax returns. We handle audits. Our industry deals with more operational types of auditing.”

In fact, Palmetto GBA auditors and accountants manage tasks related to timekeeping and budgeting and are involved in contracts and project proposals as well as cost and operational accounting, according to Accounting Director Nancy Lybrand.

Bailey’s audit and reimbursement team ─ based in Palmetto GBA’s Birmingham, Alabama, office ─ manages Medicare cost reports.

“We are like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for providers like hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers,” Bailey said, comparing the audits his team performs with IRS audits for citizen tax returns. “We look at the bottom line of the cost report and determine if the provider receives money back or owes money.”

Lybrand’s team manages more traditional accounting duties in addition to timekeeping.

“The accounting team is responsible for the management of Palmetto GBA’s timekeeping and expense reporting system,” Lybrand said. “They lead the testing of the system including coordinating sending information to BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, coordinating information to the budget system and testing the new features of the expense system.”

Palmetto GBA accountants and auditors manage a wide array of tasks on a daily basis, and no day is the same.

“People think accountants all do kind of the same thing. There are just so many different branches and specialties,” Bailey said. “Another misconception is that we’re super introverted and don’t really deal with other people. But you have to be able to build relationships and sometimes handle difficult conversations.”

Are you interested in joining one of our accounting teams? Check out our job opportunities here.