Team of the Quarter – Part B Appeals Exstream Testing

In January, a new Exstream letter writing system became operational. In preparation for the change, the Part B Appeals Exstream Testing Team had to learn how the new system worked, how to use the User Acceptance Testing (UAT), put together Exstream training for associates, conduct training sessions, and answer questions from systems people, management, and associates. In addition, they also coordinated the testing of more than 120 appeal letters and 400 paragraphs being transitioned from the Automated Correspondence System (TACS) letter writing system to Multi-Carrier System (MCS) to the new version of Exstream. Their hard work and coordination ensured the appeal letters and paragraphs were formatted and worded correctly. This is vital to the department's quality and Quality Audit Surveillance Plan (QASP) audit scores. The process is tedious and time-consuming, but the team successfully managed the transition while fulfilling their normal job duties. Congratulations Team!

Team Members: Paula Blizzard, Tonya Hickson-Jones, Rae Ann Mahaney, Ryan McCall, Lori Rodabaugh, Trecia Sexton, Cassandra Teeters

Process Improvement of the Quarter - Implementation of the Product Tracking System (PTS)

The Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Product Tracking System (PTS) is a tracking mechanism for MLN products. This tool allows MLN to track product development and associated metrics in real-time while providing a dashboard interface to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to check status and project lead or designer assignments.

Before the PTS, the communication of project status, assignments, and metrics was primarily done by email. After the implementation of the PTS, many communications are automatic, such as status updates and notes regarding products, inception, estimated completion dates, project leads, and designer analyst assignments. The PTS reporting capabilities also automate the weekly and monthly reports. This overall process improvement has increased efficiency, resulting in significant annual savings and awarding this process as our fourth quarter Process Improvement.

Team Members: Mercedes Johnson and Lauren Robbins

Associate of the Month (November) – Paula Blizzard

Paula Blizzard, a Lead Appeals Specialist, excels in project work, team assistance, and leadership. She recently oversaw all letter revisions and updates in the TACS (The Automated Correspondence System) and Exstream letter systems. Paula completed the task before testing started on the new Exstream letter system. Her team says it best, "If Paula is assigned to complete a project, you know that it will be completed on time and correctly the first time."  

Associate of the Month (December) – Lynn Delaney

Lynn Delaney, a Claims Policy Analyst II, is hardworking, and consistently meets the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expectations. She recently took a leadership position for multiple larger projects to assist with workload and deadlines. Through her supervision, she reached out to multiple other teams and functional areas for assistance. This boost in collaboration has led to many projects being completed before their due dates. Lynn's organizational skills, leadership mentality, and collaborative mindset allow her to excel and help the team where needed.