Happenings
Shared Services Recognizes Quality, Coaching and Innovation Excellence for Q4, 2025
Coach of the Quarter
Melissa Murren
Medical Review Supervisor Melissa Murren is recognized for exceptional leadership across the Home Health and Hospice (HHH) Appeals team and the Part A Appeals Reporting team. Melissa’s multipronged approach ensures her team is successful. To stablilize workloads, she supported cross‑training. She personally stepped in during high‑volume periods, processed cases to protect timeliness and absorbed responsibility for an expanded team while maintaining quality, productivity, and staff engagement. Melissa’s commitment to mentorship is evident through comprehensive onboarding, skills development and education delivery, helping the team consistently exceeded quality benchmarks. Her steady leadership and unwavering support empower her teams to excel.
Process Improvement of the Quarter
Quality Assurance Auditing Template Consolidation
Team Members: Christopher Black, LoveaLee Blevins, Vonda Holbook, Lori Holsinger, Canderia Peterson and Linnie Taylor
The team is recognized for modernizing the quality auditing process by consolidating multiple tracking spreadsheets into an automated, centralized reporting system. The enhanced structure reduced manual data entry for the Quality Analyst by 80 percent, minimized input errors and provided real‑time performance visibility across processors and contract types. The new system eliminated duplicative Medicare Secondary Payer tracking, streamlined month‑end reporting and improved accuracy and timeliness. These changes saved a combined 72 labor hours annually. This process improvement strengthens efficiency and accuracy while providing a sustainable foundation for ongoing quality management.
Team of the Quarter
Part B Appeals Leads
Team Members: Cheryl Hannibal, Rae Mahaney, Ryan McCall, Jane Parsons, Trecia Sexton, Shondra Smith and Cassandra Teeters
The Part B Appeals Leads are recognized for exceptional performance in maintaining Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ timeliness standards during a challenging year with increased workloads. Working at the threshold of the 60‑day regulatory requirement, the leads monitored every case through multiple systems, quickly resolved issues and provided hourly oversight of suspended work to ensure nothing was missed. They delivered continuous training and quality checks across all appeals functions, ensuring accurate decisions and excellent customer service for providers and beneficiaries. The team met all Quality Assurance Surveillance Program (QASP) requirements. They continually update the letter writing process making several changes that improved quality and production. Their professionalism, dedication and ability to manage extraordinary volumes while safeguarding compliance make them indispensable to Appeals operations.
