September 2013 Employee of the Month

Meet Claims Technical Specialist Deby Pancoast

September Employee of the Month

Service with a smile.

It�s easier said than done sometimes, especially when changes come along that make our jobs different - and much busier - than they were before.

But rolling with the changes and taking on new responsibilities are things at which Claims Technical Specialist Deby Pancoast of the Mansfield Customer Service Office excels, apparently. As these are some of the reasons this 28-year bureau veteran was chosen as BWC�s September Employee of the Month.

�This employee's knowledge, dedication and hard work are unparalleled,� said Deby�s nominator and supervisor, Director of Policy Kimberly Hartman. �And she does all of this with a smile!�

Deby was �surprised and gratified� that Kim took the time to make the recommendation.

�It is an honor to have been selected,� said Deby. �I really just try to come to work each day with the intent of earning my pay for the day, and feel like I work with a lot of great people who are probably equally entitled to be recognized.�

Though Deby said there are no �typical days� in her job, her main duties are to answer questions sent to the Field Tech Specialist email box, write claims policy and procedures, and support her group on the use of the SharePoint team site. She also updates and clarifies policy and procedure to staff in the field offices, provides technical and other support on projects, and serves as Core ambassador for the Operational Policy, Analytics and Compliance Division.

Deby has taken the lead for the operational policy department in transitioning all claims policy from InfoStation to Claims On-line Resources, a web-based resource that provides claims processing staff with a new way to access polices. She completed the InfoStation to COR move for not only her department but also medical services and vocational rehabilitation. She�s taken the lead on drafting a new wages policy and procedure; and has worked with the Field Operations Division to develop a tool to assist in calculating wages.

Phew � that�s a lot, but it�s not all! Recently, Deby spent months not only fulfilling her normally-assigned job duties, but also taking the initiative to spearhead several important, very timely projects:

• In order to address long-standing concerns regarding the quality of medical reports, Deby led a project to re-write all independent medical examination (IME) and exam questions. She collaborated with operational policy field liaison colleagues Kevin Firstenberger and Janet Wilks, the legal department and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stephen T. Woods, M.D., on this project, and any outdated or poorly written questions were re-written.
• Deby also took the lead on re-writing all orders and claims correspondence for PowerSuite. The orders had not been updated or revised in many years. So, in an effort to consolidate language, reduce manual cutting and pasting or writing ad hoc language, Deby again worked hand-in-hand with colleagues Kevin Firstenberger and Janet Wilks - and field staff - to standardize the language. Correspondence was in need of revisions and updates as well, and Deby also spearheaded the team that reviewed hundreds of letters.
• Deby also has recently reached out to a large variety of stakeholders to make sure all their needs have been addressed, and ensure a well-rounded, thorough pool of questions, orders and correspondence.