District 3 profile: Karen Gray

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Learn more about how Hennepin County works for you.

The District 3 team conducts a profile series with employees of the county who live in the district. Each month we spotlight a different person from varying departments and occupations. Find out about the day-to-day aspects of occupational fields and work environments at the county, and how each person’s work affects your life.

  Karen Gray   

Karen Gray

Cedar Manor Neighborhood of St. Louis Park

Principal Planning Analyst/Supervisor, Human Services

Describe your work

I supervise staff in the Service Authorization Unit, which handles billing information for service providers. We do the “paperwork” so these companies can be reimbursed for providing services that keep disabled and elderly people living safely in the community. For example, an elderly person might receive chore services like snow shoveling or grocery delivery. Someone with a disability might have a personal care assistant who helps them with daily grooming and bathing. Without these services, these people would need to move from their homes to a facility like a nursing home or hospital.

What part of your job do you find most challenging?

The money that pays for this comes from a variety of federal, state and county funds and grants. Especially for the disabled population there have been a lot of changes in the law, and it’s a challenge keeping up on all the policies that affect billing and reimbursement.

What do you find most enjoyable? 

Even though we don’t work directly with the people who get services, we know that the financial processing work we do is very important in the lives of the elderly and disabled. We’re always keeping the client in mind.

What is one thing everyone should know about the work you do?

Offering these services is a win-win. When people can live in their own homes instead of a facility, it both costs less to taxpayers and it gives people better quality of life where they can be with their family and friends.