August, 2022 | Vol. 8 No. 2
Deputy Director's Corner
Happy August, everyone!
July 1 brought about a ton of accomplishments for MHD. We launched an entirely new payment methodology for how we pay hospitals and nursing facilities, both, we kicked off our brand new vendor AHS as our new enrollment broker for our participants, we launched the brand new Show Me Healthy Kids plan for our children and youth in state care and custody, and so much more. August will be a good month for the division to regroup and determine what our strategic goals are for the next coming years.
I want to share some very nice words from one of our participants. She said this about Tami Jo Wilson: “I have a hearty, heartfelt compliment. The lady that actually just talked with me and told me what I needed to know and what I do have and don’t have with Missouri Medicaid. Tami exemplifies the best you all want to be. I find I do not have enough nice words. She told me what I needed to know and even rephrased questions when I was asking about the wrong thing. Thank you very much and I want to extend the compliment to you because you are the one that sets the mood.” Way to go Tami!
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And here’s more! Ambra Stotler and Elizabeth Sissom got a very nice call just to say thank you, from a participant, who was having a hard time getting his medication and was quite thankful for their help. Great job! Another participant reached out to say thank you to Ambra and Elizabeth and Kathy Heriford for their help with her prescription as well! Awesome!
Please consider filling out your Employee Spotlight. I really enjoyed reading Garret’s last month.
More exciting news: With assistance from DHSS and Lori Bushner, Michelle Kohrmann implemented an asthma pilot. This has been a lot of hard work, and it is being recognized. CMS is including our pilot in a presentation to the CDC! That is terrific!
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Thanks to Justin Clutter for bringing this to my attention: OA has a Talent Management Dashboard that can be viewed at Workbook: Talent Management Dashboard (mo.gov) Be sure to check it out.
Everyone stay cool this month! And remember to be kind to yourselves and to others. We all need a nice word, sometimes! “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25
Jessie
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Data Governance Corner
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As MHD matures and expands our Data Governance Program, we are working to bring about standardization in several areas around the Missouri Medicaid Enterprise (MME). We are working to do this through creating Data Governance policies, creating business definitions for terms and template queries to pull the associated data, and putting together some cross-agency workgroups.
Policies and definitions are currently housed on the Data Steward SharePoint site, so please ask your Data Stewards to show you those if interested. If you have a term or concept that causes difficulty or frustration in conversation or data requests, please send those to Zana Stephenson so they can be worked through the data governance process to get it clarified and get consensus across MHD and other agencies in the MME.
Some of the workgroups to be created include a Data Analyst Workgroup to allow for collaboration and standardization on data products and analysis. The Data Management Office will also be collaborating with other agencies on strategies to mature our data governance and to exchange best practices.
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August 9, International Day of the World’s Indigenous People: This day is created by the UN, celebrates the cultures of indigenous peoples around the world
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August 13, Left-Handers Day: On this day the nation pauses to acknowledge and remember the sacrifices made by the brave members of our military.
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August 18-19, Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu): this day celebrates the birth of one of the most popular deities in the Hindu faith, celebrated with a great festival
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August 21, Senior Citizens Day: This day is celebrated as the world’s senior citizen’s day.
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August 22, American Business Women’s Day: This day honors the accomplishments of businesswomen across the nation.
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August 26, Women’s Equality Day: This day commemorates the American women gaining the right to vote in 1920.
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August 31, Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu): festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, the God of new beginnings and a fresh start.
Community Involvement Leave
DYK - Employees may be granted up to eight hours of administrative leave with pay each calendar year for community involvement.
Community involvement is a way in which individuals from a community, volunteer (unpaid) at charitable, educational, civic and environmental activities. This includes community events such as volunteering (unpaid) with organizations, collection drives for food and clothing, school and charitable fundraisers.
Documentation may be required to verify that leave was used for the stated purpose. It is important to note that State Personnel Law places restrictions on employees of DSS from engaging in certain political activities. For more information on this and other volunteer opportunities that may be a conflict of interest, refer to DSS Policy 2-503 (Political Activities) and DSS Policy 2-501 (Outside Employment). Employees should also avoid activities that conflict with DSS Policy 2-120 (Code of Conduct).
Employees may seek guidance from their supervisor or their divisional human resource manager. Enter a Leave Track request using leave code LWPAA, noting the organization/activity/location in the Reason for Leave section.
United Way lists out opportunities for volunteer work here. I’d like to direct folks to the website where they can search up upcoming opportunities if they’re interested. This is also a good website for employees to access to find volunteer work needed in our communities.
Staff News
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Moving on up...
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Congratulations go out to the following MHD members:
- Lori Parrish was promoted to a Benefit Program Specialist in the Clinical Program and Policy Unit.
- Susan Thorne was promoted to a Benefit Program Senior Specialist in the Constituent Services Unit.
Wecome To The Team...
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We are excited to welcome back Mandy Fulks as a Program Specialist in the MMIS unit. Mandy has recently returned to MHD from a private sector and we are excited to see her back. Mandy currently lives in Latham with her husband, Justin, son Gatlin, and their Aussiedoodle named Ozzie. Mandy enjoys camping, decorating, and spending time outdoors. Mandy and Justin’s 18th wedding anniversary is coming up in September. Welcome back, Mandy! |
We are excited to welcome Chastity Brilhante, she has joined MHD as a Benefit Program Specialist in the Constituent Services unit. Chastity was born and raised in Columbia where she currently resides with her 4 dogs-Yemayah, Tyrion, Yippee, and Jynesis. She has 5 children and 4 grandbabies. She enjoys fishing, camping, floating, hiking, and traveling. Chastity is currently attending Columbia College for her degree in Criminal Justice, but her true bliss is with the ocean. Her dream job is to be a marine mammal trainer or to own a wild life sanctuary and possibly become a wildlife rehabilitator. She is hoping to visit Las Vegas for her 52nd birthday in January! |
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Timothy Williams joins us at MHD as a Lead Administrative Support Assistant in the Managed Care unit. Timothy was born and raised in Jefferson City and enjoys making chainmail armor and decorations. |
Catherine ‘Katie’ Meller joined the Third Party Liability Unit at MHD as a Lead Administrative Support Assistant, Katie had previously worked for the Department of Revenue. Katie is from Jefferson City/Westphalia area and attended college at State Tech in Linn. She has a dog named Koda, and she enjoys photography and being outdoors. |
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We are happy to welcome back Rachel Gladow to her new position as Program Coordinator in the Rate Setting unit. Rachel comes to us from OA, but has been with DSS in the past and we are excited to see her back. She has her Bachelor of Arts – Psychology from the University of Missouri. Rachel is from Auxvasse, but currently lives in Jefferson City and has a beagle named Luna. Rachel enjoys cooking, genealogy, and has hiked to the top of Mount Rushmore. Welcome back, Rachel! |
MHD welcomes Julie Schaefer as the Registered Nurse Specialist for the PACE program. Julie comes to us from St. Mary’s Hospital where she was worked for over 21 years, and was a nurse for 19 years. Julie went to Blair Oaks High School and studied to become an RN at Lincoln University. She currently lives in Taos with her husband, Travis and their 3 children Morgan, Braden, Payton, and their dog, Tucker. Julie enjoys coaching her kids and watching them play sports. She is going on a vacation in Colorado in two weeks. |
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Jayna Knipp is welcomed to the Clinical Program and Policy Operations unit as a Lead Administrative Support Assistant. She was born and raised in California, Missouri. She enjoys painting and design, and she can play the saxophone. Jayna has a Frenchie named Koda and a cat named Theo and her 21st birthday is coming up on August 10th. |
Anna Wainscott joined MHD as the new Director of Training and Education in the Administration unit. Anna came to us from the Human Resources department for DSS. She is from Ashland, and currently resides in Columbia. She was recently married in April of 2022 and has two daughters, Tori (25) and Taylor (23). Anna said a little known fact about her is “My youngest daughter is on the autism spectrum and she teaches me a new fact about animals every day.” Anna enjoys watching Real Housewives and staying indoors, but is heading to the Outer Banks of North Carolina in August. |
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Nora Lotsu joins us at MHD as a Benefit Program Specialist in the Constituent Services unit from the FSD Processing Center. Nora currently resides in Jefferson City with her husband, daughter, and mother in law, but her hometown is a small town in Ghana called Tema. She enjoys listening to Gospels and helping others with financial education. |
We are happy to welcome back Zenetta Hewkin as a Benefit Program Technician in the Medicare Buy-In Unit, which was the same unit she worked with several years ago! Zenetta spent the last three years in Croatia working with a local church developing youth centers throughout the country. She currently lives in her hometown here in Jefferson City with her husband and daughter, David and Clara. And don’t forget about their dog, Ezra. Zenetta enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and taking walks. Welcome back, Zenetta! |
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We have had so many changes and new faces at MHD the past couple years that we decided to bring back our "Employee Spotlight - Who's Who at MHD" section. We will feature one or two employees each month as a way to get to know them and what they do. If you haven't completed the questionnaire yet, just complete it and return it to Gail Luecke.
Meet Nanci Nikodym. Yes, that's Nanci with an "I" not a "Y". She currently works in the Behavioral Health unit as a Behavioral Health Coordinator, which is a new position at MHD. She has been with MHD for 11 years and she says "It's gone by so quickly."
Nanci says, "I am married to the kindest and most easy going man I know and we have two beautiful and sassy daughters. I love animals, coffee, being outside, and fun people. My siblings and their spouses are my best friends and our families have the best times together. I can retire any time now that I have reached my “80 and out.” WHOOP! When I retire, I plan to work as a clinical mental health counselor/therapist. So excited for that!"
Nanci shared the following information with us:
What is your favorite thing about working at MHD? The dedicated staff I work with.
What has your experience been with MHD’s culture? I have worked in several different units at MHD. I have always worked with helpful, fun, and dedicated staff. People here are willing to lend a hand, to listen when you need to vent, and to give a thank you and a kind word when you need it the most.
What is your team like? Our team is small but mighty. I work with such kind and hard working people.
What are some things you’ve noticed about our leadership team? In my opinion, this is the best leadership team MHD has had since I have been here. They are so smart, caring, and dedicated. I have immensely enjoyed working with our leadership team!
What parts of our mission do you connect with? I love helping others, so addressing the needs of Missouri’s most vulnerable resonates with me a great deal.
What has been your biggest accomplishment on our team? Working with the team responsible for implementation of the outpatient simplified fee schedule.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations within MHD? Jessie Dresner, Gail Luecke, Todd Richardson, Glenda Kremer, Michelle Kohrmann, and Eric Martin…all for different reasons.
What kinds of resources have you taken advantage of while on our team? I like Linked In Learning. I am currently receiving educational leave. I have attended a number of conferences and seminars.
How have you grown professionally while at MHD? I have learned to be more confident, how to give grace to others and to myself, and that if it is meant to be it, it will be. I have learned so much about Medicaid and still learn so much more each day. I have learned that there is no way to know everything there is to know about Medicaid and that relying on others and helping others is necessary and comforting.
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Sheila Adamson in our TPL Casualty Section retired July 29, 2022. She has been with the State for 14 years and 6 months. She’s been with the Dept of Social Services for 13+ years, of which 9+ years have been in the TPL Unit at MO HealthNet. Thank you Shelia for your many years of dedicated service! |
 Our deepest sympathy go out to these MHD employee (s)
- Nanci Nikodym on the lost of her beloved grandma, Momo, who passed away on July 13th. She was 97 years old! Her name is Virginia Helton. Nanci said "she was the strongest and sweetest woman in the world."
This & That....
Tami Jo Wilson has a new grandson, William Lewis Wilson II, born 7/11/2022 weighing 7 lbs 7 oz & 21 inches long. He was transported to the NICU Unit at Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Columbia within 24 hours of delivery & has been diagnosed with Prader-Willy Syndrome. She said, "We are waiting to meet with an Endocrinologist to get started on growth hormone therapy for him to help in his development. This was such a shock to the family & so unexpected that we are researching everything we can about this syndrome. If anyone here at MHD has any information they could supply to us about this syndrome, it would be greatly appreciated. He is so precious & has the best support family any little fellar could ask for! Both mommies are nurses so he is in good care & his big sister Andi Jo cannot wait to get him home & meet him!
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Zana Stephenson also has a new grandbaby, born July 21. Leo Alan Stephenson weighed in at 7 lb. 14 oz. and I'm sure he already has grandma wrapped around his fingers!
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Kathy Simmons was a busy lady last month. She went on her first ever cruise with friends, got a new puppy named Lyla and her granddaughter visited and they went to the neighbors and played with a SNAKE! Now I wonder how much Kathy played with that snake!
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 The training information been updated and can now be found under "Professional Development" on the new Intranet site. For the MHD 101 sessions you have the ability to register for the sessions you are interested in. Check it out at the below training link:
Outstanding attendance for our first Excel training, we had 80+ MHD staff attend learning the basics of Excel. You can find a recording of the training and basic instructions on the information shared in the training here. Certificates of completion are available for those that attended the training, if you haven’t received your certificate, swing by Ashley Wilson’s office (right outside of the cafeteria) and grab it. Our next Excel training will be on Spreadsheet day: October 17, 2022
Nate, Dan & Ryan covered the following Excel topics:
| Page Layouts |
Print View |
| Print titles |
Protect/Share Workbooks |
| Freezing panes |
Adjusting columns width and height |
| Sort/Filter |
Adding borders |
| Formatting cells |
Copy/Past Special Values |
| Function of the F4 key |
Hiding columns |
| Adding/deleting comments |
Find/Replace |
| Merging cells |
Wrap Text |
| Quick Shortcuts |
New tabs |
This training qualifies for Leadership Development Rule credit (LDR). To log your training for LDR credit: Go to the ESS portal, click on MY INFORMAITON (top right hand corner), and choose MY DEVELOPMENT. You can add your training here:
MHD Connection News
Can you believe it's already August? School starting is just around the corner.
MHD Connection team members include: Lori Parrish (chairman), Christina Jenks (treasurer), Christie Masterson (secretary), Brittany Goetz, Melissa Massman, William Morgan, Heather Voegeli, Lauren Slover, Pam Burris, Stephanie Hunt and Stacie Gibson. Please share your ideas/suggestions on things you might have regarding events, staff forum topics, etc.
What's Cooking at MHD?
Do you have a family recipe you'd like to share that we can post on the Recipe Corner on the intranet page or in the newsletter, etc.? If would like to submit an item just send an email to Gail. Keep those recipes coming and enjoy these delicious treats!! Check out all the goodies on our intranet - The Recipe Corner.
 MHD Calendar & Area Events
Visit our Calendar of Events page for WEBEX Meeting Info
- August 9 - Bagel & Donut Day
- August 10 - MHD Oversight Committee Meeting
- August 17 - Pasta Cook Off
| 8-01 Stephanie Hunt |
8-07 Jamie Purnell |
8-16 Kaitlin Bellinger |
| 8-02 Sandy Knipker |
8-07 Zenetta Hewkin |
8-21 Amber McKenzie |
| 8-02 Sheri Johnston |
8-08 Cathy McKenzie |
8-23 John Hirner |
| 8-03 Tina Morlock |
8-10 Becky Carter |
8-28 Megan Jackson |
| 8-03 Julie Phillips |
8-10 Jayna Knipp |
8-30 Vickie Russell |
| 8-04 Heather Voegeli |
8-11 Sheana Wilcox |
8-30 Lori Parrish |
| 8-06 Michael Traver |
8-12 Karen Tappel |
8-31 Shawn VonDerBruegge |
| 8-06 Melissa Massman |
8-16 Christina Jenks |
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Hey! Stay outta my can, will ya?!!!
The Howerton Building offers multiple recycling options:
Paper — Large green Dumpster bins throughout the building for non-confidential paper; gray bins with slotted lids for confidential paper.
Cans and Bottles — Containers in all galleys, including Center Court, for plastic bottles and aluminum and “tin” (soup) cans.
Cardboard — Rolling bins just inside the dock area on the first floor for cardboard.
Plastic Bags — A box in Center Court for clean plastic bags.
Questions: Feel free to contact John Mier at 751-7079 or John.R.Mier@dss.mo.gov
“Trash cans are for icky stuff — which I love!” — Oscar
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REMINDERS
CONFERENCE ROOMS: Please remove meetings from the conference room calendars if you know that staff will be attending your meeting remotely and you will not need the conference room.
Please refrain from reserving conference rooms for 2 or 3 people if there is an office available.
KEEP YOUR OUTLOOK CALENDARS UPDATED PLEASE! This includes scheduled days off, meetings, trainings, etc. By doing this it will help immensely to ensure meetings are scheduled within your work hours and help staff working deadlines to be able to plan around planned absences or if they need to reach you. Thank you.
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