Kurt Gerling Promoted to Strategic Account Manager

Congratulations are in order for Kurt Gerling, who has been named ProMed’s Strategic Account Manager. In his new role, Kurt will be scouting new leads, working to turn them into customers, ensure that they are treated well and help them maximize their ProMed experience.

“Kurt is a class act all the way,” said ProMed CEO Matt Barnes. “I can’t wait to continue to grow with him, both personally and professionally.”

“In Kurt’s year with the company, he has proven to be very successful in building relationships and respect within his territory,” said Keith Kennedy, ProMed’s National Accounts Manager. “Kurt’s personality allows him to command respect when he walks into a room, which is a key attribute that will assist him in his new role. His loyalty and extreme intelligence will also enable him to be successful within the National Accounts Division. I look forward to working with Kurt as we continue to grow throughout the country. “

Congratulations, Kurt!

Diana Nowicki Promoted to Strategic Account Development

Team ProMed congratulates Diana Nowicki on being promoted to Strategic Account Development! In her new role, Diana will be instrumental in ensuring that ProMed’s newly established National Account Division is running on all cylinders. Her responsibilities will include creating dossiers on potential customers, coordinating entertainment, organizing tours and more.

“In a relatively short period of time, Diana Nicole has taken ownership of her position and has been extremely well received by Team ProMed,” CEO Matt Barnes said. “I see great things to come for her.”

“When I was looking to fill an opening I had for an inside salesperson, I had a few items on my ‘wish list,’” said Dave Eisley, ProMed’s Director of Inside Sales and Recruiting. “I wanted someone who had interesting life experiences and was ambitious and eager to learn. Diana is all three of those things.

“During her first 60 days on the job she has proven to be a leader with great communication skills,” Eisley continued. “People who spend time with Diana tend to follow her. She dove right into training classes, role-playing scenarios and understanding all that is relevant to selling into the long-term care market. I know she will do well in her new, expanded role.”

Keith Kennedy, ProMed’s National Accounts Manager, had this to say about Diana: “In the short time I have worked with Diana, it is apparent she is extremely bright, very resourceful and efficient – all key elements that will help her succeed in her new role. Diana has been tapped to assist in taking Professional Medical to a new level. I am extremely excited to work with Diana and look forward to great success."

Congratulations, Diana!

ProMed Applauds AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Recipients

We were thrilled to learn that six of our customers have been named AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award recipients! These awards, which are part of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award program, recognize long-term care providers on their journey toward performance excellence.

There are three levels of National Quality Awards. The levels and the qualifications for each are:
Bronze: Commitment to Quality (formerly Step I): Applicants begin their quality journey by developing an organizational profile including vision and mission statements, an awareness of their environment and customers' expectations and a demonstration of their ability to improve a process.

Silver: Achievement in Quality (formerly Step II): Applicants demonstrate a level of achievement in their quality journey through good performance outcomes that have evolved from how they embrace the core values and concepts of visionary leadership, focus on the future, resident-focused excellence, management by innovation and focus on results and creating value.

Gold: Excellence in Quality (formerly Step III): Applicants must show superior performance over time that is based on their systematic approaches to leadership; strategic planning, focus on customers, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, workforce focus, process management and results. Gold applicants address the complete Baldridge Criteria for Performance Excellence in Health Care.

The ProMed customers who earned these awards are:

• Cerenity Senior Care of White Bear Lake, White Bear Lake, MN (Silver)
• Nazareth Home, Louisville, KY (Bronze)
• Hilltop Nursing and Rehabilitation, Owingsville, KY (Bronze)
• Superior Care Home, Paducah, KY (Bronze)
• Briody Health Care Facility, Lockport, NY (Bronze)
• Ridgewood Care Center, Racine, WI (Bronze)

Congratulations to these facilities! We're proud to be your partner in health care!

To learn more about the awards program, click here.

Survey Says: Seniors Confused about New Healthcare Law

Truthfully, this news isn't surprising, given that many Americans in general find the new healthcare bill confusing! A new survey from the National Council on Aging (NCOA) found that most seniors are either misinformed or simply unaware of how the new healthcare law will affect them.

The NCOA asked 636 seniors a series of 12 questions about Medicare, the budget deficit and other healthcare reform topics. Only 17% of the seniors knew the correct answers to more than half of the questions, and just 9% answered at least two-thirds of the questions correctly. None of the survey participants knew the correct answers to all of the questions.

For additional information, click here.

Seniors Warned about Medicare Part D Rebate Scammers

The new healthcare law will close the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage "donut hole" by 2020. The first step toward this goal is sending $250 checks to eligible seniors to help offset their costs. And, as is the case for so many recipients of good things, scammers are waiting in the wings to cheat seniors out of their checks.

Seniors on Medicare don't have to do anything to receive the $250 rebate checks - they're mailed out as soon as the recipients become eligible - but that isn't stopping scammers from posing as Health and Human Services personnel and calling seniors to request personal information that they say is required in order to process the checks. According to the Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging (IAAA), scammers have been asking for information such as a Social Security or Medicare number or a signature.

If seniors receive a call from a scammer, they should take down the caller's name and telephone number (using caller ID, if possible) and report the call to 1-800-MEDICARE.

Team ProMed Congratulates Sonny Barnes on Earning His Orange Belt in Karate!

Sonny Barnes, son of ProMed CEO Matt Barnes, recently earned his orange belt in karate! Congratulations, Sonny!

Team ProMed Congratulates Joe Weckler on His New Addition

Congratulations to Team ProMed member Joe Weckler, who welcomed a new addition on July 23! Louis James Joseph Weckler weighed in at 7 lbs., 9 oz.