ANCOR Conference 2018: Convergence and Collaboration in New Orleans

My favorite part of working as a Senior Customer Success Manager on the Customer Success Team is spending time with customers in person. While the countless hours we spend meeting over the phone allow us to do our jobs effectively – sometimes that in-person connection adds an extra boost to the partnership. Last week, I had the pleasure of spending some real quality time with two of our customers – The Arc of Bergen and Passaic, and Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled – as we presented together at the ANCOR Conference 2018 in New Orleans. And quite appropriately, our session was about collaboration.

Over the past four years, I have worked closely with our contingent of 20+ New Jersey I/DD customers as they have made the state-mandated switch to Medicaid billing and electronic health records. It has not been an easy journey for them. Fortunately, with some support from Foothold to get things off the ground, this group of providers has banded together and formed a cross-agency committee that works collaboratively to navigate the murky and challenging waters of the Medicaid transition.

During our session at the ANCOR conference, Michele Meyer from JSDD spoke about how the group formed, how they pool resources and knowledge so none of them have to reinvent the wheel, and how they use each other as a resource when they have questions or encounter barriers. Alice Siegel of The Arc of Bergen and Passaic spoke about how the group has leveraged their power in numbers to push the state for needed regulatory changes and clarifications, as well as to push us here at Foothold to work collaboratively with them to enhance AWARDS so that it more fully meets their needs. I shared how this committee is a wonderful resource for me, as I know there is always someone I can refer a customer to for assistance who has been through it already. And more often than not, they already know each other and are all willing to provide a helping hand.

While we weren’t working, Alice, Michele, and I made sure to take advantage of the fabulous location of the ANCOR Conference! While browsing in shops and art galleries in the French Quarter, we got to know each other a bit more as people and not just as customers and vendor. While enjoying warm beignets and sipping delicious coffee at Café Du Monde, we shared stories about our work – helping each other to better understand our daily work lives, which I know will only enhance how we work together moving forward. I left New Orleans feeling energized for ongoing collaboration with this amazing group of providers, and thankful for the opportunity to present with them and get to know them a bit better.

(From L-R) Alice Siegel, Senior Vice President, The Arc of Bergen & Passaic, Rachel Miller, Senior Customer Success Manager, Foothold Technology, Nick Scharlatt, Co-Founder, Foothold Technology, Jim Butz, Account Manager, Foothold Technology, Michele Meyer, Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance, Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled