This weekend marks the first official day of fall, and soon, we'll be hosting our fifth Town Hall meeting of the year! I look forward to seeing you all on October 4. Everyone has been working so hard to bring the elements of our Employee Engagement Action Plan to fruition and we have been energized by the positive changes made across the company.
We look forward to reviewing the progress made so far and are excited to continue to listen and act in our efforts to make eHealth Technologies a great place to work. Town Halls, listening sessions, and team member surveys provide opportunities for open and transparent communication, and we will continue to lead as such. Your ongoing feedback is important to me, so please be sure to complete this month's surveys (linked down below) and don't hesitate to reach out if you ever have any questions.
All my best,
Last month we learned the unfortunate news that one of our own team members, Nyall Kelly, passed away. Nyall will be greatly missed by the eHealth Technologies community. We want to thank those of you who attended our virtual celebration of his life, sent kind words to his family, shared photos of his memory, etc.
"Things are going great - we are very happy. The updates are great, and we like the enhancements the team has helped us make in the last 3-6 months!"
-Erica Atchinson, Transplant Quality Coordinator, and Kayla Harper, Transplant Operations Coordinator, Christiana Care
We thank our team members who made this positive customer experience possible! The team at Christiana Care has enjoyed having the ability to submit future requests in advance. They also mentioned that they like the changes made to the descriptors when uploading and accessing indexed documents. The innovative advancements we are making in our technology platform are receiving praise, and we are happy to see that!
Welcome to the Team!
Left to right: Taylor Gifford, Systems Engineer - HIE Solutions; Vasudeva Chary Sreeramadasu, Data Engineer; and Suresh Babu Vudatha, Manager of Application Engineering Development.
On the Move
Congratulations to the following individuals who received promotions!
Left to Right: Ebrahim Ahrestani, promoted from Medical Fulfillment Specialist III to Assistant Operations Manager; Kirk Balcom, promoted from Outreach Specialist IV to Assistant Operations Manager; Annie Butcher, promoted from Assistant Operations Manager to Operations Manager; and Sydnie Cothron, promoted from Outreach Specialist I to Outreach Specialist II.
Left to Right: Louis D'Amico, promoted from Fulfillment Specialist IV to Assistant Operations Manager; Tayler Deel, promoted from Outreach Specialist II to Outreach Specialist III; Micah Effrein, promoted from Outreach Specialist II to Outreach Specialist III; and Chesleigh Hibbitts, promoted from Fulfillment Specialist III to Fulfillment Specialist IV.
Left to Right: Heather Holbrook, promoted from Outreach Specialist II to Outreach Specialist III; Lora McCarthy, promoted from Outreach Specialist III to Outreach Specialist IV; and Kimberly Patton, promoted from Fulfillment Specialist III to Fulfillment Specialist IV.
Left to Right: Kadie Reuille, promoted from Outreach Specialist I to Outreach Specialist II; Danielle Shaffer, promoted from Fulfillment Specialist III to Fulfillment Specialist IV; and Justin Sturgill, promoted from Outreach Specialist III to Outreach Specialist IV.
Thank you for your service! Team members celebrating work anniversaries:
Left to Right: Amanda Hall, Amanda Hensley, and Greg Starks
7 Years
Maria Rinaudo
8 Years
Kelly Sitton
9 Years
Alisha Johnson
Sales Updates
Last month our sales team secured the following opportunities:
Net New
Schwarzman Animal Medical Center
Expansion
University Hospitals - Transplant
Transplant Special Project
New York Presbyterian
Congratulations to Steve Malta and Michelle Donowsky for their work in securing our first animal medical center - a potential new market opportunity for eHealth Technologies - as well as their work in securing a great expansion opportunity with University Hospitals. Congratulations to Alisha Johnson and a special shoutout to Ann MarieWinder and the Operations Team for their support in our latest special project with New York Presbyterian.
Our VP of Engineering, Sean Ways, was recently interviewed on TechVibe to teach Pittsburgh's technology community about who we are and what we do. Click here to listen! On Sep. 28 Sean will return to serve as a "State of the Industry" panelist.
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National Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week serves as an important reminder of the impact that hereditary cancer has on families, offering an opportunity to spotlight hereditary cancers, impart knowledge about these cancers, and save lives. This observance is particularly important to one of our team members – Katie McMurray. We recently sat down with Katie and learned about her previvor story.
When Katie was a freshman in high school, her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. By the time she was a senior, her mother passed away from the disease. When Katie was 22, her doctor recommended that she pursue genetic testing. Katie and her two sisters made the decision to go to a reputable clinic to pursue genetic testing. All three sisters tested positive for the inherited BRCA1 mutation, or “Breast Cancer 1”, meaning they all have an increased risk of getting breast cancer at some point in their lives.
“When I received my genetic test results, I cried – it was all so overwhelming,” said Katie.
When she found out her test results, Katie took action. She found a helpful support group to help her through the initial stages and met with an oncologist and a plastic surgeon to gather more information about her options and next steps. These medical professionals connected Katie to other support groups with people her own age.
“Looking back, connecting with different support groups was the best thing I could have done,” said Katie. “They helped me take better care of myself and made me more self-aware. Ultimately, they helped me make the decision that was best for me.”
After extensive research and careful consideration, Katie made the tough decision to undergo a double mastectomy the day before her 27th birthday. Since then, she has joined FORCE, an online support group whose mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families facing hereditary cancer. Katie is a Peer Navigator for FORCE, serving as a resource and a shoulder for others to lean on in the hereditary cancer community. She has received great feedback from her volunteer involvement so far – many individuals have quoted her as being “knowledgeable and supportive” – and she finds that serving in this role gives people the resources they need while making them feel understood.
If there is one thing to take away from this story, it’s the importance of being informed.
Hereditary cancers affect both men and women. Talk to your family members to understand their medical histories, then have a conversation with your doctor about genetic testing and see if it’s something that you qualify for. If you ever have any questions about Katie’s journey, it’s no surprise that she welcomes the conversation and is more than willing to help. In reflecting on her passion for her role at eHealth Technologies, she says:
“The company’s mission and the relationships I have made are the two reasons I continue to work at eHealth Technologies. As someone who is affected by hereditary cancer, I am thankfully very healthy, but if I ever needed help, it would give me peace of mind to know that the team at eHealth Technologies was gathering my records. I like how we are able to take the burden off patients and their family members when they are seeking treatment.”
On behalf of the Cares Committee, we'd like to give a huge shoutout to Justin Sturgill and the Duffield team for successfully hosting their first Relay For Life event in Wise, VA on August 26. Thanks to the generosity of our team members, the team was able to reach the $6K fundraising goal for the American Cancer Society. Thank you to everyone who participated in this endeavor!
We'd also like to share the huge impact your support will have on the residents of the Hope Lodge in Rochester, New York. Please see your impact, below!
Coming up next month we will be celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month and walking for those we have lost, those who are currently battling, and those who have survived breast cancer. eHealth Technologies will be participating in three Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events in October:
October 21 | Pittsburgh, PA, USA | Team Captain: Dan Torrens
Our goal is to raise $2,000 for each of the Making Strides events above. Please consider joining our efforts for this worthy cause - you can participate in person or virtually. We will be having a friendly competition between offices – the office or team that raises the most funds for their event will receive bragging rights and a framed certificate in their office for a year! If you aren’t located near one of the participating offices, you can support your fellow team members by sharing their Making Strides event link above on your social media channels and/or donating to their fundraising page.
Thank you for your continued support of the eHealth Technologies Cares Committee!
DEI Keyword of the Month: Latinx
Latinx is the gender-neutral alternative to Latino or Latina. It is a term used to describe a diverse group of people who have roots in Latin America.
DEI Observance of the Month: Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
The New York State Department of Health recognizes September as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Ovarian cancer is best treated when found early. Certain factors can increase an individual's risk of developing the disease. These risk factors include the following:
Family history: Anyone who has ovaries who also has a close relative who has had ovarian, breast, uterine, or colorectal cancer is at an increased risk for ovarian cancer.
Genetics: Anyone who has ovaries who also has certain genetic changes (BRCA1, BRCA2, and Lynch Syndrome, also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer) is at higher risk for getting ovarian cancer. Up to 10% of ovarian cancers may be due to genetic factors.
Personal history: Anyone who has ovaries and also has a personal history of cancer of the breast, uterus, colon, or rectum has a higher risk of ovarian cancer.
Reproductive history: Anyone who has ovaries or who has never been pregnant has an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.
DEI Spotlight of the Month: India's History-making Moon Mission
Chandrayaan-3 is the third Indian lunar exploration mission under the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan programme. It consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan, like those of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. The propulsion module carried the lander and rover configuration to lunar orbit in preparation for a powered descent by the lander.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023. The lander and rover landed at the lunar south pole region on August 23, 2023 at 18:02 IST, making India the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole and the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon.
A recording of the Live Telecast can be seen on YouTube here. The landing happens at 44:47 time in the video.
Thank you for all the photo submissions! Below is a collection of office happenings over the last month.
Above: The Hyderabad team hosted a Shuttle tournament last month. Thank you to everyone who participated!
Above: The Rochester team and family members enjoyed a night out at the Red Wings game, complete with a picnic and fireworks!
Above: The eHealth Technologies team wished a fond farewell to Jean Marie Ross prior to her retirement journey. Jean Marie has been part of the team since 2011, serving in various positions throughout Operations, and served as a shining example of what it means to live out our company's core values. She will be missed!
Above: The Duffield team went to King's Sport Axe House where everyone bonded over some friendly competition, food, and laughs!
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