The Challenge
A behavioral health agency serving Medicaid clients was drowning in manual processes. Medical billing, payroll, and compliance documentation consumed staff time that should have been spent on patient care.
- Paper-based billing with high error rates
- Manual payroll calculations across multiple programs
- Compliance documentation scattered across systems
- Staff resistant to technology changes
The Solution
I led a comprehensive change initiative that combined software development with structured change management:
- Integrated operations platform — billing, payroll, scheduling
- Automated compliance reporting — Medicaid documentation
- Multi-channel training program — SOPs, hands-on training
- Phased rollout — building confidence at each stage
Before & After
- Manual data entry for every claim
- Payroll took 2+ days per cycle
- Compliance audits caused panic
- Staff frustrated with workarounds
- Automated claim generation
- Payroll processed in hours
- Audit-ready documentation always
- Staff focused on patient care
My Role
- Co-founded the initiative and led full project lifecycle
- Conducted business process analysis and journey mapping
- Managed development scope and stakeholder requirements
- Designed training materials and change communications
- Facilitated adoption through hands-on staff support
Change Management Approach
- Awareness — communicated why change was necessary
- Desire — showed staff how it would help them
- Knowledge — provided comprehensive training
- Ability — hands-on support during transition
- Reinforcement — celebrated wins, addressed setbacks
The technology was the easy part. The real challenge was helping staff who had done things "their way" for years trust a new system. Success came from involving them in the process, addressing their concerns directly, and proving the new approach worked better.