World Class Customer Service: BlueCross BlueShield 2025 SQM Awards

For the 12th year in a row, Service Quality Measurement (SQM®) Group recognized BlueCross BlueShield® of South Carolina and BlueChoice® HealthPlan of South Carolina customer service advocates (CSAs) for their superior performances. 

Sixty-four of our employees won awards in four categories: World Class Certified CSA, World Class Improvement CSA, Supervisor World Class and Supervisor World Class Improvement. This is the first time our company has had representation in all four of the major SQM individual award categories. This is an increase from the 51 employees that won last year.

World Class CX Certified CSAs have 85 percent or higher of their customer call surveys showing that the call was resolved and that the customer is “very satisfied” with the agent who handled their call.

This year, seven of our CSAs were among the top 50 finalists for SQM’s Agent of the Year award.

We also have three World Class Improvement winners.

Having 10 employees recognized is not only a record for our company. We have more finalists and improvement winners than any other company in North America.  

Congratulations to our finalists and winners.

Agent of the Year Finalists

• Jennifer Cassady and Theresa Goodwin (BlueChoice)
• Carlene Curtis (Major Group)
• Chanarrah Diamond (Medicare Advantage)
• Cheyenne Womack and Eudeeta Washington (National Alliance)
• Brittany Morris (State Health Plan)

World Class Improvement Winners

• Agent Top CX Improvement
  • Nicole Abney (Group and Individual)
• Supervisor Top CX Improvement
  • Marvell Ann Boseman (National Alliance)
  • Stephanie Watts (BlueChoice)

Agent of the Year finalists and World Class Improvement winners must be World-Class or Improvement Certified by SQM. They are selected based on their call center’s nomination stories that describe their outstanding customer service performance.  

The company recently hosted a celebration to honor the SQM award recipients.

Here is the full list of winners:

BlueChoice HealthPlan

• World Class Certified
  • Jennifer Cassady
  • Stacy Small
  • Theresa Goodwin
• World Class Improvement
  • Benjamin Foster
  • Caitlin Villarreal
• Supervisor World Class Improvement
  • Stephanie Watts

FEP 

• World Class Certified
  • Aaron Crawford
  • Ashley McPherson
• Both World Class Certified and World Class Improvement
  • Benita Mathis
  • Cathryne Crawford

Group and Individual

• World Class Certified
  • Cheryl Reynolds
  • Jianna Jones
  • Tracy Dotson-Robinson
• World Class Improvement
  • Akaleisha Frazier
  • Dana Diggs
  • Tamara Sutton
• Both World Class Certified and World Class Improvement
  • Nicole Abney

Major Group World 

• World Class Certified
  • Carlene Curtis
  • Jonathon Gregory
  • Kim Cox
  • Michelle Dobson
  • Sakai Robinson
• World Class Improvement
  • Caressa Prows
• Both World Class Certified and World Class Improvement
  • Deqanda Riley
  • Starlight Ervin
• Supervisor World Class Improvement
  • Lavette Brown
  • Sonya Cremedy
  • Tamara Aine

Medicare Advantage 

• World Class Certified
  • Jeremy Nold
  • Jeremy White
  • Tameka Payton
  • Tiffiney Smith
• Supervisor World Class Certified
  • Nyema Winston

National Alliance 

• World Class Certified
  • Bianca Parker
  • Bianca Riley
  • Derek Watts
  • Heather Suggs
  • Joy Kent
  • Michelle Rollings
  • Ronny DePalma
  • Shaterrica Walker
  • Tomekia Oliver
  • Tyra Thompson
  • Whitney Pearson
• World Class Improvement
  • Beverly Howell
  • Felicia Evans
  • John Wells
  • Kaila Boyd
  • Kellie Wells
• Both World Class Certified and World Class Improvement
  • Cheyenne Womack
  • Eudeeta Washington
  • Jakeimia Key Burch
  • Kelsey White
• Supervisor World Class Improvement
  • Calandra Myers
  • Marvell Ann Boseman

State Health Plan

• World Class Certified
  • Brittany Morris
  • Cindy Sovde
  • Crystal Jennings
  • Lisa Darnell
  • Mykia Perry
  • Quadrick McDonald
  • Raven Williams

Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you to our customer service employees for all you do for the company and our members!

Engaging With the Executive: Matthew Agdish, Assistant Vice President of Underwriting for BlueChoice® HealthPlan of South Carolina

Each issue of Communiqué will highlight an executive in one of our lines of business. We hope you will get to know the executives a little better, both professionally and personally.

This month, we introduce you to Matthew Agdish. He is the assistant vice president of underwriting for BlueChoice HealthPlan. He has been with the company for 18 months.

1. Tell us about your first job.
   My first job was a summer job at which a couple buddies and I mowed a driving range with push mowers. We were 13 or 14 and didn’t have a care in the world. We had to get up at 5 a.m. so that we could get in a few hours of work before the range opened and golfers started to show up. But we had a lot of fun, especially when we would run over a stray ball and shoot it at each other.
2. Describe some of your hobbies or interests outside of work. 
   Golf is my passion, but I also love pickleball. I had my knee replaced in January, so I haven’t played in a while. I am just starting to golf more, but I am still too apprehensive to play pickleball.
3. What’s your favorite food? If it’s from a restaurant, which one?
   My wife found this restaurant while we were on a cruise, and I still dream about it! I love the Alaskan king crab legs from Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau, Alaska. I have been there twice, and those were the two best meals of my life! I would probably consider moving there just to be able to eat them year-round.
4. What’s your favorite movie, and why?
   My family (especially my wife, Ericka) hates it, but I love “Spaceballs!” If it comes on TV, I will absolutely stop what I am doing and watch it. I can’t even count the number of times it has derailed what should have been a productive weekend afternoon. May the Schwartz be with you!
5. What’s your favorite book, and why?
   I used to read a lot of management books (think Simon Sinek), but lately I just want to turn my brain off when I read, so I started to read autobiographies about different rock stars. “The Storyteller” by Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters is probably my favorite. Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Slash from Guns N’ Roses also have interesting books.
6. Tell us about your favorite sports team.
   I like the Boston Red Sox. It’s not something I like to admit, but I am a transplant from the North. The first 30 years of my life revolved around Boston sports (Patriots, Celtics and Bruins) because I lived there. However, I am trying to blend in down here, so I recently got season tickets for Gamecocks football for the family.
7. Describe one or more of your pet peeves.
   I don’t like when people talk on a cellphone at inappropriate times (driving a car, eating in a restaurant, ordering food, etc.). I wish people would be more in the present and focus on what is in front of them rather than trying to multitask.
8. Based on your experience, what are three keys to success for employees early in their careers?
   Way back when my wife and I were getting ready to be married, a priest told us that the key to a happy life was to stop counting. Don’t count who does what. Just focus on being a team and helping each other. He was basically stating that comparison is the thief of joy. Stop looking at what everyone else has or does and instead focus on what you have and have achieved. It works in every aspect of life — marriage, work, friendships, etc. My three key bits of advice would be to stay focused, stop counting and find your team.
9. Whom do you admire most, and why?
   This answer changes over time. Early in my life, I would have said my parents. Now that I am older and see things differently, I would say my kids, Anderson (15) and Molly (13).  When we made the decision to move to South Carolina, it meant that my kids’ lives were turned upside down. Pretty quickly, they went from having friends they had known since preschool to not knowing anyone. I’m an introvert, so this probably would have crippled me socially, but they did it with grace and a lot of gusto. Both kids decided that the best way to meet people was to try different sports. Anderson started to play basketball, and Molly took to volleyball and lacrosse. Seeing them grow as individuals inspires me because that is something I would have struggled with.
10. Tell us about your greatest achievement.
    Personally, my children mean the world to me. Anderson and Molly are what give me the most joy, so they are my greatest achievements. If you can’t tell from my answers, I am very proud of my family!

Honoring Service: CGS Veteran Georgette Hartsell Receives Quilt of Valor

On March 21, CGS® business analyst Georgette Hartsell received a Quilt of Valor®, a handmade symbol of comfort and gratitude awarded to those touched by war. She accepted this prestigious honor in a heartfelt ceremony, surrounded by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina colleagues.
The Quilts of Valor Foundation began awarding quilts in 2003 as a way to thank service members and living veterans for their sacrifice and valor in serving our nation.

A veteran of operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Georgette said, “Thirty-four years ago still feels like yesterday.” Raised in a military family and later enlisting herself, Georgette volunteers much of her time with veterans. She offers support to those going back to civilian life. Her pride in the service shows through her special kinship and commitment to those who’ve served. “When I’m around other veterans, I’m at home,” she said. “We’re real peers and real friends.”

Georgette has found a strong community in the BlueCross Military Business Resource Group. It’s through this organization that Georgette met Valeria Green, who nominated Georgette for the Quilt of Valor award.
“It means a lot that somebody thought of me and cared enough to submit a nomination,” Georgette said. “I love my company. BlueCross has been good to me.”

Georgette’s manager, Ken McCullough, said that Georgette has a gift for connecting with and supporting fellow veterans. “She understands the challenges veterans face when transitioning to the private sector and meets them with friendship and empathy,” he said. “She is proud to have served in the Army, and I am proud to know her and work with her.”

Georgette is approaching her 25th work anniversary with BlueCross. During her first week of onboarding, she met a fellow veteran, the now-president and chief operating officer of CGS, Steve Smith. 

“Georgette is an incredible asset to CGS who could not be more deserving of the honorable Quilt of Valor,” Smith said. “We’re inspired by her ongoing dedication to veterans affairs and appreciate the many lives she has touched through her generous spirit.”

If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Military Business Resource Group at BlueCross, email Workplaceculture@bcbssc.com for more information.

Spring Giving Magazine Now Available!

In case you missed it, the spring issue of Giving is out now! Giving magazine’s focus is on how BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and its employees give back and make a difference in their communities. In Giving, you can learn about the nonprofits we support. You can read about fellow employees who are outstanding volunteers. You can even find out about employee fundraising campaigns and events.

This issue features Kids in Parks, Girls Scouts, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, and South Carolina United Football Club. Learn more about a BlueCross social media series that shows the impact of two South Carolina nonprofits. Read profiles on employees Melissa Andrade and Kerri Flowers. 
Read the full issue here!

The Blue Streak Toastmasters: What It Is and How It Can Help You

If your hands begin to sweat and your throat goes dry at the thought of having to get up in front of a group of people and deliver a speech, you are not alone. In fact, 77 percent of people say they have a fear of public speaking. The level of fear varies from person to person but can range from simple nervousness or jitters to a full panic attack. But public speaking is often an expected part of modern business. For those who want to beat their fear or are perhaps looking to build their skills, the Blue Streak Toastmasters are here to help.

Founded here at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina in 1997, Blue Streak Toastmasters helps its members grow and build communication skills. The Toastmasters organization has been helping people communicate better and with more confidence with regular practice in fun, supportive groups since 1924. There are Toastmasters clubs all over, but Blue Streak Toastmasters is right here and always happy to meet new members.

Even if you aren’t necessarily afraid of public speaking, joining Blue Streak Toastmasters can help you in your career. Some of the benefits of joining the group are:

• Improving your public speaking skills.
• Gaining self-confidence.
• Practicing writing speeches and presenting in a group setting.
• Gaining a competitive advantage in the workplace.
• Building leadership skills.

You can do all this without a major investment of your time. Blue Streak Toastmasters is a weekly meeting Wednesdays at noon virtually on Microsoft Teams. If you’d like to see what it’s all about, Blue Streak Toastmasters invites you to be a guest at a meeting. Learn more and see if you’d like to join. Email Deborah McCray, the Blue Streak Toastmasters vice president of membership, at Deborah.McCray@bcbssc.com or check out the organization online at toastmasters.org*.

Don’t let your fear of public speaking hold you or your career back. Put an appointment on your calendar with the Blue Streak Toastmasters. You’ll be glad you did.

*This link leads to a third-party website. Toastmasters is solely responsible for the contents and the privacy policy on its site.

Monthly Health: Child and Teen Vaccinations

It’s a Dangerous World

But with the recommended shots, your child does not have to live in a bubble.

Parenting is a big job. You may want to keep your child isolated so you know he or she is always safe and healthy. Thanks to immunizations and health screenings, you can keep your child protected.

Early Childhood Well Visits and Vaccinations

It is important for your child to get his or her wellness visits as recommended. These visits are a good chance for you and your child to talk with the pediatrician. During the visit, you can talk about your child’s growth, development, nutrition, current body mass index (BMI) percentile and more. For children 2 years and older, BMI (based on height and weight) is age- and gender-specific. 

At these visits, your child will need certain vaccinations. These shots help prevent diseases such as whooping cough. Whooping cough has killed 10 to 20 babies each year since 2010 in the United States. Vaccines also help prevent measles, which is still present in the United States. Measles causes pneumonia, encephalitis and even death.

Vaccinating your child based on the recommended schedule provides the best chance to prevent whooping cough, measles and other serious diseases, such as these:

• Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib)
• Diphtheria
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza
• Mumps
• Pneumococcal disease
• Polio
• Rubella (German measles)
• Tetanus (lockjaw)
• Rotavirus
• Varicella (chickenpox)

Your child’s doctor may suggest other vaccines, too. 

Preadolescent Well Visits 

When your child is older, he or she should still see his or her doctor each year for a wellness visit. Not only are there some vaccines that need boosters, but there are also screenings that need to take place for tweens.

Starting at ages 11 and 12, your kids should get the HPV vaccine. This vaccine can help prevent several kinds of cancer, including cervical. HPV infections cause cancer in both men and women. Each year, more than 37,000 men and women are diagnosed with cancers caused by HPV infections that the vaccine might have prevented.