Serena Cowans knew when she walked into the building that Lantern was a company where she could see herself growing and thriving. And she’s doing just that as a new mentor to Care Advocates who are just starting with the team.
“A friend sent me a job application to be a Care Advocate here, and she thought it would be something I would be good at,” Serena remembered. “I applied here, and I remember being escorted up for the interview and thinking this was where I really wanted to be.”
Preparation sets the tone for Serena’s days. She likes to review what’s on her schedule the next day before going into the office so she’s prepared for what to expect. Her mornings begin with answering emails and messages from members and teammates. That can include following up on medical records, answering questions about a provider, or planning travel for a member.
Serena works as quickly as possible to finish her daily tasks so she can focus on mentoring new Care Advocates.
“I’ll talk with the new trainees and see if they need anything or have questions,” she said.
It’s also important to keep members’ schedules in mind when scheduling follow-up appointments and reaching out.
“For example, we have a lot of members who are teachers,” Serena said. “So, we don’t reach out to them during school hours. We know they won’t be available.”
Providing Personalized Support
Serena remembers a member who called her in need of help and support because she learned she would need to see a different provider for bariatric surgery for it to be covered.
“Her emotion and hearing her background when we originally spoke made me want to help her,” Serena said. “I was motivated to make sure she was taken care of during the process.”
And Serena did. They talked regularly, and when the member called in with questions, she would ask for Serena. And, if Serena wasn’t available, she would always call the member back.
“I have a lot of members I feel that way about,” Serena said. “I always talk with them and want to help them get the care they need.”
Serena believes the qualities needed to be an excellent Care Advocate, like knowing when a good time is to call members and how to help them navigate the system, are all in the details.
“Having excellent attention to detail at the personal level, that’s vital for Care Advocates,” Serena said. “Anything you can do to personalize things for members helps improve the experience. It’s also important to have a positive personality.”
Serena puts those skills to use every day.
Meet Jonathan: Finding a Meaningful Career at Lantern
When a recruiter contacted him about a position with Lantern as a Care Advocate, Jonathan Marez was looking for a new role.
“I’m grateful for the people who reach out to potential new hires,” Jonathan said. “Without them, I wouldn’t have found this job, and I wouldn’t have been able to grow as much as I have here.”
Like Serena, Jonathan has grown into a mentorship role for new Care Advocates.
“Not only do I want to excel as a Care Advocate, but I also want to help other Care Advocates on the floor excel. I want to see them get promoted,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan starts his days at Lantern early – usually around 7 a.m. He starts the day by answering his emails and checking in on the cases he’s following to see if the members or providers need any information or support from him.
“I actively do outreach, just asking members if everything is okay and if they need my help,” he said. “I also take calls from members who are just finding out they need a procedure.”
“When those calls come in, I do my due diligence as a Care Advocate and explain to them what the benefit is, how it works and any cost savings we offer,” Jonathan added.
For Jonathan, going from a good Care Advocate to a great one is about personalizing his outreach to members and being proactive about what members will need in the future.
“You are their caseworker,” he said. “You’re there to make things go smoothly for them.”
“If you’ve had surgery, you know it can be a scary process,” Jonathan added. “With our benefit, you can be sure you’re getting the best care, and you can save on your care. And you have help from us getting your appointments scheduled and more. When members call in, I want them to feel like all they have to do is ask for their Care Advocate and they’ll take care of it.”
