VR Fiscal Team Sets New GVRA Record Amidst Hurricane and New Fiscal Year

The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) Fiscal Services Department, responsible for managing key financial functions such as budgeting, financial planning, reporting, payment processing, and audits, has achieved an incredible milestone. In the new fiscal year, the agency’s billing team authorized over 3,000 services thus far, setting a new GVRA record. This marks a significant leap compared to last year, when 982 services were authorized within the same period.

This achievement is largely due to the billing team’s transformation into a unified and collaborative unit. Previously operating as eight separate districts, the team now works seamlessly across district lines. A significant change in their billing process was enabling billing specialists to operate across district boundaries, which has greatly enhanced efficiency. Another key improvement was centralizing the submission of all authorization requests. This centralized approach allows the billing team to prioritize and dispatch work effectively, ensuring that urgent matters are addressed promptly.

The success, however, was not without its challenges. One of the major adjustments was the reduction in the number of individuals authorized to issue approvals, dropping from 150 to just four. While this presented an initial hurdle, the billing supervisors took proactive steps, reviewing workplans for recurring services and ensuring service categories and funding plans were properly aligned. Further complicating their efforts, the team faced the disruption of a recent hurricane, which required them to rise to the occasion to meet growing demands.

“The fiscal team has consistently demonstrated diligence in ensuring compliance and integrity in all their efforts,” said Vocational Rehabilitation Financial Administrator Andrea Waddy-Willis. Looking ahead, the fiscal team is preparing for the transition from the TeamWorks accounting system to Workday and is also developing a new tracking system to streamline authorization requests before processing them in the case management system.

Congratulations to the dedicated Fiscal team, whose outstanding efforts continue to drive the agency's success: Eduardo Martinez, Damin Evans, Yashica Finch, Sandra Butler, Joanna Ross, Kelly Perry, Kinyetta Arnold, Jennifer Kirkland, Sherry Carr, Linda Belt, Shemika Bryant, Donna Darden, Denise Flanders, Sheila Gunter, Ruby Harris, Larry Price, Tonja Leighton, Daneka Miller, and Heather Carter.