When Georgeanne Calleiro first joined SurfMed nearly 30 years ago, she couldn’t have known that the opportunity would grow into a career spanning customer service, billing and, eventually, leadership as SurfMed’s Revenue Cycle Manager.
Georgeanne’s journey began while she was studying for her bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management. Although she wasn’t working in healthcare at the time, her studies involved medical records, diagnoses, conditions and medical documentation. She decided gaining real-world experience in the industry made sense, found an advertisement for SurfMed and interviewed for the position.
Nearly three decades later, she’s still here.
Today, Georgeanne leads SurfMed’s Revenue Cycle team, where much of her work revolves around research, reporting and, one of her favorite things, problem-solving. That can mean preparing information for the executive team, investigating a specific patient situation or helping another department work through an issue.
When difficult situations arise, Georgeanne believes in gathering as much information as possible before making a decision. If something isn’t urgent, she sometimes prefers returning to the problem the following morning with a fresh perspective. When it is urgent, she researches the situation, asks questions and makes sure she understands the details before moving forward. For Georgeanne, being prepared is an important part of solving problems effectively.
That attention to detail is especially important in revenue cycle management.
As Georgeanne explained during our conversation, revenue cycle involves keeping track of the money that has come in, what remains outstanding and the individual claims behind those accounts. But at SurfMed, the department isn't disconnected from the people behind those claims.
Georgeanne and her team continue to interact directly with patients. She personally works with certain clients and steps into individual cases when needed, while other members of her team maintain relationships with patients and accounts of their own.
“We still do customer service. It’s not just at the insurance level,” she explained.
That customer-first mindset is something Georgeanne has carried with her since her earliest days at SurfMed.
When asked what accomplishment she is most proud of, she didn’t point to a particular title or milestone. Instead, she talked about being able to contribute and remain helpful—not only to her own team, but to departments throughout the organization. Her career has taken her from customer service to billing to revenue cycle management, giving her a unique understanding of different parts of the business.
The People Behind SurfMed
Ask Georgeanne what has kept her at SurfMed for nearly 30 years, and one theme comes up repeatedly: people.
She describes SurfMed’s culture as family-oriented, friendly and hardworking. Her own team reflects that longevity. One member has been with SurfMed since 2001, while another has been there for nearly 12 years. Working together for so long has created strong communication, camaraderie and a genuine support system.
Even during a crazy day, Georgeanne says her team can make her smile. Having coworkers who understand the challenges, can listen and can make one another laugh makes a difference.
And, of course, there are two other essentials for getting through a busy day: coffee and music—although Georgeanne insists she limits herself to one cup of coffee a day.
Remembering Why the Work Matters
For Georgeanne, the work ultimately comes back to SurfMed’s patients.
Knowing that everything happening behind the scenes helps someone receive the medical equipment or supplies they need is what gives the work meaning.
“It’s something that you would want for your own family,” she said.
Georgeanne believes patients deserve good service, good care and confidence that they are receiving what they need. She recognizes that many people come to SurfMed during difficult periods in their lives, and knowing the company can potentially provide some hope or relief makes her feel good about the work they do.
Her advice for someone just beginning a career reflects the lessons she has learned over nearly three decades: pay attention to the details, take an interest in your work and take pride in what you do.
As Georgeanne puts it, your work affects other people.
Looking toward SurfMed’s future, Georgeanne is excited about growth, stability, longevity and continued learning. New business and new projects bring new challenges—and for someone who genuinely enjoys problem-solving, that’s part of the excitement.
After nearly 30 years, SurfMed has become much more than a workplace for Georgeanne.
The company gave her an opportunity that grew from customer service to billing and ultimately revenue cycle management. But when asked to finish the sentence, “SurfMed is special to me because…,” she returned once again to what has mattered most throughout her career:
The people she works with and the people SurfMed serves.
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