Company address: 216 Green Bay Road, Suite 109, Thiensville, WI 53092
Company Web site: www.AbriHealthPlan.com
Industry: Medicaid managed care HMO
Number of employees: Seven, plus 33 at the KeyLink Solutions affiliate
Education: "I attended Carroll College, went there to play football, injured a knee returning a kickoff, and the next thing you know, I was working for a health insurance company where my mom was the receptionist."
Family: "My children are Eric (18), Kyle (15), Jenny (12) and Megan, our little ‘terrible two’ we nicknamed our ‘wrecking ball.’ I’m soon to be married to Beth and stepfather to Emily (12), Alison (10) and Austin (7). We’ll be the Brady Bunch plus one."
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
"We purchased stop-loss insurance coverage for possible large claims we may incur. We have an 8-month-old member who sustained a brain injury. Our member is fighting hard to stay alive. The physicians and hospitals are doing a tremendous job with the baby. Total claim cost is already over $200,000."
What’s new at your company?
"We recently received a letter of intent from the State of Wisconsin awarding us the Allied Services for Healthy Foster Children Program contract. Implementation for Foster Care is in full gear, as we prepare for a go live date of Jan. 1, 2006. We are also trying to expand our service area to five more counties in Wisconsin for Medicaid recipients. Planning for the additional growth is keeping us very busy."
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
"Together with KeyLink, we plan to hire 34 additional employees over the next 12 months. Most positions will be in customer service and claims processing. We are planning on enhancing our claims management system, called Visual Claims, for the specific needs of the Foster Care program."
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?
"The need for additional office space. With 34 new hires, we will be completely out of work space in a few months. Therefore, an office relocation (to northwestern Milwaukee County) is imminent. The plan on where, when and who moves has to be finalized soon."
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
"The use of personal care managers and care coordinators to help manage the medical needs of specific Medicaid members. The other big trend is electronic medical records and electronic drug prescriptions."
Do you have a business mantra?
"KeyLink’s is ‘Matching promises with performance.’ Abri’s is ‘Your local neighborhood health plan.’ We really believe in working with and partnering with other locally owned vendors and providers."
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?
"Previous bosses from other managed care organizations that served as mentors: Elwood Kleaver, Bill Felsing and John Moats, and also my two partners, Jim and Jayne Wick."
What was the best advice you ever received?
"Always figure-eight when fishing for muskies. From a business standpoint, make time for all employees to have some fun on the job."
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you in your career?
"Well, I guess it was extremely funny to my co-workers but somewhat embarrassing to me. We were at a potential client’s office preparing to start a demo, and I had just enough time to make a very quick trip to the bathroom. The angle I approached the bathroom door showed men, but I took the wrong angle in my haste and it cut-off the ‘wo’ in women. Upon my exit, I was greeted by some very angry women that actually wanted to call the police on me. My co-workers saved me, but the jokes were plentiful."
