CHOICE Promotes Halvaei to Marketing Director; Makes Other Appointments

Yvonne Halvaei has been promoted to marketing director of CHOICE Medical Management Services LLC of Tampa, Fla. The company also announced Julie Fetherman and Michael A. Reali have been named account executives for Medical Management Services LLC; Rebecca Bennett provider contract specialist team leader; Pat Bennett, manager of care management; Daniel Ogburn, complex care coordinator; Sally Forsythe, senior provider service specialist; and Anne Creighton, quality assurance analyst and grievance coordinator.

Tom Barrett, CHOICE CEO announced the appointments. He said since Halvaei joined the firm more than two years ago as marketing manager she has played a key role in crafting its message, building brand recognition in the marketplace and its overall growth. Halvaei created and launched the Florida CHOICE Awards for Workers’ Compensation, an annual awards program designed to honor outstanding workers’ compensation physicians, now in its third year.

Halvaei previously owned and operated a home-based marketing company providing marketing services to clients, several of which who were in the workers’ compensation managed care industry. Halvaei also worked in the workers’ compensation managed care industry for six years with Conservco and MetraComp, a United HealthCare company.

Fetherman will be responsible for developing new business in the west coast of Florida, from the Florida Panhandle, east to Tallahassee and south to Naples. Most recently, Fetherman worked in St. Petersburg, Fla. as a senior sales specialist for Omega Insurance Services Inc., a national investigative company specializing in workers’ compensation and disability insurance fraud. She is a member of the Public Risk Insurance Management Association, Sarasota/Bradenton Claims Association, Tallahassee Claims Association, Jacksonville Claims Association, and Workers’ Compensation Claims Professionals. She is also active in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Reali is developing new business in northeast and central Florida, from Jacksonville to Orlando and Melbourne. He has more than seven years experience in the sales of managed health services and insurance, most recently served as area sales manager for GENEX Services Inc. in Tampa.

Pat Bennett was promoted to manager of care management, having most recently served as supervisor in nurse case management. Bennett holds a master’s degree in nursing, a certification in case management and has more than seven years of workers’ compensation experience. She worked for CorVel before joining CHOICE in 2002.

Ogburn moved to complex care coordinator from lead telephonic case management assistant. Before joining CHOICE in 2003, Ogburn was a customer service team leader for Thompson Group.

Rebecca Bennett was promoted from provider contract specialist to provider contract specialist team leader. Bennett, who joined CHOICE in 2002, previously worked for Consumer Mortgage/Consumer Properties and MetraComp Inc.

Forsythe has been promoted to senior provider service specialist. With CHOICE since 2000, Forsythe was a provider services representative and grievance coordinator. Prior to joining the company, she worked in the patient accounts department for the Heart and Vascular Institute of Florida.

Creighton was promoted from credentialing specialist to quality assurance analyst and grievance coordinator in provider services. Creighton joined CHOICE in 2002 after working for NHR/MetraComp as a provider services representative and team leader.

Topics Florida Workers' Compensation