Dakota Bentham-Cormier, Supervisor, Service Operations, CHOICE Medicare Advantage Care Management

“A Perfect Example of a Team Leader”

Supervising a bustling call center, managing issues with CHOICE plan members as they arise, and working with staff across VNSNY—as well as vendors and others outside the organization—are a daily fact of life for Dakota Bentham-Cormier. She wouldn’t have it any other way. “I like a challenge, solving problems and helping colleagues resolve issues,” she says. An avid note-taker and chart-maker, she’s often referred to by her colleagues as a subject-matter expert. Punctuality is a key part of her strategy. “I can’t be late,” she notes. “My official start time is 9:00 but I’m in the office at 7:30, doing my reports, starting my logs, doing whatever needs to be done before my staff comes in. It gives me time to settle in before the challenges of the day take over.”

When she first joined CHOICE three years ago after 18 years at another HMO, she was drawn to the personal aspect of her department at VNSNY. Since then, she’s worked to make it even more so. “I made a point of bringing everyone together—encouraging them to interact, taking the time to answer questions, and celebrating birthdays and Halloween—things to show them that they were valued and cared for,” she recalls. “I think camaraderie encourages team spirit and boosts productivity and collaboration.”

“Dakota will go above and beyond assisting Utilization Management nurses, Care Managers and her staff with solving issues,” wrote one of her nominating colleagues. “She is a perfect example of a team leader.” Another colleague noted, “Dakota sets high standards…[and] is highly respected by her team members. She achieves this by supporting the team closely while still enabling them to work independently, leading to high morale.” Among her accomplishments, Dakota created a Business Development log to help track workflows, and the log is now used a standard reference within her department.

“I love my job at VNSNY,” says Dakota. “It gives me the opportunity to manage a group of people who enjoy doing what they do too. I certainly hope I’ve contributed to that.”