Meet Our 2025 ESPRIT Award Winner: Cheryl Tang

In her role as Associate Director of Membership Eligibility and Analytics for our Health Plans, Cheryl knows that behind every eligibility file is a recently discharged patient who needs their medications and requires home care.

“I work with a lot of data,” she says. “But what really matters is making sure the member’s eligibility is correct and everything goes smoothly for them, so they’re able to get what they need.”

For nearly 16 years, Cheryl has made it her mission to ensure that the data she handles translates into care that VNS Health’s plan members can count on. When it comes to supporting members, she says, what she values most is that “we’re helping the community, especially the elderly.”

Cheryl’s Health Plans colleagues value her hands-on leadership, which encompasses three teams: Disenrollment, Specialists, and Placement. As one of her nominators puts it, “She answers my questions, jumps on calls when needed, and provides additional training.”

This includes educating her teams both in group settings and one-on-one, holding regular open meetings to ensure that federal and state guidance is clearly communicated, and offering support and guidance that meets each team member where they are.

Cheryl encourages brainstorming sessions focused on efficiency, supporting the flow of creative ideas with a “Yes, and…” approach. And when her team was short-staffed, she handled daily duties many directors might consider outside their scope. “Rather than allowing the burden to fall solely on the team, she worked alongside us,” a colleague notes. “Cheryl’s leadership made all the difference.”