EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: Sara W.

How long have you worked at Neighborhood, what do you do here and what part of your job do you most enjoy?
I began my career with Neighborhood in January of 2000. In 2005, I took a four-year “maternity leave” after having my second son, and then returned in 2009. In total, I have been at Neighborhood for about 19 years. I have held many positions here, including Claims Analyst, Quality Auditor, and Benefits Specialist. I am currently the Manager of Member Benefits and Payment Policy. One of the things I enjoy most about this position is that every day I feel like I learn something new!

What did you do before joining Neighborhood?
I joined Neighborhood as a Claims Processor shortly after graduating high school. Throughout high school, I held a data entry position for a company named Data Plus. Neighborhood used to outsource their claims entry to this company. At the time, I had no idea that in less than five years I would begin my career with Neighborhood! Crazy to think that I have had ties to this company since I was 14 years old!

Of all the projects you have worked on at Neighborhood, do any stand out as being especially meaningful?
Very early on in my career here, the Claims team would collect donations and put together gift baskets with toiletries, non-perishable foods, gift cards, etc. We would then go out and deliver these baskets in person to some of our members. It was such a great experience to meet our members and make them smile!

Tell us a little bit about the years you spent growing up – sharing what helped shaped your future.  
My favorite memories of my childhood are of the annual family picnics my Memere and Papere would organize at the end of every summer. We would rent sites at Lincoln Woods Park and spend the entire day with the whole family. Every year, my grandmother would bring button candy for all of the kids, and to this day, I think of her anytime I see this candy in a store and it makes me smile!

I loved school in general, but high school was my favorite! I loved my classes and teachers. One of my favorite things was that my school was very small (my graduating class was only about 75 people) and most of the friends I met there, I am still in contact with today. After high school, I started working in the Medical Records department for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. After six months, I was informed that they were closing their doors. At that time, I thought this was the worst possible news and was so nervous about finding another job. It is true that “every cloud has a silver lining” because I was hired as a Data Entry Clerk here at Neighborhood and that was the beginning of my career! Here it is almost 23 years later and it has been an amazing experience being a part of the evolution of Neighborhood!