athenista Spotlight: Meet Chris Barnes
He likes to keep things running smoothly – from cars to athenaNet. In addition to helping maintain athenaNet, he works on special initiatives such as the new and daunting “Enrollment Matrix.” Meet Chris Barnes, athenahealth’s Process Innovation Associate in Claim Operations.
athenaPulse: What do you do in a typical day at work?
Chris Barnes: My job is to help folks in Claim Operations be more effective and efficient at their jobs. I spend about half my time assuring that our operation (including internal athenaNet tools) is running smoothly and the other half of my time designing and managing various innovation initiatives. I work very closely with the process innovation managers on my team, the software developers and our internal business managers.
aP: What was the most challenging project you worked on at athenahealth?
CB: The one I’m currently focused on. Internally we refer to it as the ‘Enrollment Matrix.’ It’s essentially an entirely new infrastructure and functionality to better track transaction enrollment (claim submission, electronic remittance advice, eligibility, electronic funds transfer, etc.) for providers. What makes this project difficult is that we are essentially rebuilding the foundation on a very large structure while trying to minimize the impact to the structure itself.
aP: Funniest or most embarrassing moment at athenahealth?
CB: This one is easy. After we finished with the structured events of the 2006 Corporate Retreat, it was time to have some fun. Some of us had just finished setting up a volley ball net and were organizing teams when Todd Park comes running full speed in our direction as part of a nearby football game. I’m not sure if he was on offense or defense, but he had his eye on the ball because he certainly didn’t have his eyes on the rope that was helping to keep the volley ball poles upright. He totally cleaned out the volley ball net as he went crashing down. Thankfully, he was unhurt and helped us put the net back up so we could get to playing.
aP: What was your first job?
CB: My first job was working at a Butcher Shop (not a slaughter house) where I grew up in Maine when I was 16. I worked there for almost two years and gained valuable lessons in the value of a dollar as well as helpful knowledge around the various cuts of beef, pork and poultry.
aP: Your favorite “athenahealth moment?”
CB: My favorite moments are generally whenever Jonathan Bush or Todd Park speak for various occasions. One that I fondly remember is our last day in our old business location on Moody St in Waltham. We were all standing outside and Jonathan and Todd were speaking about how far we have come as a company and the great things we are doing for our clients and for healthcare in America. The pride and love I see in both of their faces at moments like that are what keep me motivated to perform my best.
aP: Favorite way to unwind after work?
CB: I am an automotive junky. Particularly, anything Honda or Acura related. I spend most of my time outside of work either working on my car, reading about cars in magazines or on forums, watching DIY car programs, entering in car shows, racing my car in Auto-Cross events and watching races such as Formula 1 and the Grand-Am Cup Series. I tend to get a lot of automotive questions here at athenahealth as knowledge of this interest of mine has spread.
aP: One thing you wish you could change at athenahealth?
CB: I wish I could change the fact that only a few percent of physicians know that we exist and the tremendous help that we can give them in running their practices successfully.
