Systems Specialist

RPI honours Ava Roebuck-Williams, CRP, with the Recognition Champion Award. 22 July 2026 - Recognition Professionals International (RPI) honored Ava Roebuck-Williams, CRP, Senior Employee Experience Specialist at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), with the Recognition Champion Award. The award was presented during the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) Summit Awards ceremony earlier this week at the annual IMA Summit in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The Recognition Champion Award was established in 2000 to honour Pamela Sabin, a founding member of RPI and a dedicated advocate for employee recognition. This award recognises individuals who embody the qualities of a recognition champion by: * Demonstrating leadership in spreading the message of recognition within their organisation. * Exhibiting passion and overcoming obstacles to promote recognition principles. * Creating ongoing recognition programs that emphasise measurement and commitment. * Serving as role models for recognition practices through their words and actions. In her work as Senior Employee Experience Specialist at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Ava focuses on employee experience, engagement, recognition, and communications. An advocate for recognition to be woven into the everyday culture of an organisation, Ava aims to make programs feel meaningful, intentional, and connected to the people they serve. Upon receiving news of the award, Ava says, "I am truly honoured to receive this award. Personally, it gives me a meaningful moment to pause and reflect on the heart behind this work. Recognition has always been more than a program or a process to me - it is about seeing people fully, acknowledging their effort, and reminding them that who they are and what they contribute truly matters." Known for partnering across teams to create experiences that celebrate employees and strengthen belonging, her work exemplifies the belief that people do their best work when they know their contributions matter. Her nominator cited, "Ava's leadership goes beyond expertise - she exemplifies recognition in the way she communicates, collaborates, and supports others. She models timely, sincere acknowledgement in her daily interactions and encourages leaders and peers to do the same. Her ability to champion recognition with clarity, passion, and consistency has made her the central catalyst for the company's ongoing momentum in this space. Through her words, actions, and influence, Ava inspires others to prioritise appreciation as an essential part of the employee experience." Through her involvement with RPI, Ava continues to grow alongside a community of professionals who share her passion for elevating recognition and appreciation in the workplace, driven by her dedication to an industry centred on celebrating people. "Professionally, this award affirms my commitment to creating employee experiences rooted in care, connection, and appreciation," says Ava. "The work of recognition has taught me that even small moments of gratitude can have a lasting impact on culture and belonging. As someone who spends so much time celebrating others, being on the receiving end feels humbling, special, and a beautifully full-circle moment. Thank you!" View all IMA Summit Award winners on the IMA website. Awards event title sponsor. About Recognition Professionals International. Recognition Professionals International (RPI) is a Strategic Industry Group (SIG) within the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA). RPI is the only professional association at the forefront of workforce recognition through its sole focus on recognition innovations and education as a systematic method for improvements in the workplace. RPI members are recognition experts who practice the art of recognition at their companies and recognition solution providers who provide recognition services, tools and platforms to companies as a service. 22 July 2026. IMA Summit Awards. Congratulations to all our winners! The prestigious IMA Summit Awards recognise outstanding incentive professionals, companies, and programmes. Recipients are those who have made significant contributions to the IMA, the industry, and the incentive community. Recipients are honoured each year during the Awards Ceremony at the IMA Summit.

Nurse Line drives $12M savings and 3:1 ROI. Share: Essential Insights * 24/7 access improves decisions: Members receive real-time clinical guidance, helping them choose the right level of care and avoid unnecessary ER visits. * Upfront triage reduces waste: RNs triaged 700+ conditions, escalating only appropriate cases to physicians. * Better decisions drive savings: The program delivered $176 per interaction savings, $12M in annual cost reduction, and a 3:1 ROI. The Big Picture Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) needed to improve how members accessed care while reducing unnecessary ER visits and overall medical spend. To address both access and cost, HCSC partnered with Carenet Health to implement a 24/7 Nurse Line, giving members direct access to registered nurses for symptom assessment, guidance, and direction to the most appropriate level of care. The program delivered measurable impact, averaging $176 in savings per interaction, generating $12 million in annual savings, and achieving a 3:1 ROI. Unnecessary emergency room visits were driving up costs for HCSC, putting pressure on both medical spend and overall performance. Members weren't sure where to go for care or how urgent their situation was. Without clear guidance, they often defaulted to higher-cost options, even when their needs could have been addressed more appropriately elsewhere. At the same time, HCSC needed to maintain high-quality member experience. Reducing utilization alone wasn't enough. Members still expected easy, reliable access to care and reassurance that they were making the right decision. This created a difficult balance: how to give members immediate access to clinical support while also guiding them to the most appropriate, cost-effective level of care. HCSC leaders needed a solution that could improve how members navigate care in real time while reducing avoidable utilization. Key Challenges Sidebar * Challenge 1: Rising unnecessary ER utilization * Challenge 2: Increasing avoidable medical spend * Challenge 3: Maintaining high member satisfaction * Challenge 4: Need for 24/7 access to care Click or tap here to enter text. HCSC partnered with Carenet Health to implement a 24/7 Nurse Line, giving members immediate access to registered nurses who could assess symptoms and guide them to the right next step. When members reached out, nurses served as the first point of contact, asking the right questions and using evidence-based protocols to evaluate more than 700 adult and pediatric conditions. Each interaction focused on helping members understand what was happening and what they should do next. Only when clinically appropriate were members escalated to an on-demand physician. In many cases, nurses were able to provide care guidance, at-home treatment recommendations, or direction to a lower-cost care setting, preventing unnecessary escalation. The experience was designed to be simple and consistent. Members had a single point of access for both nursing advice and virtual physician care, with clear guidance delivered in real time. Behind the scenes, Carenet integrated with HCSC's systems, implemented customized training aligned to the plan's needs, and maintained continuous quality monitoring to ensure a high standard of care. The result was a model that helped members make better decisions in the moment, improving care direction while reducing avoidable utilization. HCSC delivered meaningful improvements across cost, experience, and care outcomes: * 96% member satisfaction, reflecting an improved care experience * 58% of members who planned to visit the ED were redirected to a lower level of care * 69% of all symptomatic callers were guided to a more appropriate care setting The financial impact was significant: * $176 in care-avoidance savings per triage interaction * $12 million in annual cost savings * 3:1 return on investment Beyond the numbers, the program changed how members engaged with care: * Members received immediate, trusted guidance instead of guessing where to go * Clinical decisions were made earlier, preventing unnecessary escalation * The plan gained more control over how care was accessed and delivered What members experienced. "The nurse was excellent - very helpful and kind. They explained everything clearly, and I highly recommend this service." - Member Feedback * "Tht better prepared to handle their healthcare situation * 94% would recommend the service to a friend * A 92 Net Promoter Score (NPS) across more than 4,300 surveys * These results highlight a consistent ability to deliver not just cost savings, but a high-quality, trusted member experience at scale. The nurse I spoke to was helpful. Made me feel better prepared to treat my injury." - Member Feedback Consistent experience at scale. While these results were achieved with a single health plan, they reflect the broader experience members have across Carenet's Nurse Advice Line programs. Across Carenet's NL: * 97% satisfaction with nurse interactions * 92% of members fel