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Women in IT Series: Magan Vess BCBS

April 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Whitney Williams in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

Name: Magan Vess

Company: Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC www.southcarolinablues.com

Job Title: Java Developer II

Personal hobbies and/or interests: Crafts, such as making cards and cross stitching and cooking

What does your company do? Provide insurance

Yes, but what do you actually do? I am the WCM expert for my team, which is Web Content Management (an application from IBM) that controls the content on a website

Where did you go to college? What is your degree in? I went to Winthrop University and majored in Computer Science with a second discipline in Business

Did you always want to work in IT? No, I started out in Early Childhood Education, but decided I may make better use of my logic skills and less of dealing with parent drama in the IT field

What is your favorite part of the job? I like developing new things, such as websites, but this job is mostly updating existing code rather than developing new code

Describe the work environment at your company. We work hard, but it is easy to make friends here because everyone is friendly and helpful, so it makes the job more enjoyable

What qualities do you need to have to do your job? I would say you would need some logic skills along with organizational skills to be able to debug issues and keep track of your work

Top Skills

  • Operation Analysis
  • Logic / Critical Thinking
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Organization
  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension

What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT? I think most people think you know everything about computers when you are in IT, but really there are so many specialized fields within IT ranging from web development to networking to workstation support and everything in between

Any advice for students or professionals going into your field? Be willing to always learn new technologies because IT is a constantly changing field and keep your mind open to the ideas of new minds (folks younger than yourself…AKA don’t be stuck in your ways)

 

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Women in IT Series: Sonya Y. Ridgill

April 18th, 2013 | Posted by Carmen Harris in Careers | Women in IT - (0 Comments)

Name: Sonya Y. Ridgill

Company: Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina

Job Title: Manager, Application Development

What does your company do? BlueCross BlueShield of SC, a subsidiary of the Blue Cross Association, is the only South Carolina-owned and operated health insurance carrier which serves nearly a million South Carolinians with a variety of health insurance products. Our company also provides technology and back-office benefit administration services to several other Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, along with offering claims processing systems.

Yes, but what do you actually do?  As a manager within the BCBSSC IT organization, I am responsible for performance management and staff development for a team of resources that are responsible for establishing estimates and developing the design solutions for work initiatives that impact our Commercial Systems lines of businesses.

Where did you go to college? Charleston Southern University

What is your degree in? Computer Science/Mathematics

Did you always want to work in IT?  I originally aspired to be an electrical engineer. In my sophomore year of college, I took an interest in the IT field after taking a programming course.  I really enjoyed it and immediately changed my major to Computer Science/Mathematics.

What is your favorite part of the job? Collaborating with my peers and staff on challenging tasks that evolve day to day is one of the favorite parts of my job. It allows me to not only stay challenged but continue to enhance my overall knowledge and understanding of our business and claims processing systems.

Describe the work environment at your company. The work environment here at BCBSSC is very dynamic and diverse. We area a company comprised of smart and talented individuals. Team work and collaboration are at the core of how we all get our jobs done and allow our company to operate successfully.

What qualities do you need to have to do your job? Leadership, strong inter-personal and communication skills are a must for this position. You spend a lot of time working through and with people at all levels.

What is (in your opinion) the biggest misconception about working in technology/IT? The biggest misconception about working in IT is the thought of only needing to focus on developing or enhancing your analytical and technical skills. While, it is true that these skillsets are important, they are not the only ones that an IT professional should look to possess. Team work, leadership, communication, and organizational skillsets are equally as important, and help in an IT professionals overall career success.

Any advice for students or professionals going into your field?While it is important that you develop or enhance your technical skill sets, it is equally important that you do the same with your team work, leadership, communication, and organizational skills. Being able to demonstrate that you are sound in all of these skillsets will allow afford you great opportunities that will lead to a successful career.

Personal hobbies and/or interests: Enjoy listening to music, playing pool, and working out.

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Technology Makes Things Happen

January 24th, 2012 | Posted by Whitney Williams in IT-oLogy Defined | World of IT - (0 Comments)

Yesterday, IT-oLogy and the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics announced a really cool high-tech effort to encourage women in South Carolina to seek elected office at a press conference held in the Theater at IT-oLogy. With our technology expertise and funding by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, the Institute was able to work with Period Three and Palmetto Computer Labs, partners in IT-oLogy, to create a web-based training series to educate women on how to run for office.

A few months ago, Barbara Rackes, the Executive Director of the Institute, approached us for some help. She had been given funding by BCBSSC to make this incredible web-training series a possibility, but needed some direction on how to make it actually happen. That’s where IT-oLogy came to the table. Because we’re made up of over 70 corporate partners that specialize in all types of technology, we knew exactly where to send Barbara and her team.

We brought together the Institute, Palmetto Computer Labs and Period Three and immediately saw creativity and ideas begin to fly. Out of the initial session came a cool series of web-based training for women in SC to learn more about running for office.

Isn’t technology cool? In this case, it allowed the Institute to reach a number of women who may be interested in running for office, but don’t have access to the resources they need. Now, interested parties can participate in the webinar series at their own pace in the comfort of their own home – all with resources one click away.

Technology has endless possibilities, and allows us to take our business and personal goals to the next level.

“IT-oLogy has the mission of advancing IT talent. When more technology possibilities are created, more people are in place with the skills to apply to business needs,” said Lonnie Emard, Executive Director of IT-oLogy. “In this case, three partners in IT-oLogy (BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Palmetto Computer Labs and Period Three) delivered financial support and IT capability to enable the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics to become more efficient in reaching a large target audience.

Want to see these cool webinars? Visit www.scelectswomen.com.

Check out the pictures from the press conference!

Lonnie Emard and Mary Anne Jacobs

Lonnie Emard, Executive Director of IT-oLogy, and Mary Anne Jacobs, President of the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics

Lonnie Emard

Lonnie Emard discusses IT-oLogy's role in the new high-tech effort

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Gartner brings IT Modernization to Columbia

September 14th, 2011 | Posted by Whitney Williams in Grow IT - (0 Comments)

GartnerLast week, internationally recognized IT analyst and research group Gartner brought it’s IT Modernization Local Briefing to Columbia, SC for the first time. This event drew well over 100 executives from the healthcare, banking and finance and insurance technologies industries to IT-oLogy for a day-long conference on how IT modernization will affect industry. The morning consisted of presentations from two Gartner analysts. Dale Vecchio, Gartner analyst, opened with “IT Modernization: The Evolution of IT – Whether You Like it or Not.” Dave Capuccio followed with “Top 10 Trends and How They Will Impact Data Centers and IT.”

The afternoon sessions were centered around specific industry clusters. Insurance Technology and Services, Banking and Financial and Healthcare all brought local leaders to the table to discuss real-world case studies, examples and why IT modernization is important. The Insurance Technology and Services cluster also had the opportunity to hear from Gartner analyst Kimberly Harris-Ferrante on “Future Proofing Insurance IT: Make the Right Decisions Now.”

Below are links to the presentations by local leaders:

Rizwan Khalfan – TD Bank Gartner Conference

Colonial Life IT Modernization Overview

BCBSSC_Modernization_Presentation

Questions or more information? Contact us at info@it-ology.org.

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Health Information & Technology Forum is August 10th

August 2nd, 2011 | Posted by Bobby Rettew in World of IT - (0 Comments)

Are you interested in the world of healthcare and information technology? Well, join us on August 10th here at IT-oLogy in downtown Columbia, SC. The agenda is in place and you will be able to see and hear presentations from BlueCross BlueShield of SC, CareCore National, OpenMEdSoftware, Electronic Health Network, VidiStar and so many more.

This event is more than just presentations from some top notch organizations, it is the opportunity to connect with like minded individuals in the world of health sciences and information technology. Since the emerging conversation surrounding healthcare reform and electronic medical records, we have wanted to bring thought leaders together and provide a platform to promote conversation on these topics and so many more.

IT-oLogy’s mission is create a pipeline of talent that will support a workforce for the future of information technology. Our goal is to bring industry, educators, students, professionals, and partners together under “one-roof” with the goal to Promote IT, Teach IT, and Grow IT. This is an event that meets that goal.

The 2011 Health Information and Technology Forum on August 10th is the time and place to provide a platform for this discussion…to promote the future of IT. We are looking forward for you to join us, register for the event by CLICKING HERE.

Here are pictures of IT-oLogy (below). This might give you a better idea of what the day will look like. Check it out, and we look forward to seeing you on August 10th right here in Columbia, SC at IT-oLogy.

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Bobby Rettew is a Emmy Award winning, documentary storyteller and digital media strategist. Bobby works with IT-oLogy with all of their video, digital media, and social media strategy.

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Join us for the Health Information and Technologies Forum!

July 28th, 2011 | Posted by Bobby Rettew in World of IT - (0 Comments)

So are you thinking about the world of IT as it relates to the world of Healthcare? Healthcare IT surrounds us everyday…from electronic medical records to the mobile platforms that drive communication. Did you know that Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina is more than just insurance company, they are a data management and data transfer company. Your insurance information is stored in large servers and it takes a special talent pipeline to manage this information technology, literally.

So, how does this relate to a great conference at IT-oLogy in Columbia, SC on August, 10th? Three major organizations are coming together to share knowledge, feature wonderful presentations, and build strategic relationships that will impact tomorrow’s world of Health Information and Technology. Well, in the video above…John Warner on InnoVenture, LLC describes this event that will be hosted at IT-oLogy in downtown Columbia, SC.

The Health Information and Technologies Forum, presented by IT-oLogy, BlueCross BlueShield of SC and CareCore National in cooperation with Health Sciences SC, is scheduled for August 10 at the IT-oLogy facility in Columbia, SC.  Featured during the day will be best practices presentations and discussions in focus areas including:

Data Analysis – Health Care Informatics and EMR
Data Management and Insurance Data Warehousing and Infrastructure
Data Collection – Health Care Diagnostics, Devices and Clinical Trials
Health Care IT – A Pipeline of Talent Skills

An important theme throughout the day includes industry/academic partnerships to create a pipeline of talent to design, develop and manage that span of activity.

To view an agenda and see the list of attendees to date, click here.

There is no cost to attend, but everyone must register in advance.  For more information and to register:  Health Information and Technologies Forum

Plan to join business developers and technology scouts in health care and insurance related companies, faculty and students seeking industry partners to enhance their research and services providers to high growth organizations involved in health science fields, in what should be both an educational and informative day as well as a great opportunity to network with peers in these critical fields.

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Bobby Rettew is a Emmy Award winning, documentary storyteller and digital media strategist. Bobby works with IT-oLogy with all of their video, digital media, and social media strategy.

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