Jeff D.
In celebration of Availity’s 25th anniversary, we’re highlighting associates whose impact and dedication have helped shape who we are today. Through this special Associate Spotlight series, we’re honoring the people behind our story—past, present, and future.
In this Q&A, we’re proud to spotlight Jeff, who shares reflections on his journey, the moments that mattered most, and what continues to inspire him as part of Availity.
When did you join Availity, what was your first role, and what do you remember most about your first year?
I joined RealMed (later acquired by Availity in 2010) in February of 1998. I was hired as an Engineering Technical Lead of a single engineering team for a start-up that was tasked with building a real-time claims adjudication system. I remember joining and the excitement I had about the possibilities this could afford healthcare administration. We processed real-time claims with Anthem, HCSC, BCBSNC, and BCBSNM, CareFirst in 2000.
What are you most proud of from your time at Availity?
I’ve been with Realmed/Availity for 28 years, and I have a lot to be proud of as I reflect on my career. I’ve been blessed with numerous opportunities that I’m grateful for. I’m most proud of being afforded the opportunity to lead Availity’s cloud migration effort and how our teams showed up for each other to deliver on the promise of moving us to the cloud. Hands down, it was the most challenging, tiring, and rewarding experience in my career.
Pick one industry moment you lived through. How did your team or Availity adapt, and what did we learn?
Migrating from ANSI 4010 to 5010 was a momentous moment and a significant milestone that took over 35K hours of effort to accomplish. At this time, our development teams were split into three groups…EDI, Core Processing, and UI. Business was not integrated or working closely with development as it is today. This was a moment where everyone came together, worked as a unit, and accomplished something significant. Technology and business have been integrated ever since.
When you think about Availity’s Core Values, which one resonates the most with you and which do you think will propel us through the next 25 years?
Be All-In resonates with me the most. Showing up for your team and colleagues is where it begins. I strive to be reliably present and supportive in ways that strengthen the team beyond just doing my own job. Trust builds success.
Availity is at an inflection point. We are technically stronger than we have ever been with our cloud investment. We are poised to make bigger and more formative innovations. We need to Explore Fearlessly to strengthen and cement Availity as the backbone of the US Healthcare System in the next 25 years.
What’s a time Availity’s reliability or recovery made a difference (for a provider, plan, or patient experience)?
This is an obvious one, but what Availity was able to do in the eyes of the Change Healthcare security event was incredible. Being able to step in and ensure practices were keeping transactions flowing and continuing to get paid was so rewarding.
What’s one “tiny way” your team removes friction from healthcare that most people never see?
Availity takes in disparate data from all over the country. And honestly, much of it is a mess based on complex provider systems limitations, aged provider technology/systems, legacy formats, and processes providers can’t invest in to fix. We welcome the mess and we clean it up to ensure the most accurate information is represented in a standard format that can be consumed by all payers across the country.
Over your tenure, what habits or mindsets helped you build a career here? What advice would you give yourself or others on their first week here?
Be Curious. Show up for others. Find balance. Battle.
What are you excited about in the next year and over the next 25 years?
I’m super excited about what AI can do for Availity and our clients. This is an inflection point for the technology industry and one for Availity to capitalize on.
What is your favorite Availity tradition or event?
My favorite event was a surprise trip to Ivanhoes in Upland, Indiana. We called the engineering teams to the main conference room and told them we had two buses out front that were taking us to lunch and ice cream. Ivanhoes is a famous diner about 1.5 hours from the office, specializing in elaborate ice cream desserts. It was super fun team building and a great way to celebrate. Another event was the “#LOVEMYJOB” challenge. We pulled together a small committee and scripted out an entire video that involved everyone in Indianapolis. We filmed it over the course of the week, and everyone had a blast making it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALq7vL0U0YI
What are three words you’d use to describe Availity today?
Hungry. Poised. Transformative.
Thank you, Jeff, for your dedication and the impact you’ve made in helping shape Availity’s story over the past 25 years!