This video addresses the essential role of change management during a massive technological shift at Medicaid, where the agency was replacing its eligibility platform. This change was significant, impacting over 600 employees across regional offices and involving multiple external suppliers for system development, integration, and validation. Although solid implementation and training plans were already in place, the agency recognized a crucial missing piece: the human element of change.
V2A's strategy began by gaining a deep understanding of the organizational culture and daily operations to identify factors that would either facilitate or obstruct the adoption process. Based on this diagnosis, they designed a strategic plan focused on three key components:
- Monitoring: Going beyond measuring technical knowledge to ensure that staff were connected with the intrinsic value and benefits of the new platform for the organization and the community it serves.
- Key Personnel: Identifying and leveraging internal talent—often unrecognized—to drive the adoption process. These individuals were brought to the table to propose initiatives that would help facilitate the transition.
- Communication: Prioritizing listening to understand what staff thought and felt, and identifying potential obstacles to the change, rather than simply broadcasting information.
This deliberate, human-centered approach successfully improved variables for adoption, resulting in a measurable Readiness or Adoption Index. Due to this success, Medicaid extended V2A’s accompaniment post-implementation to ensure sustainability. This ongoing support focused on close coaching for leaders, continuous monitoring of system adoption, and piloting the new initiatives proposed by the internal talent group.