A big change for us

That should say a big change for Phil, but it will affect us as well. He is starting a new job Monday at Well-Med, which is a doctor owned HMO/Health Insurance plan. When he got the job at United Health Group/United Health Care, it was a job he had been in previously, but worked for IBM and the company was then called Pacificare. One of his former co-workers told him about the job before it was ever listed anywhere, and Phil was able to interview & get that job. That co-worker, along with one other, decided to go work for Well-Med. A third co-worker stayed at UHG until early this year when he went to Well-Med. For nearly as long as Phil has been at UHG, the co-workers now at Well-Med have been telling him to come work with them. Recently they told him again to apply with them for an opening. He did, and his "interview" consisted of, "I trust Ray's (former co-worker) opinion. When do you want to start?" When we looked at the premiums for insurance coverage, we knew we couldn't make it on what they were offering to pay, so Phil asked for more & they said yes. In the long run, we'll have more money because our healthcare costs will be less. United has been a good company to work for, but the insurance has not been that great financially.

I asked Phil what his boss said when he told him. Phil said that he wanted to counter offer with more money! He really wanted Phil to stay. Phil sent him a thank you note (the boss lives in a different state) and got a very kind reply saying they'd really miss him. Today the boss sent out a note to several employees & I want to share this with you:

"It's with a heavy heart that I'm writing to let all of you know that Phillip Garrison has decided to take another position outside of UHG. Today is his last day. Phillip's been with UnitedHealth Group for almost exactly 2 years, but I've only had the good fortune of knowing him for the past 6 months, since the R7 team formed. Phillip's work ethic and great attitude will definitely be missed as he moves on to work at another company with a group of friends. Good luck in the future Phillip!"

I was really impressed with that! Phil is the last person in the world to boast about any talents he has. He's a perfectionist, which means he's not content often because no one is perfect! He's also not a "go-getter." He is an analyzer. He is a thinker. But when he has his mind set to something, he knows what he is going to do and does it. It's just the "getting there" that takes him a while. There have been times when people have seen him as lazy because he doesn't get up & go. And there have been times when he NEEDED to get up & go and didn't, but what people don't often see is that getting things done when they need to be done, and doing them WELL. There's never a "just get it done & be finished" mentality. When things get done, they get done very well. I think the words "work ethic" and "great attitude" speak volumes of what kind of worker he is.

He had a tiny bit of Paid Time Off left over, so his last day was today, but he will get paid through tomorrow, then take Thursday & Friday off. We'll go up to his mom's house on Thursday (the girls are at her house for Vacation Bible School this week). The closing program is on Friday & he's never been able to go to that. It will be a nice little break before starting on a new job.

Next comes the big part for me to deal with----all the changes in doctors! I've had to get a new primary care doctor recently, so I'm not set on having her as my PC dr. I AM concerned with the girls not being able to go to our pediatric office. Hopefully I'll find out more soon. We still have coverage with United through the end of July, so if they need to be seen we can still go to the pedi clinic til then.

I'll let you know next week how it goes!