AIKEN, S.C. (November 17, 2022) — Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), the liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site (SRS), is providing temporary office space to the SRS retirees’ resource organization.
The SRS Retiree Association’s Retiree Resource Center is staffed by former SRS employees who volunteer to help other SRS retirees navigate benefits, enroll, and file claims. Some volunteers have since earned their State Health Insurance Assistance Program certification to specifically counsel Medicare recipients.
The Resource Center was handicapped when the Lower Savannah Council of Governments began replacing the roof of the building it shares with the center. This construction required the suspension of all client and retiree in-office and group training meetings during the fall 2022 Medicare Annual Open Enrollment period. While most of the center’s annual prescription plan reviews are conducted by mail and Internet, many retirees still urgently need person-to-person help, particularly if numerous medications are involved.
SRMC opened an off-site office on Silver Bluff Road in Aiken last month, and the Company was able to provide a temporary home for the Resource Center, with workspace for approximately five volunteers at any given time.
SRMC President and Program Manager Dave Olson said the services provided by the center's volunteers are vital to SRS retirees.
"Every day, the Retiree Resource Center provides valuable retirement and cost-saving advice to our former colleagues," Olson said. "This temporary space will ensure that the center's staff continues to provide the health plan guidance that SRS retirees need."
Laureen Feinman, the Resource Center manager, said she is enthusiastic about the opportunity to continue providing services while the roofing work is performed. Her group expects to occupy the office space until early December.
"Our volunteers are dedicated to providing their time to helping others and taking
their clients' concerns seriously," Feinman said. "Without this generous offer from
SRMC, we would not be able to conduct reviews, as well as individual and group
meetings, for about 400 retirees and their families during that time."
The Resource Center currently provides services to nearly 4,000 SRS retirees and
their spouses, many of whom are currently making decisions for Medicare Open
Enrollment. During its eight years of operation, the center has conducted more than 4,900 office visits, nearly 12,000 phone consultations, and approximately 3,200 prescription reviews that saved retirees nearly $2.7 million in their out-of-pocket costs.
Savannah River Mission Completion is providing temporary office space to
the SRS Retiree Resource Center during roof repairs at the center’s office location.
The organization’s volunteers help other retirees navigate their available benefits.
SRMC comprises parent company BWX Technologies, Inc. with partners Amentum and Fluor. Its team brings the capabilities necessary to accelerate cleanup at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site through safe nuclear operations, optimized and integrated mission execution, and strong corporate governance.