Annette Caro

Accomplished and certified PMP and SAFe PMPO professional with over twenty years of experience in managing and delivering tailored business system tool solutions for government entities, particularly providing support to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for more than fourteen years.
Key responsibilities encompass management roles in support of the Development Effort Consolidation Contract (DECC), ISG CCSQ Hospital Quality Reporting System (HQR), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Medicare innovation & Emerging technology (MCiEt) systems, and currently overseeing the DISM / DASG Unified Case Management Program. Management roles included first successful Agile Program within CMS on the QPP project, leveraging the USDS Playbook. Proficient in Product Ownership and Management, executing SAFe methodologies, full lifecycle development, business analysis, quality assurance, process enhancement, and custom tool implementation for both government agencies and private sector clients.
A knowledgeable Program Manager with a robust background in leading cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality projects within established timelines. Successfully managed intricate project portfolios, ensuring alignment with business objectives and client satisfaction.
Exhibited excellence in stakeholder communication and agile methodologies. Experienced in coordinating multiple project timelines and resources to achieve delivery targets. Employs effective communication and leadership skills to enhance team performance. Proven track record of implementing agile practices to improve project outcomes.

• Responsible for taking over a failed contract and product teams and turning those teams around within a year to forming and performing as a high performing Program team(s).
• Managed and led the successful transition and delivery of a failed DISM / DASG Lead Case Management product that was delayed by 3 years with the previous contract teams.
• Successfully forged a relationship with CMS Stakeholders and leadership within the DISM / DASG program to establish a confidence and trust that had been severely deteriorated by the previous contract teams.
• Successful oversight of the development and delivery of the Procedure Price Lookup (PPL) tool MVP for the Medicare.gov site. Delivery was noted as a success, without production issues, and completed in a four-month delivery schedule.
• Successful product management, directly managing cross team integration, scheduling and deployment with eMedicare WeCMS for the Opioid use disorder treatment services (OTP) and Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Location Widgets.
• Successful management and oversight of our MCIeT team’s migration from the legacy MOSS environment to AWS V4 environment. MCIeT was the first team to complete this CMS initiative, security enhancement and cost saving results.
• Selected by CMS Office of Communication (OC) to oversee the pilot and coordination of implementing the Jira “Big Picture” Program and Portfolio management tool.
• Selected by CMS WETG to provide mentorship and leadership guidance supporting ADO teams working to implement SAFe Agile best practices / standards.
• Successfully transitioned existing Hospital Quality Reporting (HQR) Public Reporting system from a waterfall methodology to a utilizing the SAFe Agile approach.
• Recognized and awarded by CMS Program for the successful oversight, quality driven, and Delivery Management for multiple sprint teams.
• Commended by CMS leadership for my proficiency in assessing client requirements and implementing cutting-edge technology solutions to enhance efficiency.

• PMP Certified
• SAFe 5.0 Product Manager/Product Owner with PMPO Certification
• Certified SAFe 4 Scrum Master