NewsStories Of Opportunity: Welcoming Change

This article was originally published on Jan. 7, 2026, as part of the full release of the 2025 Stories Of Opportunity. The Stories Of Opportunity is VGM Group’s annual report, showcasing the successes of VGM and its employee owners.

AI Tech Advancement Committee

More AI programs are developed and launched seemingly daily…and people want to use all of them. To help navigate this ever-evolving AI environment, VGM instituted the AI Tech Advancement Committee in August 2025. 

Previously, teams looking to use a product had to send a request to Corporate IT, who would review, and approve or deny the product. It sounds straightforward. However, there was no true vetting process or central hub to track these programs. 

The Advancement Committee, comprised of 11 IT leaders from all business units, vets all AI implementation requests. They then compare the business unit’s needs to tools already across VGM to determine if a new program is necessary. 

Protecting Our Company also plays a key role. The Project Diamond  committee always considers two key factors:

• Does the tool store VGM data? 
• Does the tool learn from VGM data? 

Many AI tools store and use data to learn, making it possible for other sources to access that data indirectly. As a leader in the healthcare industry, VGM’s top concern is ensuring protected health information (PHI) is safe. That’s why, for instance, VGM utilizes Copilot which keeps information within the company and only learns within VGM. This allows us to Protect Our Company while also Welcoming Change.

Project Diamond

Processing insurance claims is a daily occurrence at VGM Insurance. However, until a claim is reviewed, there’s no way to tell if it’s low or high priority. But what if there was a way to automate processing for low-priority claims? 

“We needed to figure out a seamless system,” said Tera O’Hare, SVP Of Systems, VGM Insurance, and employee owner since 2010, “One where quick claims could be taken care of immediately, and the high-priority claims get the attention they need.” 

Insurance started looking around for a program that would meet the team’s needs and also adapt to how Insurance works. Ultimately, Project Diamond was chosen.

“We wanted to make sure that everyone had a hand in the testing,” said Tera O’Hare. “The people who help us make these decisions needed to be the ones doing the work day-to-day. When the Project Diamond team would come on-site, it wouldn’t just be our leadership in the room… we’d have the employee owners using Project Diamond in there with us to make decisions.” 

Project Diamond is slated to go live in early 2026. And it’s estimated that by 2028 there will be a 30% increase in policies per full-time employee as business grows.

SleepGlad & AI Mask Fitting

One of the most consistent pain points for respiratory providers and their patients who rely on positive airway pressure (PAP) devices is mask fitting. If a mask doesn’t fit, the therapy is less effective. And if it’s uncomfortable, the patient is less likely to use it. VGM aimed to find a solution.

“We knew AI mask fitting would address a huge pain point for the industry,” said Lindy Tentinger, President of VGM & Associates and employee owner since 2017. “VGM is always looking to adapt and incorporate new tech. We’re here to help guide the industry forward and help providers deliver improved outcomes.” 

VGM acquired SleepGlad in early 2025 to accomplish this goal. SleepGlad is an AI mask-fitting tool that uses any camera-enabled device to scan a patient’s face and provide a mask recommendation. Boasting a 97% accuracy rate, this helps eliminate tedious and costly mask refits.

This is just one more way VGM is investing in the healthcare industry and helping providers improve the quality of life for their patients.

To read the 2025 Stories Of Opportunity in full, click here.