Podcast
Talking tech, CAPD with Intermountain Health’s Kory Anderson
Technology. I’m of a mixed mind. Broadly, I think technology is a blessing for humanity. It saves lives. In my small corner of the world I interview guests from across the nation over Zoom, and deliver the final product via the magic of podcast. That may or may not be a blessing depending on your…
Read MoreThe art of defense: Legal lessons from an OIG audit of severe malnutrition
Off the Record recently featured a wide-ranging conversation with Vaughn Matacale, physician advisor for Vidant Health (now ECU Health), an organization that found itself on the receiving end of an OIG audit of severe malnutrition claims. On this episode I’m pleased to bring you a continuation of that story from the legal team that…
Read MoreBreathing life into pediatric CDI: Meet Sandra Love
Listen to the full episode here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/bW3gRsyzlEb As a non-clinician I can think of few things more terrifying than having responsibility for the life of a fragile newborn in your hands, and your hands alone. Welcome to the early nursing career of Sandra Love. Sandra served as a labor and delivery nurse…
Read MoreA clinical vision of risk adjustment: Meet Katie McLaughlin
It’s often said that to be a good CDI or coding professional you have to roll up your sleeves and get clinical. If you code just what is explicitly documented you will miss opportunities; if you don’t understand A&P and pathophysiology, you will make mistakes. But what about those who take the opposite path? Katie…
Read MoreA win for clinical truth: How Vaughn Matacale and Vidant prevailed against the OIG
Listen to the episode here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/PrC1cbFXCDb Severe malnutrition is a major predictor of mortality/morbidity. In a five-year observational study cited by the National Institutes of Health, malnourished patients showed an eight times greater risk of harmful falls during hospitalization as compared to well-nourished patients. Further, malnutrition is associated with increased risk for septic shock, acute…
Read MoreDon’t hate on hospitals: Navigating the complexities of healthcare reimbursement with Jugna Shah, MPH
Stop hating on hospitals. It’s a sentiment most Off the Record podcast listeners would probably agree with. But not everyone. Hospitals are under assault in some corners, including the media and in the halls of government. We need a villain and hospitals often find themselves playing the role of fall guy. For example, many blame them…
Read MoreFinding your Ikigai: Nicole Fox on the art of balance amidst trauma
During my last conference as ACDIS Director in Oct. 2021 I had the pleasure of introducing Dr. Nicole Fox as our opening keynote. Nicole is not a professional lecturer but delivered one of the most impactful and inspiring speeches I’ve seen, covering her work as a pediatric trauma surgeon and her challenges as a single…
Read MoreThe obstacle is the way: The art of overcoming challenges with WVU’s Dawn Diven
It’s not easy moving into Clinical Documentation Integrity as a new nurse or coding professional. But now imagine what it’s like if you’re from Maryland. And it’s 2006. These were pre-ACDIS days, in a state which used APR-DRGs. In other words, no best practice, little information, and no real community. But Dawn Diven, Enterprise System…
Read MoreWalking the leadership tightrope: Meet Sheri Blanchard, Senior Director of CDE, Orlando Health
To be an effective leader you have to have a vision and be willing to implement changes that disrupt the status quo. But you also have to involve your team, and use diplomacy to obtain buy-in. In short, be a team player with a little bit of swagger. It’s a delicate dance, but it describes…
Read MoreA First Year for the Record Books: Catching up with Wellstar’s new Executive Director of CDI
Few CDI professionals are rising as fast as Faisal Hussain, Executive Director of CDI at Wellstar Health System in Georgia. Fewer still have come as far as he has, both literally and figuratively. A foreign medical graduate and native of Pakistan, Hussain has risen up through the ranks in a remarkable career in healthcare. In…
Read More