Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialist (Lodi, CA)

Centered in the heart of San Joaquin County, Adventist Health Lodi Memorial has been one of the area’s leading healthcare providers since 1952. We are comprised of a 190-bed hospital, 17 medical offices, home care services, comprehensive cancer care and a vast scope of award-winning services located throughout Lodi and the surrounding areas. Lodi is known for its small-town charm, extensive vineyards and delicious local restaurants and bakeries. The allure of Lodi’s close-knit community is complimented by its proximity to major metropolitan cities in the Bay Area and Sacramento, as well as a quick drive to Lake Tahoe or the Northern California coast.  

Job Summary:

Reviews, evaluates and assesses medical records of patients, looks for specificity of an illness, the accuracy of the clinician’s documentation, coding requirements and documentation of important medical details to ensure the overall quality and completeness of clinical documentation of the patient medical record and ensure it is in compliance with government and other regulations. Works on problems of moderate to diverse scope requiring some interpretation of policies and guidelines. Applies working knowledge of the techniques, principles, theories and concepts to complete routine and non-routine assignments. Runs program(s) with moderate budget/impact.

Job Requirements:

Education and Work Experience:

• Associate's/Technical Degree or equivalent combination of education/related experience: Required
• Bachelor's Degree: Preferred
• Three years' clinical experience: Required
• Two years' clinical documentation experience: Required

Licenses/Certifications:

• Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) or Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner Certificate (DIP): Required
• Current licensed RN, medical provider or equivalent: Required
• Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) or Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner Certificate (DIP): Required
• Foreign Medical Doctor (FMD) or Medical license MD (MD) or Registered Nurse (RN): Required

Essential Functions:

• Evaluates and assesses medical records of patients, looks for specificity of an illness, the accuracy of the clinician’s documentation, coding requirements and documentation of important medical details to ensure the overall quality and completeness of clinical documentation of the patient medical record. Performs coding, working DRG assignment and enters all review activity into tracking software.
• Analyzes and interprets medical records and clinical documentation and formulates appropriate physician queries. Performs follow up on incomplete physician queries to obtain an answer while the patient is still in house. Updates “working DRG” as documentation supports, or physician query answer supports a change in the DRG assignment.
• Reviews quality of medical record and communicates when conflicting data are found, the clinical documentation integrity specialist (CDIS) conveys deficiencies to the department lead for more information to resolve the conflict.
• Keeps abreast of regulatory changes related to documentation, coding and communicate these changes to appropriate staff. Follows documentation guidelines and legal requirements to ensure compliance with federal and state regulatory bodies. Attends ongoing education sessions.
• Acts as a liaison between the medical staff and the coding department. Works collaboratively with physicians and coding staff to ensure that clinical information in the medical record is present and accurate so that the appropriate clinical diagnosis and level of severity is captured for the level of service rendered to all patients. Attends scheduled physician and care management meetings as requested and reviews requested cases prior to the meetings.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Organizational Requirements:

Adventist Health is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our associates and patients. Therefore, we require that all associates receive all required vaccinations as a condition of employment and annually thereafter, where applicable. Medical and religious exemptions may apply.

Adventist Health participates in E-Verify. Visit https://adventisthealth.org/careers/everify/ for more information about E-Verify. By choosing to apply, you acknowledge that you have accessed and read the E-Verify Participation and Right to Work notices and understand the contents therein.

Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit, integrated health system serving more than 100 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii with over 440 sites of care, including 27 acute care facilities. Founded on Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care, and hospice agenc