RN - Registered Nurse - Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist

The RN CDI Specialist acts as a liaison between the clinical and coding functions. Provides education to the medical staff and other clinical professional on documentation relevant to the Revenue Management processes and Discharge Not Final Billed reduction. Provides daily interactions with physicians and clinical professionals regarding documentation clarification and optimization. It is expected that the CDIS have previous clinical skills, including an understanding of Anatomy and Physiology in order to appropriately discuss with the physician such issues as the underlying etiology, principal diagnosis, diagnostic studies, treatment modalities, to name a few.

The essential focus of this position is to analyze the clinical information, using the documentation as the primary driver for overall System Case Mix Index.

This role is full-time, 40 hours weekly;

Monday through Friday; 7:00a-3:30p.

This is a work on site position located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

A minimum of 3 years RN work experience is required. BSN is strongly preferred.

Benefits at Geisinger:
We offer a comprehensive benefits package starting on day one, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Three medical plan choices, including expanded network options
• Pre-tax savings plans (FSA & HSA)
• Company-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) with automatic Geisinger contributions
• Generous PTO that accrues quickly
• Up to $5,000 in tuition reimbursement per calendar year
• MyHealth Rewards wellness program with financial incentives
• Family-friendly support: adoption/fertility assistance, parental leave, military leave, and  membership
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): mental health, legal guidance, childcare/eldercare referrals, and more
• Voluntary benefits: accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, identity theft protection, pet insurance, and more

Job Duties:

• Reviews inpatient medical records within 24-48 hours of admission for a specified patient population to evaluate documentation to assign the principal diagnosis, relevant secondary diagnoses, and procedures for accurate DRG assignment, risk of mortality, severity of illness; and initiate documentation of the review.
• Pursues a subsequent review of records every 3 days to support and assign a working DRG assignment upon discharge.
• Formulates queries when it is determined there is missing documentation, conflicting documentation or unclear documentation.
• Provides ongoing education to physicians and essential healthcare providers regarding clinical documentation improvement and the need for accurate and complete documentation in the patient's record.
• Collaborates with nursing staff, nutrition, pharmacist, along with the physicians on documentation and to resolve queries prior to the patient's discharge.
• Consistently meets established productivity targets for record review.
• Identifies strategies for sustained work process changes that facilitate complete, accurate clinical documentation.
• Participates in the analysis and trending of statistical data for specified patient population; identifies opportunity for improvement.
• Promotes a partnership with the inpatient coding professionals to ensure the accuracy of principal diagnosis, procedures and completeness of supporting documentation to determine the working and final DRG, severity of illness and risk of mortality.
• Acts as a resource person for the interdisciplinary team in order to promote collaboration and coordination of patient care considering age specific, developmental, cultural, and spiritual needs of the patient.

Work is typically performed in a clinical environment. Accountable for satisfying all job specific obligations and complying with all organization policies and procedures. The specific statements in this profile are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements considered necessary to successfully perform the job. Additional competencies and skills outlined in any department-specific orientation will be considered essential to the performance of the job related to that position.