What is your current health care position? What are your responsibilities in this position?
I work in Compliant Documentation Management Department as a Clinical Documentation specialist at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital. I perform concurrent review of the patient’s medical record to assure that the documentation is accurate, consistent and compliant. I assure that the documentation captures secondary diagnoses and Hospital Acquired Conditions to accurately reflect the patient’s severity of illness, risk of mortality, and to optimize the DRG (diagnosis-related group) and reimbursement.
How do you feel you are able to make a difference in this position?
I feel that I make a difference is this position because of my experience, commitment, flexibility and compassion for my work.
Health care is a team sport. Tell us about your team and how they help you succeed.
My team consist of doctors, nurses, and coders. I work with an amazing group of coworkers and administrators who are knowledgeable, caring, kind, flexible, devoted, and supportive. They are all willing to assist in any way that they can to get the job done!
COVID-19 has disrupted all of our work and lives. How has it disrupted your work, and how are you adapting?
COVID-19 initially disrupted my work by the decreased number of hospital admissions and the number of staff that were needed to perform our job. We are a flexible department as we are able to assign and review cases from any of the
SSM Health St. Louis hospitals. For example, a Clinical Documentation specialist may be hired for St. Mary’s but can review records at DePaul if the need is greater.
Mentors are crucial to the development of a successful professional. Tell us about a mentor and how that person guided you.
I have two mentors who were instrumental to my career development – Lorraine Jones, head nurse Abdominal Transplant, and Dr. Paul Garvin, Transplant surgeon. I would like to thank Lorraine for selecting me as here assistance head nurse and Dr. Garvin for selecting me as an Abdominal Transplant coordinator. I would like to thank both of them for believing in me and for their patience with me as a new leader. They taught me to be accountable and professional and showed me how to be a great leader.
Do you have a previous position that helped prepare you for this work? If so, tell us about that.
My previous position as an Abdominal Transplant coordinator helped prepare me for my current position as Clinical Documentation specialist by teaching me to educate patients and family on pre- and post-transplant care; review of the patient’s medical, surgical, social, and family history; review of the patient’s laboratory and diagnostic testing needed to be listed for transplant and schedule annual testing as needed. This was the beginning of my documentation journey.
Tell us about your experiences as a student that prepared you for this work.
I worked on the General Surgery unit on the weekend as a student nurse. This allowed me to interact with patients and family, as well as develop my nursing skills and to develop a working relationship with the physicians, nurses and unit secretaries.
Missouri voters have an opportunity to expand Medicaid with Amendment 2 on the August 4 ballot. Expand Medicaid in Missouri – yes or no? Why or why not?
I vote yes to expand Medicaid. I believe that everyone should have access to health care regardless of their socioeconomic status.
Is there anything about your personal life that you would like to share with the public celebrating your award?
I am married to Robert Carter and we have five children and six grandchildren. I volunteer at Faith Miracle Church as director of Health Care Ministry.
