Meet a Member: To love CDI, you have to love learning

Koko Williams, MSN, RN, CMSRN, is a CDI specialist at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and a member of the Texas ACDIS local chapter. She’s been in the CDI field since 2015.

ACDIS: What did you do before entering CDI? Why did you get into this line of work?
Williams: Before entering CDI, I worked as a medical/surgical staff educator as well as a staff nurse on a cardiac/telemetry stepdown unit.

Eventually, I injured my back. Afterward, I applied for the job as a clinical documentation specialist because the job description intrigued me. I thought with my clinical background, education, and teaching experience that this would be the perfect field for me.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest challenge?
Williams: I would have to say the biggest challenge would be physician engagement.  

ACDIS: What has been your biggest reward?
Williams: My biggest reward has been being able to utilize my best strengths—clinical knowledge, teaching, and research.

ACDIS: How has the field changed since you began working in CDI?
Williams: Wow, I have seen the field of CDI change for the better since 2015. From the implementation of ICD-10, there has been more CDI involvement in denials and denial prevention, more collaboration/partnership with coding, and new opportunities to move from inpatient to outpatient CDI.

ACDIS: Can you mention a few of the “gold nuggets” of information you’ve received from colleagues on The Forum or through ACDIS?
Williams: A few “gold nuggets” include receiving pediatric specific information, query templates/examples and guidelines for compliant queries, keeping up with current CDI topics through ACDIS Podcast, Q&As in CDI Strategies, and joining in on ACDIS membership quarterly calls.

ACDIS: If you have attended, how many ACDIS conferences have you been to? What are your favorite memories?
Williams: I have been to only one ACDIS conference, which was in 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. My favorite memories from the conference included networking with other CDI professionals, the wealth of information I received, and my professional development and growth. It made me proud to be an ACDIS member and a part of the CDI profession.

ACDIS: What piece of advice would you offer to a new CDI specialist?
Williams: Hang in there! It is a lot of information to learn, but it is worth it.

ACDIS: If you could have any other job, what would it be?
Williams: Being a clinical documentation specialist has, by far, been my favorite job. I think if I could have any other job, it would be a CDI educator and/or auditor.

ACDIS: What was your first job?
Williams: At 16 years old, my very first job was working in customer service as a cashier at the department store T.J. Maxx.

ACDIS: Can you tell us about a few of your favorite things?

• Vacation spots: Dominican Republic and New York.
• Hobbies: Shopping, watching movies and documentaries.
• Non-alcoholic beverage: Diet Dr. Pepper.
• Foods: Catfish, ribs, steak, and chicken.
• Activities: Research and reading.

ACDIS: Tell us about your family and how you like to spend your time away from CDI.
Williams: I am married to my wonderful husband, Dominique, and we will celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary on Valentine’s Day this year. We have no kids yet (we are both trying to finish school), but we are proud owners of our two rescue fur babies, Omar (an 11-year-old German-Shepherd mix) and Eddie (a three-year-old Cairn Terrier Mix).

ACDIS: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Williams: I think to work in the CDI field and to like being a clinical documentation specialist, you need to enjoy learning. I am a life-long learner. I am currently attending the University of Texas at Arlington pursuing a PhD in nursing. I hope that with this advanced degree, I can educate others about the nursing and CDI profession.