Meet a Member: North Carolina chapter leader recalls industry growth

Formerly the vice president of the North Carolina ACDIS chapter, Brenda A. Harris, RN, CCDS, CCA, has worked in the CDI field for 12 years; she currently is a CDI specialist with Carolinas HealthCare Systems: Carolinas Medical Center University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Happily married with two adult children, one son and one daughter, she enjoys reading, cooking for her family, and sewing (including quilting, which she recently took up).

CDI Journal: What did you do before entering CDI?

Harris: I was a case manager for a cardiac telemetry unit responsible for arranging home health and communicating with the insurance providers to ensure that the patient’s stay was covered. Prior to that, I was a staff nurse on the same telemetry unit.

CDI Journal: Why did you get into this line of work?

Harris: Initially, case management and CDI specialist duties were performed by the same person. After one year, we reassessed and decided that [performing two roles] wasn’t very effective, so the CDI department was created. I was very interested in this new opportunity for nursing, especially capturing the severity of illness, although initially that was not the focus.

CDI Journal: What has been the biggest challenge?

Harris: Definitely getting some physicians to buy into the concept. You have a verbal conversation with a physician, and sometimes they do not follow through with their documentation. Conversely, it is also very rewarding to interact with physicians and those that seek me out to follow up on queries.

CDI Journal: How has the field changed since you began working in CDI?

Harris: Initially, our principal responsibility was to capture CCs on the chart that would result in a financial gain. We focused on capturing secondary diagnoses only when it affected the DRGs. With the introduction of MS-DRGs, that shifted to the MCCs and CCs. Now, the emphasis is on capturing the severity of illness and intensity of services, with the goal being to have the chart better reflect the true patient condition.

CDI Journal: What piece of advice would you offer to a new CDI specialist?

Harris: Develop a systematic way to review charts. Using this approach will encourage the CDI specialist to review all disciplines’ notes, including notes from nurses. While we cannot code from nurses’ notes, it may generate an opportunity to query the physician.

CDI Journal: If you could have any other job, what would it be?

Harris: I think I would be a librarian. This allows you the opportunity to watch students develop a skill set that is so fundamentally important. I would also just love to explore the archives—there is so much to learn there.

CDI Journal: What was your first job?

Harris: My first job in high school was a youth camp counselor for a summer program at the local recreation center. As a counselor, I was responsible for organizing activities for the kids in the summer program, both games as well as providing academic enrichment.

CDI Journal: Tell us a few of your favorite things.

• Vacation spots: The mountains, especially walking trails, including Lake Lure, North Carolina
• Hobbies: Reading and sewing
• Non-alcoholic beverage: Concord grape juice
• Foods: Seafood, especially New Orleans–style gumbo
• Activity: Zumba

Editor’s note: CDI Journal introduces an ACDIS member in each issue. If you would like to be featured, or know someone who would, please email ACDIS Editor Katherine Rushlau at krushlau@acdis.org.