Meet a Member: Physician buy-in can be a challenge, but also the biggest reward

Kristie Perry, MHSA, RN, CCDS, CCS, is the CDI manager/educator at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and she’s a core team member for the Tennessee ACDIS local chapter. She’s been in CDI since 2007.

ACDIS: What did you do before entering CDI? Why did you get into this line of work?
Perry: I was an RN in neurology intensive care unit (ICU) and the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and I worked in the ER/ICU at a critical access hospital for two years.

Eventually, I needed more stable hours to care for my children, due to my husband’s work demands as a hospital pharmacist, so I ended up pursing a career in CDI.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest challenge?
Perry: Initially, physician buy-in was the biggest hurdle but in the last five to seven years, it’s been balancing productivity with quality and factoring physician rounds/education into that equation as well.

I have just recently stepped into the manager role and it has been a challenge giving up that one-on-one contact on a daily basis with physicians, because I feel like that’s where I excel in my role.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest reward?
Perry: When resident physicians call to ask me questions, when they thank me for helping them learn how to properly document before they are out on their own, and when the trauma physicians that I work closely with thank me for helping them and “having their back.”

ACDIS: How has the field changed since you began working in CDI?
Perry: Just from a “perception” viewpoint, initially CDI was viewed as greedy and only looking for the money, but now the CDI team is viewed as a knowledgeable member of the hospital team due to their expertise in documentation, patient safety indicators, and quality issues. The role and responsibility of the CDI specialist is ever-expanding!

ACDIS: Can you mention a few of the “gold nuggets” of information you’ve received from colleagues on The Forum or through ACDIS?
Perry: The position papers/white papers give valuable information for the CDI practice. This information is useful for new employee orientation and in establishing improved processes. 

ACDIS: If you have attended, how many ACDIS conferences have you been to? What are your favorite memories?
Perry: I have attended four ACDIS conferences (Orlando, Nashville, Atlanta, Las Vegas). The best memories are just the networking opportunities and learning new information, and I can’t leave out having my picture taken with ZDogg!

ACDIS: What piece of advice would you offer to a new CDI specialist?
Perry: Don’t expect to know it all in a few weeks or months, give yourself at least a year to feel comfortable in CDI and study the code book!

ACDIS: If you could have any other job, what would it be?
Perry: Maybe a personal shopper or event planner—my attention to detail is going to kill me!

ACDIS: What was your first job?
Perry: My first job was at Burger King, back when they had brown polyester uniforms.

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

• Vacation spots: New York City and Hilton Head.
• Hobbies: Singing and scrapbooking (even though I don’t get to do it very often).
• Non-alcoholic beverage: Diet Coke.
• Foods: Pizza.
• Activities: Hiking and attending concerts.

ACDIS: Tell us about your family and how you like to spend your time away from CDI.
Perry: I’m married to Steven, who is a pharmacist at the same hospital I work in. We met here and have been married for 27 years. We have two children: Joseph, who’s a 26-year-old third year medical student (despite my pleas), and Will, who’s a 16-year-old junior in high school who loves video games.