Serenity CDI: Common sense is never common

By E.S. Damalie, MD, FACHE, FHFMA, RHIA, CCDS, CDIP, CCS

Every professional worth his or her salt needs to learn their trade and be very comfortable with the ins and outs of their profession. Such professionals also need to practice introspection about their limitations.

It’s true we live in a world where often if you don’t blow your own horn nobody will blow it for you. But you need to blow that horn in a measured manner. Often, I’ve met CDI professionals who paint such a wonderful picture of themselves in writing (via their resume) but their lists of accomplishments fall apart once I start engaging them.

Let potential employers know the truth about your skills and your limitations. This makes you a strong and honest candidate, not a weak one. Exaggerating your skillset will ultimately be exposed one way or another. You don’t want to find yourself in such a situation. Remember, too, that titles come with responsibilities and until you have the capability to live up to such responsibilities, you do a disservice to yourself and the organization you want to serve by being anything less than truthful about your knowledge base, experience, and service levels. Ultimately, let your work speak for itself.

Additionally, I’ve met many in CDI leadership positions or other Executive Leadership positions with CDI oversight who don’t give credit to their staff—something I would suspected would be a common-sense act. Appreciate what others contribute to the organization and give them credit. Too often people in positions of authority jump to claim credit for what they had little to no input on. Too often these same individuals are quick to blame others when things go wrong. Common sense will tell you this will destroy team spirit and negatively affect the organization.

Another frequent pitfall I’ve seen comes when organizations place the CDI department into the hands of an individual without knowledge of the benefits of CDI efforts. How can such leadership monitor and communicate performance benchmarks for the CDI team, understand what the support the CDI department needs, and communicate with the administration regarding program goals and outcomes? It makes much more sense to have department oversight from individuals that have at least some insight into what the department does, if not first-hand experience within the ranks of the CDI profession. Doing so will foster good working relationships and the much-needed support the department needs.

Experience is something very valuable in every sphere of life. This level of experience can set organizations apart. It explains why most great institutions try to retain their very best staff members.

Editor’s note: Damalie, a physician and CDI specialist, is currently affiliated with Serenity CDI+ Solutions, which offers CDI, appeals and denials management, coding and auditing, and other revenue cycle services. Currently a fellow of both the America College of Healthcare Executives and Healthcare Financial Management Association, he also serves on the ACDIS CDI Practice Guidelines Committee, and as chairman of the Certification Committee for the Southern California Chapter of HFMA. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of ACDIS or its advisory board. Contact Damalie at serenityCDIplus@gmail.com.