What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Director, Health Information position at North Mississippi Health Services?
Job Summary
The Assistant Director of Health Information Management (HIM) leads strategic and operational efforts to enhance the accuracy, completeness, and quality of clinical documentation across the organization. This role oversees CDI specialists, collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, and ensures documentation supports appropriate coding, compliance, and quality reporting. Through data-driven leadership and education, the Assistant Director drives improvements in clinical outcomes, case mix index, and overall documentation integrity.
Clinical Documentation Improvement
JOB FUNCTIONS
Education
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
The Assistant Director of Health Information Management (HIM) leads strategic and operational efforts to enhance the accuracy, completeness, and quality of clinical documentation across the organization. This role oversees CDI specialists, collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, and ensures documentation supports appropriate coding, compliance, and quality reporting. Through data-driven leadership and education, the Assistant Director drives improvements in clinical outcomes, case mix index, and overall documentation integrity.
Clinical Documentation Improvement
JOB FUNCTIONS
- Improve overall quality and completeness of clinical documentation.
- Manage DRG denial process for inpatient services by collaborating with coders, CDSs, and physician advisors for appeals and education.
- Reviews all clinical denials and composes any clinical appeals
- Reviews DRG Discrepancies in Epic with SBO Leadership to see if appeal warranted
- Track denial/appeal responses and outcomes
- Prepare results for Senior Leadership
- Reviews all Readmission Denials sent from SBO Leadership to appeal if after study the occasions do not seem to be related
- Plan, direct, and coordinate daily activities of a professional group of Registered Nurses with CDS expertise
- Ensure staff consistently meets production standards
- Interview, hire, train, evaluate performance, and provide coaching or corrective action as needed.
- Review PSI/HAC codes (e.g., Pressure Ulcers, Postoperative Respiratory Failure, HTN/Heart DRGs) with Quality and Nursing Leadership to identify documentation improvement opportunities.
- Prepare and present monthly query reports to Hospitalist and FRMC Senior Leadership, including provider responses, turnaround times, and documentation clarification metrics.
- Serve as backup for HIM Director when needed.
- Serves as a coding and clinical documentation improvement resources for employees for all facilities
- Ability to audit CDS staff for quality assurance in order to give appropriate feedback and offer any needed training/education
- Ability to audit appropriateness of concurrent queries
- Ability to coordinate CDS schedules to meet needs of effective concurrent review and communication with physicians, Quality, and Case Management departments
- Development and implementation of healthcare providers education, staff development, departmental activities, and in-service opportunities
- Reports metrics to Steering Committee for CDI program
- Liaison for internal and external staff
- Serve as a documentation and coding resource across all facilities.
- Support physicians in linking ICD coding guidelines with medical terminology to improve accuracy in severity of illness, risk of mortality, and final code assignment.
- Coordinate activities of Physician Advisors and act as liaison between Coding, CDI, and physician advisors.
- Maintain active membership in AHIMA.
- Communicate updates on coding rules, billing, and reimbursement guidelines to relevant staff.
- Prepare for ICD-10 implementation and ongoing updates.
- Educate medical staff on documentation and coding issues.
Education
- Master's Degree in Health Information Management or Nursing. Required
- Bachelor's Degree in Health Information Management or Nursing with 4 years of experience in a leadership role in addition to required years experience. Required
- RHIA - Registered Health Information Administrator. . . Required
- RN-C - Registered Nurse, Certified (Area Of Speciality). . . Required
- . A member of American Health Information Management Association. . Required
- CCDS - Certified Cardiac Device Specialist. . . Preferred
- 4-6 years. Minimum of 4 years supervisory/management experience. Required
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
- Excellent organization skills
- Self-initiative and critical thinking skills
- Excellent oral and written communication skills required
- Responds timely and accurately to administrative requests
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint Excel
- Knowledge and understanding of pathology/physiology of disease processes
- Knowledge of healthcare regulations, coding standards (ICD-10, DRGs), and documentation requirements.
- Proficient with 3M Report Benefits A****vailable
- Continuing Education
- 403B Retirement Plan with Employer Match Contributions
- Pet, Identity Theft and Legal Services Insurance
- Wellness Programs and Incentives
- Referral Bonuses
- Employee Assistance Program
- Medical Benefits
- Dental Benefits
- Vision Benefits
- License Certification Reimbursement
- Life, Long-Term and Short-Term Disability, Group Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
- Employee Discount Program
- Other:
- Early Access to Earned Wages
- Tuition Assistance
- Relocation Assistance
- Paid Time Away
- Special Employee Rates at NMMC Wellness Centers