And How to Pursue It

Today we discuss CDI Medical Director. It’s a popular hospital-based job that can be a stepping stone to the C-suite.

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CDI was originally the acronym for clinical documentation improvement. More commonly today, it refers to clinical documentation integrity.

I have interviewed two CDI specialists in the past. One worked primarily as an independent CDI consultant. The second worked as a physician advisor for a large consulting firm.

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What is CDI?

Clinical Documentation Integrity is critical to a hospital’s success. It is the lynchpin for demonstrating the quality and safety of care. It is also integral to receiving appropriate payment and avoiding performance penalties from Medicare.  

A good CDI program will improve internal and external quality reporting. External reports dependent on CDI include HealthGrades, HospitalCompare, Watson Top 100, and LeapFrog Rankings.

CDI Medical Director

Most physician experts start out as hospital Physician Advisor for CDI. If the organization is large enough, CDI Medical Director is the next step up. Revenue cycle consulting firms also employ physicians in these roles to work on-site or remotely.

In the hospital setting, the CDI Medical Director position can lead to a senior level position as Department Director, Vice President, or Chief Medical Officer.

Preparing for the CDI Position

To prepare, interested physicians can take the following steps:

  1. find a mentor in the field,
  2. volunteer for committee work at your hospital,
  3. work as part-time CDI physician advisor,
  4. join the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and/or the Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS), and,
  5. advance to medical director or director.

Summary

A hospital CDI job is excellent in its own right. But it is also a good way to position yourself for other jobs. These include revenue cycle physician advisor at a healthcare consulting company or a more lucrative leadership position in hospital management. The lifestyle and pay are good. Both home-based and on-site work are available. And opportunities for advancement are excellent.

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The opinions expressed here are mine and my guest’s. While the information provided on the podcast is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge, there is no express or implied guarantee that using the methods discussed here will lead to success in your career, life, or business.

The information presented on this blog and related podcast is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. I do not provide medical, legal, tax, or emotional advice. If you take action on the information provided on the blog or podcast, it is at your own risk. Always consult an attorney, accountant, career counselor, or other professional before making any major decisions about your career.