CDI, Quality & Risk Manager

At St. Tammany Health System, delivering world-class healthcare close to home is our goal. That means we are committed to attracting and retaining the very best professionals for every position in our health system.

We believe the pristine beauty of St. Tammany Parish adds to our attractive compensation package. The health system is nestled in the heart of Covington on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. It is a peaceful, scenic, community-oriented area with an abundance of amenities to suit every taste.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS

JOB SUMMARY:

The Clinical Documentation Integrity, Quality, and Risk Adjustment Manager (CDQR) provides strategic and operational leadership for clinical documentation programs that ensure accurate, complete, and compliant medical record documentation. This role supports quality reporting, severity of illness and risk of mortality (SOI/ROM), value‑based reimbursement, and risk‑adjusted outcomes through strong oversight of CDI/CDE operations, auditing, education, and performance improvement.

Oversees CDI/CDE staff, conducts and validates documentation audits, and ensures compliance with regulatory and risk‑based reimbursement requirements. Using audit findings, second‑level reviews, and performance metrics, the role identifies documentation gaps and trends, drives continuous improvement initiatives, and maintains alignment with evolving regulatory standards. In close partnership with Health Information Management (HIM), coding, quality, and physician leadership, this position promotes consistent productivity, operational efficiency, and documentation excellence across the organization.

Collaborates closely with physicians, advanced practice providers, residents, coding teams, and CDI/CDE advisors to enhance documentation quality and specificity. The role also leads risk adjustment initiatives to ensure documentation accurately reflects patient complexity and care provided, supports reimbursement and quality outcomes, and meets payer requirements. Additionally, the manager develops and delivers targeted education on documentation best practices, coding and reimbursement implications, and quality performance concepts, while serving as a key liaison across documentation, coding, quality, and compliance functions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduate of an accredited School of Nursing
• 5 years of clinical experience in an acute or ambulatory care setting
• 3-5 years of leading/managing a clinical documentation team
• Current State Registered Nurse License
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to build professional relationships and effectively collaborate with physicians, nursing staff, administration, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated leadership and team‑building abilities, including experience supporting and engaging both remote or hybrid teams, with an initiative-taking approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.
• Strong analytical and critical‑thinking skills, with the ability to interpret clinical documentation excellence (CDE/CDI) metrics, identify trends, and develop actionable recommendations.
• In‑depth knowledge of clinical documentation requirements, ICD‑10‑CM coding guidelines, and risk‑adjustment methodologies, including familiarity with Medicare, Medicaid, and other risk‑based reimbursement programs.
• Ability to maintain current knowledge of regulatory requirements, industry trends, and emerging risk‑adjustment and documentation programs, and to adapt processes accordingly.
• Experience managing departmental operations, including productivity monitoring, audits, staff performance evaluation, and quality assurance activities.
• Demonstrated financial acumen, including experience working within a budget and interpreting financial and operational data to support decision‑making.
• Strong organizational, planning, and time‑management skills, with the ability to work independently, set priorities, and manage multiple initiatives with minimal supervision.
• Exhibits exemplary professionalism and discretion, with the ability to maintain confidentiality and manage sensitive information appropriately.
• Availability to be on-site for required meetings and organizational need.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience using clinical documentation and coding tools, including 3M software and encoder systems.
• Demonstrated broad clinical knowledge and understanding of complex disease processes, with experience supporting documentation improvement in inpatient/outpatient settings.
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision, set priorities, meet deadlines, multi-task, and problem solving. Collaborate and promote teamwork using strong interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing
• Experience with Medicare risk adjustment, Hierarchical Condition Categories, coding, billing, quality measures and auditing
• RN with Current Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) through Association for Clinical Document Improvement Specialists (ACDIS)
• Vizient Risk-Adjustment methodology knowledge and experience

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Must possess good physical health.  Some requirements include but are not limited to standing, sitting or walking for long periods of time.  Lifting at least 20 pounds is required.  Must be able to work with a moderate level of noise.
Physical Effort required:        
Constant (67%-100%) - seeing
Frequently (34%-66%) - handling/feeling, talking, hearing
Occasionally (1%-33%) - lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, balancing, stooping, crouching, reaching

EMPLOYMENT

Each St. Tammany Health System staff member is expected to conduct himself or herself according to our mission, vision and values. Please take time to review those expectations, which can be found by clicking here, before applying for employment. If you feel you are unable to demonstrate those characteristics, we respectfully request that you do not proceed with the application process.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

St. Tammany Health System is an Equal Opportunity Employer. St. Tammany Health System is committed to equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability status, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.