Page 27 - Christiana Care Focus February 2019

President’s Award team tackled ICD-10 mandate
The 2018 President’s Award went to the project Coder University – Talent Acquisition Innovations.
A mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) in 2015 meant that the race was on for recruiting skilled or trainable coders for difficult-to-fill new positions; to stave off a predicted 50 percent reduction in productivity in the first six months after going live; and prevent a predicted permanent productivity loss, based on staffing levels at the time.
Christiana Care launched full-time, 40-hour work week training classes lasting nine months. As a result, Christiana
Care hired 23 new coding associates and succeeded in filling 95 percent of vacant positions.
Today, all coding associates are actively employed at Christiana Care and have been promoted to full-fledged coders, while several have transitioned to senior coder and are ready to be promoted to coding coordinators.
Results indicate the development of this innovative training model enabled filling the vacant coding positions and reduced contract coder expenses by 63 percent in fiscal year 2018 compared to fiscal year 2016.
Health Equity Award
Noting that tooth decay is one of the
most common childhood diseases and disproportionately impacts low-income and minority children, Christiana Care Dental Administration and Outpatient Social Work collaborated with Reeds’ Refuge Center, a non-profit serving low-income families in Wilmington, to connect pediatric dental care with children having oral health issues.
By mitigating social, financial and transportation barriers in collaboration with a community partner trusted by parents, 35 children received 111 dental exams/procedures in 10 months. The partnership also increased dental residents’
exposure to pediatric dental issues. CONTINUED
| Extraordinary People
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