Director, Coding Services

University of Illinois Chicago•Chicago, IL

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Coding Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for UI Health’s inpatient and outpatient hospital facility coding services. The role supports organizational goals for quality, revenue integrity, regulatory compliance, and performance improvement, and engages in strategic planning with the Chief Quality Officer to set coding priorities and advance clinical documentation and coding initiatives. The Director works with CDI, HIM, Revenue Cycle, Finance, Information Services, Quality Performance and Improvement, Risk Management, physician leadership, and external vendors to improve coding accuracy, data integrity, operational efficiency, and financial performance. The Director serves as the organizational subject matter expert on hospital coding, compliance, documentation requirements, reimbursement methodologies, payer requirements, and applicable regulations. Responsibilities include overseeing coding operations, performance and audit programs; developing departmental goals, metrics, policies, and quality standards; managing staff, budgets, contracts, vendors, and outsourced coding services; and evaluating coding technologies and process improvements. The position also participates in multidisciplinary organizational initiatives and performs other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related healthcare field.
At least seven years of progressively responsible hospital facility coding experience.
At least five years of leadership experience managing hospital coding operations.
RHIA, RHIT, CCS, or an equivalent nationally recognized coding credential.
Extensive knowledge of ICD-10-CM/PCS, CPT, HCPCS, MS-DRGs, APCs, Official Coding Guidelines, CMS regulations, payer requirements, and hospital reimbursement methodologies.
Knowledge of coding compliance, clinical documentation improvement, revenue integrity, quality reporting, and healthcare regulatory requirements.
Strong understanding of Epic, computer-assisted coding (CAC), encoder technology, and healthcare coding systems.
Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
Ability to build collaborative relationships across multidisciplinary teams and lead organizational change and continuous performance improvement initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Experience within an academic medical center or large integrated healthcare system.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic direction and leadership for Coding Services aligned with organizational quality, financial, and operational goals.
Engage in strategic planning with the Chief Quality Officer to establish coding priorities, develop operational roadmaps, and support enterprise clinical documentation and coding initiatives.
Develop departmental goals, key performance indicators, and performance improvement plans.
Serve as the organizational subject matter expert on hospital coding, coding compliance, documentation requirements, reimbursement methodologies, payer requirements, and applicable federal and state regulations.
Oversee inpatient and outpatient hospital facility coding operations to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant code assignment.
Oversee coding productivity, quality, turnaround time, compliance, and coding audit programs.
Develop, monitor, and report coding performance metrics, operational dashboards, and departmental performance indicators.
Collaborate with the Director of Clinical Documentation Improvement to improve documentation quality, coding accuracy, and clinical data integrity.
Partner with Quality Performance and Improvement, Risk Management, Revenue Cycle, Finance, and physician leadership to support quality and regulatory reporting, reimbursement, and revenue integrity.
Collaborate with Information Services and external vendors to optimize Epic coding workflows, computer-assisted coding, encoder applications, and other coding technologies.
Evaluate and implement technologies and process improvements to enhance coding accuracy, operational efficiency, and clinical data integrity.
Oversee internal and external coding audits and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
Develop and maintain departmental coding policies, procedures, and quality standards consistent with regulations, payer requirements, and industry best practices.
Lead the Coding Services team by establishing employee goals, conducting annual performance evaluations, supporting professional development, and fostering employee engagement.
Conduct operating and capital fiscal planning and ensure financial performance according to the established budget plan.
Manage coding-related contracts, vendors, and outsourced coding services.
Participate in organizational committees and multidisciplinary initiatives supporting quality, patient safety, clinical documentation, and revenue integrity.
Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.