Lead Clinical Documentation Specialist

Ascension•Remote,

10d•$96,209 - $134,110•Remote

About The Position

The Lead Clinical Document Specialist (CDS) – Rapid Response serves as a high-level clinical documentation integrity expert, deployed to address urgent, complex, or high-impact issues across the CDI program. This role supports strategic initiatives, facilitates rapid-cycle audits, and investigates documentation and coding anomalies in real-time. The Rapid Response Lead works collaboratively across departments to drive accurate documentation, coding integrity, and risk adjustment capture, while supporting training, compliance, and data-driven decision-making.

Requirements

Clinical Documentation Prof. credentialed from the Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists obtained prior to hire date or job transfer date.
High School diploma equivalency with 2 years of cumulative experience OR Associate'sdegree/Bachelor's degree with 1 year of experience OR 5 years of applicable cumulative job specific experience required.
Lead experience
Project Management experience
CCDS Certified

Nice To Haves

2 years of leadership or management experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary resource for urgent CDI issues (e.g., payer denials, audits, DRG validation).
Address immediate system needs (e.g., high denial rates, quality issues, new coding rules).
Mentor front-line CDSs on complex cases, query framing, and escalation.
Analyze documentation and coding data for trends and improvement.
Lead and ensure compliance of strategic CDI initiatives across markets/systems.
Evaluate strategic results and recommend implementation pathways.