Our Lady of Lourdes

Job Summary

The Clinical Documentation Specialist (CDS) is responsible for improving the overall accuracy and completeness of clinical documentation within the medical record. The CDS performs record reviews on selected medical records and documents findings and opportunities. Requests clarification of clinician documentation which is incomplete, conflicting, or non-specific. Facilitates modifications to medical record documentation for accurate reflection of the patient's severity of illness, risk of mortality, and resource utilization through interaction with clinicians, medical record coders, and multidisciplinary healthcare team. Serves as a resource to providers for linking medical terminology and coding guidelines for improved accuracy in code assignment.

Minimum Requirements

• Must possess one of the following:
  • RN with 3 years clinical nursing experience in an acute care facility
  • RHIA or RHIT with 5 years acute care coding experience with CCS certification
  • 10 years acute care coding experience with CCS certification
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Nursing or HIM preferred
• Knowledge of ICD-9 coding or documentation improvement experience preferred, but not required

Founded by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady in 1949, Our Lady of Lourdes is a regional acute care medical center focused on the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Lourdes is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System , which is the largest locally-owned, not-for-profit health system in Louisiana. As such, our hospital has access to a great many resources - helping us to fulfill our mission.

The hospital employs more than 2,200 people and offers a physician staff of over 600 doctors in a variety of medical and surgical specialties. Lourdes’ services include Centers of Excellence in the areas of Orthopedics, Stroke and a Robotics Surgery Program. The hospital is home to the only burn unit in Southwest Louisiana and a Commission on Cancer accredited oncology program. Our Lady of Lourdes operates Our Lady of Lourdes Heart Hospital, a premier 32-bed cardiac facility and Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital offering the area’s only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Level 3 Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit . With additional services including multiple clinics, four imaging locations and a primary care physician network , Lourdes provides easy access to comprehensive care throughout the community.