Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Certification
Timeline
Generic

Caryn Nowak

San Diego,CA

Summary

Dynamic professional with extensive experience at Rady Children's Health, specializing in clinical documentation improvement and compliance. Proven ability in data-driven problem solving and advanced Excel skills to enhance revenue cycle optimization. Adept at fostering collaborative teamwork and delivering impactful training, driving quality outcomes in healthcare settings.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Adjunct Professor

UC San Diego Extended Studies
08.2016 - Current
  • Facilitate online asynchronous instruction for introduction to medical coding, covering basic coding principles including ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and CPT.
  • Design and update course content and assignments based on AHIMA and AAPC industry standards.
  • Deliver recorded lectures and instructional content tailored for adult learners in a remote environment.
  • Provide individualized feedback and support to students via email and discussion boards to encourage comprehension and engagement.

Clinical Documentation Specialist

Rady Children's Health
08.2016 - Current
  • Collaborate with physician advisors, physicians and coders to clarify documentation for appropriate severity of illness, risk of mortality, and accurate DRG assignment.
  • Monitor, track, and trend CDI metrics, implement process improvements based on data in alignment with performance evaluations.
  • Conduct monthly audits of inpatient queries to ensure compliance with ACDIS and AHIMA consistent with coding documentation guidelines and meet with CDI team members to review individual feedback for areas of improvement.
  • Serve as a liaison between CDI and coding teams as well as hospital leadership to support quality initiatives, reimbursement, accuracy and compliance.
  • Provide ongoing education to CDI staff and Providers on documentation best practices.
  • Lead CDI projects with hospital goals for quality outcomes and financial performance at the forefront.

Project Manger - Corporate Compliance

Sharp Healthcare
07.2015 - 07.2016
  • Reviewed external audit findings and created internal compliance bulletins to educate staff on risk areas and ensure consistent coding practices across the organization.
  • Collaborated with internal stakeholders, including service line managers and executive leadership, to present preliminary findings and financial impact analyses prior to broader coding education roll outs.
  • Analyzed audit results and developed action plans, training materials, and workflows to support compliance and risk mitigation.
  • Delivered detailed reports and presentations to leadership to communicate key compliance trends and project outcomes.

Project Manager - CDI and Coding Services

Peak Healthcare Solutions
06.2013 - 07.2014
  • Conducted in depth coding gap analyses to identify documentation deficiencies, missed opportunities and revenue impact from lack of clinical specificity.
  • Collaborated with coding auditors and clients to ensure timely completion of deliverables and successful project completion.
  • Designed and created CDI boot camp manuals used to on board new CDI Specialists on documentation best practices and query integrity.
  • Oversaw multiple concurrent CDI and coding projects ensuring timelines and deliverable were met.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - International Business Management

San Diego State University
San Diego, CA

Associate of Science - Health Information Technology

San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, CA

Skills

  • Advanced Excel skills
  • Clear and concise communication
  • Data-driven problem solving
  • Revenue cycle optimization
  • Continuous quality improvement methods
  • Collaborative teamwork
  • Experienced with Epic and 3M 360/Solventum

Affiliations

  • California ACDIS Board Member since 2019

Certification

RHIA - Registered Health Information Administrator

CDIP - Clinical Documentation Integrity Practitioner

CCDS - Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist

Timeline

Adjunct Professor

UC San Diego Extended Studies
08.2016 - Current

Clinical Documentation Specialist

Rady Children's Health
08.2016 - Current

Project Manger - Corporate Compliance

Sharp Healthcare
07.2015 - 07.2016

Project Manager - CDI and Coding Services

Peak Healthcare Solutions
06.2013 - 07.2014

Bachelor of Arts - International Business Management

San Diego State University

Associate of Science - Health Information Technology

San Diego Mesa College

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