Diabetes Nurse Educator

Sinai Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Chicago is seeking a Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialist to oversee the accuracy of clinical documentation for inpatient medical records. This role involves conducting documentation reviews, collaborating with healthcare providers and coding teams, and ensuring compliance with coding guidelines. The ideal candidate will hold a relevant degree and appropriate certifications while having extensive clinical experience in acute care settings. This position plays a key role in supporting quality and performance improvement initiatives within the organization.

Qualifications

• 3 years of clinical experience in acute care nursing or equivalent.
• 2 years of experience in CDI, inpatient coding, or case management.
• Certification as CCDS or CDIP preferred within 12 months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Conducts concurrent clinical documentation reviews for assigned inpatient cases.
• Initiates compliant physician queries for clarification.
• Collaborates with physicians and coding teams to ensure accurate documentation.
• Participates in daily clinical rounds and case management discussions.
• Reviews documentation related to key quality metrics.

Skills

ICD-10-CM/PCS knowledge

Clinical judgment

Critical thinking skills

Ability to interpret complex clinical data

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Health Information Management, or related healthcare field

Active RN, LPN, RHIA, or RHIT credential

Tools

3M CDI platform

Optum CDI platform

Job description

Position Purpose

The Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialist – Hospital Based (CDIS-HB) is responsible for performing concurrent and retrospective reviews of inpatient medical records to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of clinical documentation. The CDIS collaborates closely with providers, coding professionals, and utilization review teams to ensure that clinical documentation accurately reflects the patient’s severity of illness (SOI), risk of mortality (ROM), and resource utilization.

This role directly supports compliance, accurate DRG assignment, and appropriate reimbursement while advancing quality and performance improvement initiatives throughout the organization.

Key Job Activities

• Conducts concurrent clinical documentation reviews for assigned inpatient cases to identify opportunities for clarification and improved specificity.
• Initiates compliant physician queries to obtain clarification or additional documentation that impacts coding, DRG assignment, SOI, ROM, and quality outcomes.
• Collaborates with physicians, advanced practice providers, and coding teams to ensure documentation accurately reflects the patient's clinical picture and supports coded data.
• Participates in daily clinical rounds, case management discussions, and multidisciplinary meetings to proactively identify documentation gaps.
• Reviews documentation related to key quality metrics such as PSI, HAC, mortality, and LOS variances.
• Reconciles CDI findings with coding results to ensure DRG accuracy and alignment between CDI and HIM.

Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Health Information Management, or related healthcare field required.
• Minimum of 3 years of clinical experience in acute care nursing (ICU, Med/Surg, Telemetry, etc.) or equivalent.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in CDI, inpatient coding, or case management.

Knowledge and Skills

• Working knowledge of ICD-10-CM/PCS, MS-DRG and APR-DRG methodology, and clinical validation guidelines.
• Experience using 3M, Optum, or other CDI platforms preferred.
• Excellent clinical judgment and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to interpret complex clinical data and translate it into accurate documentation.

Certifications/Licenses

• Active RN, LPN, RHIA, or RHIT credential required.
• Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) or Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP) strongly preferred (or obtained within 12 months of hire).