Meet a Member: “Don’t be stagnant, in your career or life!”

Alasha L. Hunt, RN, RT(R) CT, joined the CDI professional a little more than a year ago and works as a CDI specialist at Garrett Regional Medical Center in Oakland, Maryland. Though it’s more than three hours away, she plans to attend the annual Maryland ACDIS local chapter conference on Saturday, September 20, at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Towson.

ACDIS Blog: What did you do before entering CDI?
Hunt: Before CDI, I worked in radiology doing CAT Scans, X-rays, as well as mammography. I went back to school while continuing to work in radiology. When I finished school, I worked on the intensive care unit and then in the OR as a nurse circulator specializing in orthopedics. I went on to fill the position as our hospital’s only CDI specialist.

ACDIS Blog: Why did you get into this line of work?
Hunt: I got into this line of work because I wanted to make a difference on a larger scale. My hope is to further engage physicians by helping them to enhance their documentation. With this documentation enhancement, I am really trying to help them pick up on those “missing” tidbits of documentation and hope that it makes a positive difference in the patient’s plan of care. The medical field and technology are changing too fast; treatment options available today are constantly improving. I want to be a part of educating physicians, so they want to use the most up-to-date data in diagnosing and treating patients.

ACDIS Blog: What has been your biggest challenge?
Hunt: My biggest challenge has been going from a position where I was constantly on my feet, running here and there, helping patients/physicians/family members with what they needed, to working a job where I have to “sit” and read charts for a big part of the day. I am a very physical person and movement has always been a large and essential part of my life in work and at home.

ACDIS Blog: What has been your biggest reward?
Hunt: My biggest reward has been helping the patients. There have been occasions where I have caught missing diagnoses (especially in labs) that I was able to discuss with the nurses or physicians, and because of this, the patients were treated appropriately. For example, positive blood cultures, urinalysis, etc.

ACDIS Blog: How has the field changed since you began working in CDI?
Hunt: In the short amount of time I have been working as CDI, I have seen a large shift on the focus of capturing hierarchical condition categories (HCC) and outpatient CDI efforts.

ACDIS Blog: Can you mention a few of the “gold nuggets” of information you’ve received from colleagues on The Forum or through ACDIS?
Hunt: There are a few things:

• Be confident in your physician education and try to know what questions they are going to ask before they actually do ask them.
• Engage as many physicians as you can—if they feel involved they’ll be more likely to be helpful.
• Try to gain access to as much education as possible. The coding professionals at your organization and webinars are both great resources.
• Physicians are great teachers if you show interest. So show interest and then show up!     

ACDIS Blog: If you have attended, how many ACDIS conferences have you been to? What are your favorite memories?
Hunt: I haven’t attended the national conference, but I’ve been to the Maryland chapter’s conference once. My favorite memory was participating in the chair yoga exercises. The speaker on upcoming changes to the Maryland waiver was great too.

ACDIS Blog: What piece of advice would you offer to a new CDI specialist?
Hunt: Get your coding certification (certified coding associate [CCA] or certified coding specialist [CCS]). I believe this is essential to being a good CDI specialist. And get close to your coders—they are the experts.

ACDIS Blog: If you could have any other job, what would it be?
Hunt: I would work as a nurse on a flight crew.

ACDIS Blog: What was your first job?
Hunt: In high school, my very first job was a paralegal assistant.

ACDIS Blog: Can you tell us about a few of your favorite things?

• Vacation spots: Alaska (beautiful scenery and lots of great opportunities for hiking)
• Hobbies: Playing/coaching soccer and watching late night TV (my favorites are I Love Lucy, Golden Girls, and Friends)
• Non-alcoholic beverage: Tea with lemon
• Foods: Anything spicy
• Activity: Spending time with family

ACDIS Blog: Tell us about your family and how you like to spend your time away from CDI.
Hunt: I have been married for more than 12 years and we have been blessed with three children—two girls and a boy, ages 11, 6, and 1! Any time I am not at work is spent with family; I couldn’t think of anything I would rather be doing!

ACDIS Blog: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Hunt: Don’t be stagnant, in your career or life. Keep learning, changing, and adapting.