Meet a Member: Be patient with yourself, she advises new CDI professionals

Franchesca T. DeLisser, MSHI, BSN, RN, is the director of CDI at Ensemble Health Partners/Bon Secours Mercy Health—Richmond (Virginia) market. She is the co-leader for the Virginia ACDIS local chapter and has been in the CDI field since February 2014.

ACDIS: What did you do before entering CDI? Why did you get into this line of work?
DeLisser: I was in nursing administration and was legal nurse consultant before I entered the CDI field.

The field appealed to be because I wanted to make a difference, not just for our patients, but for the healthcare organization. I wanted to help the providers paint an accurate clear picture of the quality care they are providing to the patients. And I get to mentor nurses and grow leaders. 

ACDIS: What has been your biggest challenge?
DeLisser: It has changed over the past year. It used to be providers understanding the reason why we continue to ask them clinical validation queries but now it’s keeping staff onboard with the opportunities they have for being remote 100% out of the hospital environment.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest reward?
DeLisser: Mentoring and leading nurses, not just in the profession as a CDI professional. 

ACDIS: How has the field changed since you began working in CDI?
DeLisser: It has changed a great deal.

When I first started in 2014, my facility was only doing Medicare case reviews and was mainly concerned about increasing the case mix index and then ICD-10 came about in 2015, and we had an opportunity to change our focus. We went to reviewing all payers and we started focusing more on quality reviews and focusing on denial prevention, and other pay-for-performance initiatives our organization was involved in and seeing how the CDI department could make a difference while doing our daily reviews. We collaborated more with coding and quality departments over the years and continue to do that today.

ACDIS: Can you mention a few of the “gold nuggets” of information you’ve received from colleagues on The Forum or through ACDIS?
DeLisser: I’ve gotten golden nuggets especially from the Forum and Melissa Varnavas, who always says to “please reach out whenever you need resources or information about any topics.” Networking is your best friend, take advantage of this opportunity.

Take advantage of the ACDIS quarterly conference calls too.

ACDIS has so much information on its website. I even was able to post a job opening there—if anyone is interested an lives in Richmond, Virginia I am still looking!

ACDIS: If you have attended, how many ACDIS conferences have you been to? What are your favorite memories?
DeLisser: The eighth annual conference in San Antonio was my very first one. Then in 2019, I was able to present with other CDI leaders with my healthcare organization for Bon Secours Mercy Health and Ensemble Health Partners in Orlando, Florida.

ACDIS: What piece of advice would you offer to a new CDI specialist?
DeLisser: Have patience with yourself and it will all get clearer after the first two years.

ACDIS: If you could have any other job, what would it be?
DeLisser: I would be an actress—life is a stage and we are all actors and actresses!

ACDIS: What was your first job?
DeLisser: My first paying job was at age 16. I was a cashier in Key Foods grocery store.

I was in a health careers class for my four years in high school, and when I graduated, I was able to get my nursing assistant license. I had to volunteer in the nursing home while doing this, without pay!

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

• Vacation spots: Jamaica, Turk and Caicos, and Paris.
• Hobbies: Making family photo albums, chess, and cooking.
• Non-alcoholic beverage: Sweet iced tea.
• Foods: Seafood and Italian.
• Activity: My First 10K will be this March.

ACDIS: Tell us about your family and how you like to spend your time away from CDI.
DeLisser: I have three adult daughters, one great son-in-law, and three grandsons. I love to spend family time with them. We like to travel together and just have fun and make memories.

ACDIS: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
DeLisser: There is significant transformation within our healthcare systems that healthcare costs are still out of control as organizations are trying to deliver excellent quality patient care.

Our profession is a key component in ensuring accurate and compliant documentation is in the record.

This has been the most rewarding profession I have had as a nurse. There is so much I have learned in this great profession of CDI.

We are subject matter experts when it comes to knowing what truly is going on within our patient’s electronic medical records.