Meet a Member: ‘An exciting adventure’

Jennie Kelley, RN, BSN, CCDS, is the CDI director at UMass Memorial Health in Massachusetts. She is also a member of the Massachusetts ACDIS local chapter.

ACDIS: How long have you been in the CDI field, and what did you do before entering the field?

Kelley: I’ve been in the CDI field for nine years. Before that, I was an RN on a med/surg unit, and then on a cardiac and vascular step-down unit.

ACDIS: Why did you get into this line of work? 

Kelley: I was looking for a change from bedside nursing. While I loved being at the bedside, I also had interest in other areas of nursing. I stumbled upon a job opening at one of the UMass Memorial Health Community hospitals in the field of CDI. I knew nothing about the field but researched the role and thought this would be the move I was looking for. I was hired and became the CDI supervisor, and when UMass Memorial Health integrated their revenue cycle in 2017, I became the integrated CDI program manager and later CDI director.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest challenge? 

Kelley: My biggest challenge came when I first entered the role of CDI. The one other CDI specialist at that hospital had left after only a few weeks. I was in a new role and knew nothing, so my only choices were to try to learn everything I could or go back to bedside nursing. Fortunately, I was working with an amazing coding team who took me under their wing and taught me about coding and querying. I am so glad I stuck it out. Given what I went through, I vowed to never have a team member be in the same situation. At UMass, we have developed an orientation program for new team members to ensure they receive the training they need to succeed in the CDI role.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest reward? 

Kelley: My team! I have the best team there is and it has been amazing to see everything we have accomplished together. I have also watched my team grow individually in their roles, which isvery rewarding to me.

ACDIS: How has the field changed since you began working in CDI?

Kelley: Rapid Expansion. The CDI field is ever changing, and keeping up with the changes and new focus areas is both a challenge but also an exciting adventure.

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

Kelley: ACDIS has been my go-to for all resources. I have networked with other organizations and learned so much form resource sharing.

ACDIS: What piece of advice would you offer to a new CDI specialist?

The field of CDI is like learning a new language and it takes about a year to feel “comfortable” in the role—but stick it out. You will learn so much, you will be challenged every day, and the rewards and growth are tremendous.

ACDIS: If you could have any other job, what would it be? 

I love math and love working with children. If I didn’t pursue a career in nursing and CDI, I would have been a middle school math teacher.  

ACDIS: What was your first job?

I worked at my uncle’s pizza place. To this day, my family defers homemade pizza making to me.

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

• Vacation spots: White Mountains of New Hampshire. We have a seasonal camper there and it’s my kids’ favorite place to be.
• Hobbies: Camping, knitting, walking the dogs
• Non-alcoholic beverage: Coffee
• Foods: Peanut butter is my favorite food—better when mixed with chocolate!
• Activities: Being with my family and doing whatever my kids want to do

ACDIS: Tell us about your family and how you like to spend your time away from CDI.

I am married to the love of my life, Matt, and we have two amazing children, Brooke and Benjamin. We also are dog lovers and have two rescue pups. Lucky was my first baby and Vivi is our newest addition. We love spending time together and my husband and I have enjoyed watching our children grow.