Mentorship Creates Competent and Loyal Leaders
Finding a qualified Health Information Management (HIM) professional who will stay with you long-term is no easy task, especially for rural practices. Bigger cities have larger candidate pools, higher pay, and desired amenities, which leaves potential candidates less likely to move to a rural town for the same position. However, if you are in the search for a qualified and loyal HIM professional, you may find one closer than you think.
Qualified Candidates Are Often Hidden in Plain Sight
Promote From Within
Chances are there is already someone on your team with the potential to be the next HIM director. They may just need some extra training to handle the job. AQuity Solutions HIM Interim Management provides the mentorship a new director needs to succeed. Your employee already has the experience, and you’ll enjoy a longer retention rate when investing in existing own staff.
Recent Graduates
Another great option is to look at local universities or community colleges with accredited HIM programs. With AQuity providing the mentorship and your organization providing the opportunity, you will see a new graduate stay to gain experience.
An experienced AQuity consultant will mentor your new director and act as a safety net until they know the ropes.
AQuity Mentors HIM Directors
The Mentorship Process
As with other areas of healthcare, HIM is continually evolving, which means keeping up to date with the latest regulations and requirements. A credentialed and experienced consultant creates seamless day-to-day operations and reliable results. This happens all while AQuity teaches the new director the expectations of the position.
Our staff are on-site once a month but hold weekly meetings to check in and problem solve. Although candidates that come from within the department or new graduates already have a good understanding of HIM practices, our staff will walk them through a deeper understanding of focused areas, such as Discharged Not Final Billed (DNFB) and other key metrics and KPIs. However, the main area of focus in mentorship lies in management training.
Mentors Provide More Than Training
It is one thing to train an employee how to do a job; it is another to mentor them. AQuity excels at both.
Stephanie Turner, CPC, CCS, went through a huge change when given the opportunity to move from medical coder to Coding Manager. Communication with her mentor throughout the day provided knowledge in how to best manage various situations, and it was a huge asset for her.
“Just knowing that you have that person there to support if you are struggling can be really comforting. Having that mentorship with someone who has numerous years of experience greatly impacts the outcome,” said Stephanie.
We see a similar outcome with Jill Zimmerman, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CHONC. Jill started as a medical transcriptionist but discovered an interest in coding. After completing the coursework, Jill had an opportunity to start in AQuity’s coder apprentice program, created for coders with education but no job experience. Jill thrived with constructive, honest feedback from a mentor in real time, but there was more to it for her. Management was calling her. With progressive movement to auditor, trainer, and now Coding Manager at AQuity, she has been employed nearly 20 years and works to help others succeed the same way.
“Had someone not given me that first opportunity and mentorship, I don’t think I would be where I am today,” said Jill. “They saw something in me.”
The Value of Mentorship
Mentorship pays off by creating competent, loyal leaders for organizations. Other values that mentorship brings to the table include:
- Longer retention when investing in internal staff.
- Valuable option for organizations to promote from within.
- Provides an opportunity to someone with education but no job experience.
- Gains dedicated employees by investing in them while providing a safety net.
- Avoids gaps in departmental management and enhances direction and stability for existing staff.
- Mentorship will align to the organization’s management style and values.
By providing an opportunity to an existing employee or new grad, you could be gaining one of the best HIM directors for your facility. AQuity HIM Interim Management Services will help your candidate develop the requisite management skills, guide them every step of the way, and provide the support they need to be successful.
Diana Baker, CCS
Director of Remote Coding and HIM Services
Diana has over 30 years of experience in coding management, operational assessments, medical coding, and coding compliance audits. She is a proven leader in Health Information Management, having worked in several consulting firms prior to spearheading AQuity Solutions’ Interim Management Services. Her passion for helping others improve their skills and grow within the company led Diana to provide mentorship and develop a coder apprentice program. Countless coders have advanced to management positions under her leadership and guidance.
