I have always been fascinated by the career journeys of healthcare quality professionals. I love hearing about when you were first bit by the quality bug and how quality is at the center of everything you do. One story that is particularly compelling to me is that of Becky Slagell, MHA, RHIT, CPHQ, CCDS, division vice president, coding and clinical coordination and documentation improvement for ScionHealth.

I first met Becky when I was serving as a senior director, compliance and quality at Kindred Health Systems. I immediately knew she was something special. We were both long-time NAHQ members and a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality® (CPHQ). At the time we met, Becky was a senior director of enterprise utilization management to compliance. We shared a passion for quality, but her role was and still is unique. It reflects the contributions she has made to the practice of healthcare quality. But I am jumping ahead. Let us start this story at the beginning.

When Becky was young, she wanted to be a vet so she could care for the animals she loved. So, she went to college and studied biology. During her coursework, she was introduced to biostatistics and her career aspirations changed course. Upon graduation, her challenge was to find a job where she could combine her passion for caring for living things and have fun with data. So, she decided to go back to school to get an additional degree in healthcare information management. She then became a DRG coordinator/coding supervisor at St Joseph Hospital in Elgin, Illinois.

Becky reflects: ”When I became a DRG coordinator, the prospective payment system was just being introduced. This was really an exciting time for me professionally. Coding was becoming more interactive as it was happening not just in anticipation of discharge but over the course of patient care. We used the data to tell the patient’s story. I was able to share with utilization review nurses the patterns that revealed what was happening. Connecting the dots helped us understand what was required to ensure positive patient outcomes as well as fair reimbursement.”

We all know that documentation can be burdensome, but part of what makes Becky unique is her ability to infect others with a love of data. Becky was working in long-term acute care in 2002 when LTAC PPS went into effect. She remembers: “I received pushback from my colleagues. We were asking so much from our case managers, and I wanted to help because they did not have coding backgrounds. So, I put books together as a resource for them. I asked them to let me know if they see patterns that needed to be explored with the physicians. They needed liaisons, clinical documentation improvement coordinators, who could ask the questions that the data required.”

Becky’s efforts have paid off. “Today, clinicians understand that we are telling the patient story. We need to fill in the gaps to determine if patients need more or even less care. We have indicators to compare to norms. All this effort is focused on improving patient care. Coding is a tool, but we cannot code what physicians do not document. Asking them why helps ensure the documentation is comprehensive and complete, so patients receive optimal care, are not hospitalized longer than is beneficial, and our system is reimbursed. It is a win-win-win.”

Having decided early in her career to dedicate her life work to improving patient outcomes, it is not surprising that Becky studied for her CPHQ when it was not required of her. I asked her what has motivated her to maintain her CPHQ for 30 years, “Quality is in my head everywhere I go. The CPHQ was necessary for me to go above and beyond. It has allowed me to explore new opportunities, but most importantly, maintaining my CPHQ keeps me true to my core.”

I asked what advice she has for healthcare professionals considering pursuing their CPHQ, she says: “The CPHQ is becoming increasingly important as it demonstrates in a tangible way a commitment to quality. To be successful in a healthcare career, it is important to know what you are talking about when it comes to quality and achieving your CPHQ shows that you do.”

Combining her unique interests, perspectives, and skills, Becky has accomplished in her career what she set out to do – care for living things. She may not have predicted how her work would evolve or even the difference that she would make in the lives of so many people. Still, she stands as an example of how a passion for quality, a love of science, and an affinity for data can change lives for the better.

Thank you, Becky, for letting me tell your story.

Emmett T. Ervin, MPA, CPHQ
NAHQ President

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