Attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for organizational success, and this is especially true for specialized roles like CDI specialists. These individuals play a vital role in ensuring accurate clinical documentation, optimizing reimbursement, and maintaining compliance; however, talent shortages in this specialized field can make hiring a significant challenge.
One large health system faced this very problem when launching a new CDI program across its 12 acute care hospitals. To overcome this hurdle, they partnered with Medix, an award-winning healthcare staffing agency with over 20 years of experience finding highly qualified talent in the revenue cycle industry. This strategic partnership enabled the client to successfully staff their CDI program and achieve their organizational goals.
About the Client
- Large health system with 12 acute care hospitals, 9,000+ physicians, and 38,000+ employees
The Challenge
Launching a new CDI program across 12 hospital sites presented numerous challenges for the healthcare system. One particularly pressing issue emerged at a specific location: a critical vacancy in the CDI specialist role. Despite ongoing recruitment efforts, the position remained unfilled for six months due to a scarcity of qualified candidates. This talent shortage hampered the timely launch of the CDI program and threatened to impede the organization’s goals for improved clinical documentation and optimized revenue cycle management.
The Solution
Instead of continuing to search for experienced CDI specialists in a limited talent pool, Medix proposed a unique staffing solution. This solution involved the following steps:
Identify Core Skills: The client and Medix collaborated to pinpoint the essential skills needed for the CDI role. They determined that nurses with strong acute care experience (MedSurg, ICU) possessed many of the necessary foundational skills.
Recruitment: The focus shifted to finding a suitable candidate with the desired clinical background and a strong interest in CDI.
Rapid Onboarding: Within two weeks, a qualified nurse was identified and transitioned into the CDI role. This rapid onboarding was crucial to get the program up and running.
Training and Development: The nurse received the necessary training and mentorship to succeed in the CDI role, including potential certifications to further their career path.
Alignment with Career Goals: Critically, the candidate was enthusiastic about transitioning to CDI, viewing it as a long-term career move.
The Results
This innovative approach yielded impressive results. Within just one month, the vacant CDI position was filled, effectively breaking the six-month recruitment standstill. This enabled the successful launch of the CDI program at the site, and given its effectiveness, this approach was then replicated at other hospital sites within the healthcare system. The nurse who transitioned into the role continues to excel two and a half years later, highlighting the long-term success of this staffing strategy.
Are you facing challenges in building or expanding your CDI program? Get the help you need with our latest webinar, Rethink and Revolutionize your Approach to Building a CDI Program, and then contact us to explore innovative staffing solutions tailored to your organization’s unique needs.
