Director of Coding - Coding Quality and Integrity

SUMMARY

The Director of Coding provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for hospital coding functions, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and efficiency across all coding activities. This role integrates Epic HER workflows and AI-assisted coding tools to optimize revenue cycle performance and support clinical documentation integrity. The Director will collaborate with IT, CDI, and Revenue Integrity teams to drive innovation training and continuous improvement in coding operations.

BENEFITS

UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include :

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

Bachelor’s Degree in Health Information Management or related field.

10 years of progressive coding experience, including 3+ years in management.

Demonstrated experience with Epic EHR (Resolute, Slicer Dicer, etc.) and AI-assisted coding platforms.

Preferred

(RHIA) REGD HEALTH INFO ADMINIST or

(RHIT) REGD HEALTH INFO TECHNOLO or

(CCS) CERT CODING SPECIALIST or

JOB DUTIES

a. Directs, plans, organizes, monitors, and evaluates the work of the coding teams to ensure effective and efficient operations and compliance with established standards, rules, and regulations.

b. With the involvement of the coding team leadership develops, implements, and assesses long-range and short-term goals; conducts studies and analyzes reports and makes recommendations concerning staffing, organization, budget and workflow.

c. Direct, plan, and evaluate coding operations, including the integration of Epic EHR workflows and AI-assisted coding tools, ensuring accuracy, productivity, and regulatory compliance.

a. Maintains insight and understanding of future trends and regulations by cultivation of professional relationships with state and national organizations.

b. Takes the initiative to make decisions regarding practices and policies and is an advocate for improvement.

a. Provides direction for all coding activities, audits, education, productivity standards, and quality standards to improve unbilled targets and data quality.

b. Together with the UTSW HIM Director and Information Resources, assures best practice software design and functionality for coding practices.

c. Ongoing responsibility to assure orientation and training programs are in place while ensuring ongoing competence of staff is documented.

d. Ongoing accountability for regulatory compliance, continuous assessment, improvement, and coordination of coding team services.

e. Ongoing accountability for management of various resources to maintain maximum efficiency and meet performance objectives.

a. Provide strategic leadership and mentorship to coding teams, fostering a culture of excellence, compliance, and continuous learning.

b. Fosters open communication and shares plans with employees as well elevating employee issues and concerns to executive leadership as needed.

c. Demonstrates responsible and effective leadership for the overarching welfare of the coding team and acts as a mentor.

d. Monitors and evaluates subordinate coding team management staff according to organizational guidelines.

a. Maintains departmental statistics on work volume, productivity, accuracy, and data quality.

b. Analyze coding and billing data using Epic analytics tools to identify trends, optimize revenue, and drive process improvement.

c. Demonstrates continuous performance improvement in targeted areas of responsibility in alignments with the overall annual performance improvement targets.

d. Meets or exceeds financial goals and objectives of the department.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.