Clinical Documentation Educator

Position Summary

Provides system-wide leadership for Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) education, competency development, and provider engagement. Responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating a standardized education program for CDI staff and providers to improve the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of clinical documentation.

Translates insights from program performance, advanced case review findings, and regulatory updates into targeted, data-driven education initiatives. Collaborates with CDI leadership and interdisciplinary stakeholders to support a continuous feedback model that drives improvement in documentation quality, clinical outcomes, and reimbursement accuracy.

Education, Licensure & Certifications

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required, Master’s degree preferred

• CCDS certification required

Experience Requirements

• Prior CDI experience required with a minimum of 2–3 years in a CDI role.

• Minimum of 5 years clinical experience in an acute care setting required.

• Experience in staff education, mentoring, onboarding, or provider education preferred.

• Requires strong communication (verbal, written, and electronic) and presentation skills.

• Must demonstrate ability to translate complex clinical and coding concepts into practical education.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills required.

Essential Functions

• Leads the development, coordination, and delivery of CDI staff education, including onboarding, orientation, and ongoing competency development.

• Designs and implements a standardized CDI education program across the system to ensure consistency in documentation practices and reduce variation across facilities.

• Assesses CDI staff competency and identifies opportunities for individual and team development. Provides coaching, mentoring, and performance support focused on professional growth.

• Reviews trends in mortality, denials, PSI/HAC, and performance data, and translates these insights into targeted education initiatives for CDI staff and providers.

• Develops and delivers provider education focused on documentation best practices, including risk adjustment (SOI/ROM), clinical validation, and quality metrics.

• Partners with CDI leadership to support provider engagement strategies, including development of physician education plans and performance feedback tools.

• Serves as a subject matter expert for CDI staff, providing guidance on documentation opportunities, query practices, and clinical scenario interpretation.

• Maintains education calendars, orientation plans, and competency tracking systems to ensure ongoing program effectiveness.

• Ensures education aligns with AHIMA/ACDIS guidelines, regulatory requirements, and organizational standards. Maintains current knowledge of industry best practices and regulatory updates.

• Collaborates with CDI, Coding, Quality, and other interdisciplinary teams to ensure alignment of education with program priorities and organizational goals.

• Supports process improvement initiatives by reinforcing best practices based on identified documentation trends and opportunities.

Other Duties:

• Participates on departmental and organizational committees and task forces.

• May travel to other Guthrie entities as needed.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Joining the Guthrie team allows you to become a part of a tradition of excellence in health care. In all areas and at all levels of Guthrie, you’ll find staff members who have committed themselves to serving the community.

The Guthrie Clinic is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Guthrie Clinic is a non-profit, integrated, practicing physician-led organization in the Twin Tiers of New York and Pennsylvania. Our multi-specialty group practice of more than 500 physicians and 302 advanced practice providers offers 47 specialties through a regional office network providing primary and specialty care in 22 communities. Guthrie Medical Education Programs include General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Anesthesiology and Orthopedic Surgery Residency, as well as Cardiovascular, Gastroenterology and Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship programs. Guthrie is also a clinical campus for the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.