Breathing life into pediatric CDI: Meet Sandra Love

As a non-clinician I can think of few things more terrifying than having responsibility for the life of a fragile newborn in your hands, and your hands alone. Welcome to the early nursing career of Sandra Love. Sandra served a labor and delivery nurse in rural North Carolina and survived some harrowing experiences that continue to inform her work today as Director of Solutions for Norwood. Sandra learned that infants are not just small adults—they have their own unique clinical profiles. That same axiom holds true for documentation and coding, too, which is often why pediatric CDI programs fail. But there are some very real opportunities that you’re leaving on the table without a pediatric focus. We talk about all of that on this episode Off the Record. If you have a pediatric CDI program or are thinking expanding into one, this is a show you’ll want to listen to. Topics include: • Sandra’s early experiences working in a level 2 nursery with specialty support a long way away • Transition into adult medicine and eventually CDI at Wake Forest • Why most hospitals are off the mark with pediatric CDI • Documentation clarification opportunities in the pediatric space • Suggestions for engaging pediatric providers and obtaining buy-in • And of course, the latest addition to the Off the Record Spotify playlist