Associate Director - Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI)/HIM

Join the nationally recognized team at the MD Anderson Cancer Center as an Associate Director - Health Information Management (HIM) & Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI). This leadership opportunity is ideal for an experienced healthcare operations professional who possesses expertise in both Health Information Management and Clinical Documentation Improvement and is passionate about driving operational excellence, regulatory compliance, documentation integrity, and performance improvement within a complex academic healthcare environment.

The Associate Director provides operational leadership for HIM and CDI programs, overseeing managers and staff responsible for critical health information, documentation, compliance, and performance functions. This role is accountable for operational performance, quality outcomes, productivity, regulatory compliance, staff development, and process improvement initiatives while ensuring alignment with departmental, divisional, and institutional priorities.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in both HIM and CDI operations, including experience leading clinical documentation improvement programs, advancing documentation quality and completeness initiatives, supporting provider engagement efforts, and partnering with revenue cycle, compliance, clinical, and operational leaders to improve documentation accuracy and organizational performance. Experience overseeing HIM functions such as health information operations, regulatory compliance, data integrity, record management, and business continuity planning is also highly desired.

In this role, you will establish and monitor key performance indicators, drive quality and productivity improvements, oversee vendor relationships, support budgeting and resource planning activities, and identify operational risks and opportunities for enhancement. You will also lead process improvement initiatives, workflow redesign efforts, system enhancements, and change management activities designed to improve efficiency, service quality, and organizational outcomes.

As a people leader, you will be responsible for developing high-performing teams through effective hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, professional development, and succession planning. Success in this role requires the ability to build strong partnerships across clinical, operational, compliance, revenue cycle, and information technology teams while fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated leadership experience overseeing both HIM and CDI teams, strong knowledge of healthcare regulatory and accreditation requirements, experience utilizing data to drive operational decisions, and a proven track record of leading complex initiatives within a hospital or healthcare system environment.

At MD Anderson Cancer Center, you'll have the opportunity to lead critical programs that directly impact patient care, documentation integrity, regulatory compliance, and organizational performance. MD Anderson offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, professional development opportunities, generous paid time off, retirement benefits, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact at one of the world's leading cancer centers.

This position is hybrid with 1-2 days a week onsite.

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

Operations & program leadership

Provides full operational oversight of assigned HIM and CDI functions. Accountable for performance, quality, productivity, compliance, and overall results of assigned teams and programs.

Executes and adapts departmental priorities, plans, and standards to achieve operational goals and advance efficient, high-quality, and reliable services.

Establishes, measures, reports, and drives performance against service levels, KPIs, productivity metrics, and quality outcomes with sustained improvement over time.

Advances clinical documentation queries, documentation completeness, and associated metrics and outcomes through effective CDI program oversight, provider engagement, and collaborations.

Identifies operational risks, trends, and improvement opportunities; resolves issues within scope and ensures appropriate communication, visibility, and escalation of broader or high-impact concerns.

Oversees vendor performance and relationships.

Estimates expenses and participates in budget planning, fiscal revies, resource allocation, and cost-effective operations for assigned areas. Is a steward of department and institution resources.

Ensures adherence to regulatory, accreditation, and institutional policies.

Partners cross-functionally with clinical, revenue cycle, compliance, IT, and other stakeholders to align priorities and resolve operational challenges.

Coordinates effective resource management and business continuity of assigned operations.

Oversees department processes and activities for safety, downtime, business continuity, and emergency plans.

Coordinates and facilitates HIM response and responsibilities during downtimes and recoveries.

People leadership & management

Manages and develops managers and staff while building collaborative, high performing teams and supporting a positive, accountable, and inclusive team culture.

Oversees hiring, onboarding, training, competency validation, performance management, professional development and corrective action.

Provides coaching, guidance, encouragement, and support to drive engagement, wellbeing, professional growth and consistent execution of standards and expectations.

Establishes clear expectations, maintains open and transparent communication, holds self and others accountable and recognizes achievements to drive engagement and continued results.

Leads and supports operational and organizational changes, process improvements, and team development initiatives.

Partners with the Director and stakeholders to address challenges, remove barriers, and advance team and operational outcomes.

Change, Innovation & Performance Improvement

Plans and implements changes, process improvements, workflow and system enhancements using established PI/QI and change enablement methodologies.

Drives innovation, growth, and advancement aligned with department, division, and institution priorities and strategies.

Accountable for staff development and adoption of new processes, systems, technologies, and standards.

Uses data to inform decisions, prioritize efforts, and improvements.

Other duties as assigned .

Education

Required:
• Bachelor's Degree in Health Information Management

Preferred:
• Master's Degree in a related field

Work Experience

Required:
• 5 years of management/supervisory experience in a health information department

• Successful completion of the LEADing Self Accelerate and/or LEADing Self Discover programs may substitute for one year of required supervisory or management experience. Completion of both programs can be substituted for a maximum of two years of supervisory or management experience

• May substitute education with additional years of equivalent experience on a one to one basis

Licenses and Certifications

Required:
• RHIA - Registered Health Information Administrator OR
• RHIT - Registered Health Information Technician OR
• RN - Registered Nurse - State Licensure

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, paid time off , retirement , tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition.

This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state, or local laws unless such distinction is required by law.

Additional Information

• Requisition ID: 181115
• Employment Status: Full-Time
• Employee Status: Regular
• Work Week: Days
• Minimum Salary: US Dollar (USD) 111,000
• Midpoint Salary: US Dollar (USD) 139,000
• Maximum Salary : US Dollar (USD) 167,000
• FLSA: exempt and not eligible for overtime pay
• Fund Type: Hard
• Work Location: Onsite
• Pivotal Position: Yes
• Referral Bonus Available?: Yes
• Relocation Assistance Available?: Yes

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