Bridging the Gap Between SDOH Screening and Z Codes

This educational virtual event will help attendees understand the importance of screening and identifying patients for social determinants/drivers of health and documentation in the electronic health records. The session will explain the coding process and requirements for ICD-10 categories for SDOH. This information is valuable for decision-making to improve patient-centered care and reduce health disparities. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn how to leverage Health Equity Dashboards, giving a snapshot of the frequently identified Z Codes at the state, region, county and hospital levels.

directors of nursing, labor and delivery clinical staff, quality leaders, population health staff, chief nursing officers, COOs, patient experience leaders, and patient and family advisory council members

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• improve patient-centered care and reduce health disparities through social determinants/drivers of health
• improve documentation in electronic health records

Deborah Sisco, LSSGB
Manager, Patient Advocacy and Engagement Officer
University Health — Truman Medical Center

Deborah Sisco is tackling communication barriers daily and has made it her mission to elevate the patient’s voice and inspire a cultural change. Sisco had a winding road to this role in the health care space. She was raised in a military household, enlisted in the service and imagined a military career before she was the victim of a knife attack outside of her workplace. The incident led to a medical discharge and a turn to education, where she taught children with behavioral disorders and eventually became the principal of an alternative school. Sisco advises all patients and caretakers to understand that their voice matters and advises them to speak up, ask questions and know they have a right to ask about what they don’t know.

Rachael Johnson
Director of Professional Revenue Cycles
University Health — Truman Medical Center

Rachael Johnson is a leader of professional revenue cycle operations. She oversees a team of support managers, supervisors, and coordinators, guiding all facets of the revenue cycle within professional operations. Her responsibilities include managing patient accounting, coding, prior authorization, and charge capture teams, ensuring strict adherence to industry standards and maximizing revenue generation opportunities. In this work, she establishes operational objectives in alignment with fiscal goals and to execute strategic work.