PAMELA HESS
College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Title: Lead Faculty, Health Informatics
Years at GCU: 1 1/2
Academic degrees:
- BS-HIM, University of Louisiana
- Masters of Arts, Urban Ministry, Grand Canyon University
- In progress, Doctorate in Business Administration, Grand Canyon University
Faculty scholarship (publications, scholarly presentations, fellowships, etc.):
- "Clinical Documentation Improvement for Outpatient Care: Design and Implementation" (2018). Chicago: AHIMA Press.
- "Outpatient CDI: A Solution for Navigating Risk Adjustment" (July, 2017). JAHIMA.
- "Improving Clinical Documentation in Outpatient and Physician Practices," American Hospital Association: Hospitals & Health Networks, June 2017
- "Clinical Documentation Improvement -- Principles and Practice" (2018). Chicago: AHIMA Press.
- Future presentations: Keynote, Breakout Sessions and CDIP Exam Prep Workshop Speaker, AHIMA World Congress: Health Information Summit. Oct. 3-5, 2019. Abu Dhabi, UAE. https://www.awc.world/summit-2019/
Notable employment in your field:
- Vice President, Strategy & Operations, MedAstute Consulting, LLC
- Director, Navigant Consulting, Inc., Healthcare Practice
- Senior Consulting Manager, Deloitte & Touché, LLC, Enterprise Risk Services practice
What are you most passionate about in your field? Health care technology is a rapidly evolving industry because of faster, more powerful computers, revolutionary big data and global population health challenges. At the heart of this evolution is health care informatics and information management (HIIM). The HIIM discipline is a bridge between clinical, financial and technology stakeholders, all working together to improve health care delivery. I thoroughly enjoy providing insight into the dynamic nature of our field and to the many exciting career path options, such as health care leadership, revenue integrity, health information system design, database design, data analytics, health care informatics, protected health information privacy and security, and clinical documentation improvement. It is exciting to watch previous students and colleagues move along this career path from entry-level technical and analyst positions to management and executive leadership roles.
What aspect of your teaching style is the most distinctive and/or memorable? I especially enjoy GCU’s Christian worldview and integrating this philosophy into the classroom. There are many opportunities to embrace students and support them during their academic, workplace and family challenges. Respectful, supportive and caring dialogue with students, whether via the classroom or by phone, goes a long way to making the course experience successful. I also enjoy providing current resources in the classroom, such as articles and websites that offer a global perspective on the evolving health informatics and information-management industry.
What do you like to do for fun in your spare time? I enjoy cooking and visiting with my family and friends. I especially enjoy volunteering as a hospital chaplain with my husband, Chaplain Dave at MIHS.
What is something interesting about you that most people don't know? I use my M.A. degree in Urban Ministry as a safety net hospital chaplain. I have a private pilot’s license from the Federal Aviation Administration.
