Best of the Best
Trauma Registrar Nomination
The 2023 Nominee List!
Michelle B. submitted by Angela V.
“Michelle is an EXPERT in trauma registry. She is well versed in AIS and ICD10 coding as well as NTBD and state requirements. Michelle will provide team members with well thought out answers to questions they have along with supporting documentation. She knows the FAQs inside and out for AAAM and TQIP. She's an inspirational mentor who wants to help others learn and grow in the field. Thank you, Michelle.”
Tara B. submitted by Melissa C.
“Tara achieved her CAISS in March 2022, excellent knowledge base, outstanding communication skills and work habits helping current client achieve ACS level II status.”
Kaela T. submitted by Jessica L.
“Kaela is an extraordinary Trauma Data Registrar! She consistently has impressive quality data abstraction. She is also a volunteer EMT in her local community and is pursuing her Advanced EMT license this year. She has excellent critical thinking skills, well organized, and dedicated to the work of our trauma program.”
Kaela T. submitted by Kylie S.
“Kaela has been a wonderful addition to our trauma team. She is an EMT at a volunteer fire department and that really helps her be our expert in the pre-hospital area. In addition, she helps teach Stop The Bleed classes, all while capturing all of the necessary data required in the registry. We are so lucky to have Kaela on our team!”
Jill C. submitted by Jodi D.
“Jill is the team lead for the registrar for our trauma service line. This entails tremendous responsibility and multi-tasking. She hires and trains all the registrars in the trauma service line. She helps with over 5 facilities from a Level 1 facility on down. She deals with a couple of different registry formats and is at every designation/certification that happens with each facility. Her knowledge base is incredible. She has assisted in writing and correcting the data dictionary for the state of Nebraska and chairs the state data committee. She helps facilities even if they are not part of our trauma service line as she wants to make our region a strong and competent trauma service area. She is always very kind when explaining data points to those of us who are not very good with the elements and the interpretation of them. She has been asked to speak at different conferences because of her knowledge depth regarding the trauma registry. She also recently received her certification for the trauma registry. Without her knowledge and expertise, I know my trauma program would definitely not run as smoothly as it does. I cannot emphasize enough her knowledge base and her exceptional talent for her profession. Thank you for considering her the best of the best as she truly is!"
Nita G. submitted by Jennifer V.
“Nita has been a Trauma Registrar for many years in our region. An underserved region in which Trauma Registry is not really acknowledged as a profession. With Nita's long-lasting experience, she has strongly advocated bringing awareness to this specialized field. Nita has shared her expertise in training staff not only in our facility, but within our regional advisory council. Nita chairs the RAC's Trauma Registrar's subcommittee and mentors new and upcoming registrars. Nita is extremely passionate about Trauma Care and continues to devote herself to this passion. I highly recommend Ms. Nita G. for this award. Thank you.”
Lisa G. submitted by Sarah-Beth D.
“Lisa is a shining star. Her work ethic and dedication to her role are matched by no other registrar. While relatively new in the trauma registrar position, she strives for excellence every day. She holds her peers accountable and encourages them to strive for the same excellence. She asks hard questions and ensures there is a group effort in what could be a very solo position. She is a team player and is open to change and adapting to curve balls. Lisa is a pleasure to work with and a blessing to our trauma team.”
Jennelle F. submitted by Crystal W.
“Jennelle has only been a trauma registrar for 18 months but in that time has been extraordinary. She has provided education to the trauma surgeons regarding documentation of preexisting conditions, created an IRR and helped us revamp our hospital data dictionary. She has also helped on the financial side of the trauma program with her background in auditing charges. She grows with leaps and bounds. She is a great asset to this program.”
Tracy L. submitted by Crystal W.
“Tracy is very detailed oriented and asks amazing questions. She passed her CAISS this year. She is passionate about her job and wants to ensure the most accurate data is being submitted and used for PI. She is concurrent in her work and provides additional support to our per diem registrar and to our sister facility. She is a huge asset to the trauma program.”
Diane H. submitted by Jill C.
“Diane aka "Sam" was my mentor many, many years ago until she moved on to another facility. Sam and I continue to utilize each other as valuable resources. Sam puts her heart into every patient she abstracts. She feels their story as she abstracts their charts and sympathizes for them and wants to tell their complete story through data. Sam was an essential part of me passing my CAIS exam this year. She always took my call to talk through diagnosis coding. I can't express how much I appreciate her taking the time to help me. You are absolutely amazing Sam!”
Kelly O. submitted by Danielle V.
“Kelly is just the best. She sought me out to replace her when she moved out of state. She did an incredible job training me and was always available to consult when I had questions. We ended up needing to replace the other registrar and reached out to Kelly. There are not enough words to thank her for rejoining our team. She is the BEST coworker I have ever been blessed to work with. She fosters a culture of growth and education. She leads by example with excellence. Kelly kept our data solid when we walked through our ACS re-accreditation survey. She is the consistency that keeps the trauma dept together and running. As our dept grows and matures Kelly is quick to facilitate change and yet dependable in continuing the work. Kelly is the complete package; we are blessed to have her on our team, and she deserves the recognition of a job really well done.”
Stacy N. submitted by David S.
“Stacy is a rockstar!! It is hard to tell you what makes her the best of the best, but it all boils down to being a team player. Stacy is a resource for all the registry staff and even myself! Her depth of knowledge is constantly putting me in awe. She is a hard worker and puts in overtime nearly every week to help keep our registry up to date with excellent accuracy. She is a top performer, not only in productivity but also in accuracy. She comes to work each day with a positive attitude and a mindset to do the very best that she can. We are all blessed to have Stacy working with us and her commitment to our trauma patients!”
Kylee B. submitted by Jill C.
“Kylee has been a registrar for just under 2 years. Within her first 6 months of hire she experienced a Level III-N site visit and sat in as a navigator for one of the reviewers. After her first year she sat in as a navigator for a level I facility. Kylee is extremely detailed and picked up quickly on the WHY? We do what we do. She is a ROCKSTAR abstractor and with special projects. Thank you, Kylee, for your dedication to the program!”
Sonya W. submitted by Lindsay I.
“Sonya you are the best!”
Tammy S. submitted by Raenette S.
“We work in a large Level 1 Trauma Center and have a team of 6 registrars with an amazing Administrator. Tammy is the best! She is always ready to help when we have questions about procedures, diagnoses, processes, you name it. She is patient and kind and always willing to take time to assist in any way that she can. She also has a great sense of humor and keeps us laughing and smiling - this is so important because sometimes we walk through very difficult charts that can really be traumatic for registrars. Tammy serves on various committees and helps other registrars across our network. I consider her the "Best of the Best"!”
Tammy S. submitted by Judy S.
“Tammy Shaffer has been with the Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest Trauma Registry for over 19 years. She has grown into a phenomenal registrar, trainer, resource and backup for me, and trauma registry and documentation advocate. She takes on more than anyone else on the team. She is a VALIANT supporter of following definitions and improving EMR documentation for accurate, efficient, and timely data. She NEVER submits a chart late and is skilled in abstraction and reporting. She works well with all registrars, RNs and Physicians to get the job done. She is truly the BEST of the BEST!”
Judy J. submitted by Gloria M.
“Judy is the best trauma registrar because of her passion. She genuinely cares about each patient, as well as our colleagues. She goes the extra mile to ensure our registry is compliant and concurrent. She never shies away from helping with PI projects and even research. Judy is always in a positive mood and uplifts everyone she meets. No one is more deserving of a registrar award than she!”
Leigh P. submitted by Brandon C.
“Leigh has been working on our registry for well over a decade and has always been dedicated to providing our Level I trauma registry her best. She has seemingly endless enthusiasm for drilling deeper and will go to great lengths to help the team -all with a friendly attitude. She's an awesome person and we are very grateful to have her on our team!!!”
Ayesha M. submitted by Michelle C.
“Ayesha is the heart of the trauma department at Ochsner Lafayette General. I have had the privilege of working alongside her for the past 5 years. She goes above and beyond for our department, as well as being involved in many organizations helping our community. She is one of the greatest assets to our department.”
Gabriela H. submitted by Mark P.
“Gabriela (Gaby) is an up-and-coming Trauma Registrar. She has been in her position for a short period of time, but she has shown and proven she is dedicated to this field of Trauma Registry Professionals.”
Suzanne H. submitted by Mark P.
“Suzanne is a leader amongst her peers. She takes the initiative to educate and seek opportunities for her peers. She is an asset to this program and to the trauma community.”
Gloria M. submitted by Jency P.
“Gloria is so knowledgeable about the trauma registry. She is excellent with coding, re-abstractions, training new registrars, reports and much more! There is nothing that Gloria can't do. She co-founded our health system's trauma registry education program. She conducts monthly education for other registrars and has a wealth of knowledge. She is every single trauma program manager's dream registrar. Even with all her knowledge and expertise, she continues to be kind and humble and just an amazing human being! My trauma program and I are lucky to have Gloria as part of our team!”
Karlee R. submitted by Janet C.
“Karlee is our Trauma Program "COVID-baby." She joined our team one week after the shut-down and not only survived on-line orientation but THRIVED! She built our Trauma One-Note as a resource for future orientees and has kept a positive attitude and smile on her face for the last 3+ years. She has been an incredible asset to our team and has an efficiency and energy that keeps the rest of us in awe. We are so glad Karlee has joined our team!”
Shauna C. submitted by Michael G.
“Shauna Carlson represents the best of the best because of her dedication to the role. She is passionate about quality data and works tirelessly to ensure that our registry is the very best that it can be. Her colleagues here value her role as evidenced by the dozens of data requests she manages monthly for QI, education, prevention, and research. Fellow registrars across the state look to her for advice and support as one of the senior registry staff in our state. I could not do my job nearly half as well as I do without her leadership and dedication to managing our trauma data. Shauna is the Best of the Best.”
Maria V. submitted by Janet C.
“Maria has been the consistent glue that has held our trauma registry together for 20+ years. Maria has an incredible working knowledge of all things trauma and is known as the "trauma sleuth" as she doesn't stop until she finds the right answer! Maria is an expert in coding and accompanied her colleague in becoming the first CAISS in the state, raising the bar for everyone. Maria's work ethic is second to none, and her commitment to TEAM is unprecedented. We could not do it without her!”
Mila B. submitted by Janet C.
“Mila has been our lead trauma registrar for 20+ years. During this time, she was the first in our state to become a CAISS, also later receiving her CSTR. While working full time, Mila continued to expand her knowledge by obtaining first her RHIT, then her RHIA, and she will be graduating with her BSN in August! Mila is highly respected within our hospital and our state for her integrity in coding, her incredible knowledge base, and her personal and professional commitment to excellence.”
Mirko K. submitted by Kelly M.
“Mirko is a large asset to our registry team – he is always willing to answer ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure coding questions and has extensive CDM report writing skills. He has a depth of ICD-10 coding knowledge that helps our registry team coding standardization. Mirko always has an uplifting attitude and is a supportive colleague I can rely on every day.”
Kimberly M. submitted by Bethany M.
“Kim came to our trauma program almost three years ago and has been rolling through charts like she's been doing it for twenty years! She has an RHIA background which is wonderful when it comes to coding. She has learned about the world of trauma and its crazy chaos. Our program would not be where it is today without her dedication and hard work. We call her Speedy Gonzales because she cranks out completed charts faster than ever!”
Autumn M submitted by Amye D.
“Autumn is always quick to help in any way she can. She is a subject matter expert in abstraction and coding. She is innovative and strives to make our registry as accurate and efficient as possible. She is an asset to our team and an awesome co-worker.”
Ginger L. submitted by Cyndi M
“Ginger is the BEST of the BEST Trauma/Burn Registrar at Atrium Health-Wake Forest Baptist because… she received an associate degree in medical office administration, received her certified professional coder (CPC) certification in 2015 and CAISS certification in 2023. She has been in the trauma/burn registrar role since 2015 and has been a valuable asset to the program and her colleagues. She trains new employees and assists coworkers with coding questions. Ginger has been a member of AAPC organization since 2015 and has held numerous officer positions such as Secretary, member development officer, current officer of the Education committee and current AAPC annual coding symposium planner. She has been a speaker at AAPC on autopsies, coding round tables, trauma registry, and Stop the Bleed. Ginger is also a current member of ATS, ABA, and the Fire Fighters Burn Children Fund. She has participated in burn and trauma verification surveys. She is also a member of the injury prevention committee and is instrumental in assisting with project development and sharing awareness information in the public arena related to smoking on oxygen and use of firebreaks, medical ID app, fall prevention and distracted driving. Ginger is the BEST of the BEST because she always goes out of her way to lend a helping hand to coworkers, visitors, patients, family and friends.”
Jannet F. submitted by Sara S.
“Jannet is very detailed in her work and gives 100 % in all she does.”
Jill H. submitted by Jessica L.
“Jill is an asset to our trauma program. She is accountable to ensure that each chart has quality data because she knows it makes a difference in the outcomes of our pediatric trauma patients. She is also developing a Data Dictionary for our trauma center. She is a great team player and volunteers with our injury prevention team out in the community. We are lucky to have her. Thanks for all you do Jill!”
Trish C. submitted by Stephanie Thompson
“Trish has been a registrar for close to 30 years. She was the original registrar for our Trauma 1 center and has helped to develop the program to what it is today. She is always available when anyone has questions or needs advice. She has trained so many registrars and is a leader and mentor to many in our entire state. She holds biweekly meetings to help registrars study for their certifications and leads so many other meetings, classes, training and outreach that there are too many to mention. I cannot think of anyone who deserves this more than Trish Cooper and I hope you will consider her for this award. She does so much for so many without much recognition. Thank you for your consideration.”
Mandy R. submitted by Jannet F.
“Working with Mandy for almost 10 years has made my office and my job enjoyable. She meets deadlines, organizes the registry, and taught me from the ground up. Working closely with Mandy we must say we are proud of our hard work between Covid and deadlines, catching up has been difficult. Thank you for your dedication to our trauma program Mandy and helping us stay a verified level 3 trauma facility.”
Judith J. submitted by Jency P.
“Judy came to us with only 6 months of prior trauma registrar experience, and she is rocking the registry already. She is such a quick learner who is already noticing trends in the registry. She has great attention to detail and is a true rock star registrar. We are lucky to have her at our trauma program.”
Elizabeth T. submitted by Michele Herndon
“Our trauma registrars work remotely. Beth is the most experienced registrar on the team. The other team members look to her for guidance and support and Beth is always available for a video call or chat to provide advice. She is a true team player and makes our team (and our data) great!”
Desiree M. submitted by Michele H.
“Desiree and the rest of our trauma registrars work remotely. She lives in a different time zone than our hospital and the other registrars but she is frequently available via virtual call or video chat to collaborate with the other registrars. She also always has a smile and a positive attitude, which makes our team great!”
Amy S. submitted by Michele H.
“Amy is a trauma registrar who is also in school to obtain her Master's in Public Health. She has taken a special interest in our injury prevention initiatives and has worked to create a dashboard specifically with registry data that assists in our strategic planning for injury prevention. Amy is a hard worker and makes our program great!”
Joyce B. submitted by Michele H.
“Joyce has been a coder for a long time but recently transitioned to trauma registrar. She had a lot of learning to do that was specific to trauma coding and this was a challenge, since it was so different from her previous coding experience. She has worked hard to gain experience and knowledge and makes our team great!”
“Michelle is an EXPERT in trauma registry. She is well versed in AIS and ICD10 coding as well as NTBD and state requirements. Michelle will provide team members with well thought out answers to questions they have along with supporting documentation. She knows the FAQs inside and out for AAAM and TQIP. She's an inspirational mentor who wants to help others learn and grow in the field. Thank you, Michelle.”
Tara B. submitted by Melissa C.
“Tara achieved her CAISS in March 2022, excellent knowledge base, outstanding communication skills and work habits helping current client achieve ACS level II status.”
Kaela T. submitted by Jessica L.
“Kaela is an extraordinary Trauma Data Registrar! She consistently has impressive quality data abstraction. She is also a volunteer EMT in her local community and is pursuing her Advanced EMT license this year. She has excellent critical thinking skills, well organized, and dedicated to the work of our trauma program.”
Kaela T. submitted by Kylie S.
“Kaela has been a wonderful addition to our trauma team. She is an EMT at a volunteer fire department and that really helps her be our expert in the pre-hospital area. In addition, she helps teach Stop The Bleed classes, all while capturing all of the necessary data required in the registry. We are so lucky to have Kaela on our team!”
Jill C. submitted by Jodi D.
“Jill is the team lead for the registrar for our trauma service line. This entails tremendous responsibility and multi-tasking. She hires and trains all the registrars in the trauma service line. She helps with over 5 facilities from a Level 1 facility on down. She deals with a couple of different registry formats and is at every designation/certification that happens with each facility. Her knowledge base is incredible. She has assisted in writing and correcting the data dictionary for the state of Nebraska and chairs the state data committee. She helps facilities even if they are not part of our trauma service line as she wants to make our region a strong and competent trauma service area. She is always very kind when explaining data points to those of us who are not very good with the elements and the interpretation of them. She has been asked to speak at different conferences because of her knowledge depth regarding the trauma registry. She also recently received her certification for the trauma registry. Without her knowledge and expertise, I know my trauma program would definitely not run as smoothly as it does. I cannot emphasize enough her knowledge base and her exceptional talent for her profession. Thank you for considering her the best of the best as she truly is!"
Nita G. submitted by Jennifer V.
“Nita has been a Trauma Registrar for many years in our region. An underserved region in which Trauma Registry is not really acknowledged as a profession. With Nita's long-lasting experience, she has strongly advocated bringing awareness to this specialized field. Nita has shared her expertise in training staff not only in our facility, but within our regional advisory council. Nita chairs the RAC's Trauma Registrar's subcommittee and mentors new and upcoming registrars. Nita is extremely passionate about Trauma Care and continues to devote herself to this passion. I highly recommend Ms. Nita G. for this award. Thank you.”
Lisa G. submitted by Sarah-Beth D.
“Lisa is a shining star. Her work ethic and dedication to her role are matched by no other registrar. While relatively new in the trauma registrar position, she strives for excellence every day. She holds her peers accountable and encourages them to strive for the same excellence. She asks hard questions and ensures there is a group effort in what could be a very solo position. She is a team player and is open to change and adapting to curve balls. Lisa is a pleasure to work with and a blessing to our trauma team.”
Jennelle F. submitted by Crystal W.
“Jennelle has only been a trauma registrar for 18 months but in that time has been extraordinary. She has provided education to the trauma surgeons regarding documentation of preexisting conditions, created an IRR and helped us revamp our hospital data dictionary. She has also helped on the financial side of the trauma program with her background in auditing charges. She grows with leaps and bounds. She is a great asset to this program.”
Tracy L. submitted by Crystal W.
“Tracy is very detailed oriented and asks amazing questions. She passed her CAISS this year. She is passionate about her job and wants to ensure the most accurate data is being submitted and used for PI. She is concurrent in her work and provides additional support to our per diem registrar and to our sister facility. She is a huge asset to the trauma program.”
Diane H. submitted by Jill C.
“Diane aka "Sam" was my mentor many, many years ago until she moved on to another facility. Sam and I continue to utilize each other as valuable resources. Sam puts her heart into every patient she abstracts. She feels their story as she abstracts their charts and sympathizes for them and wants to tell their complete story through data. Sam was an essential part of me passing my CAIS exam this year. She always took my call to talk through diagnosis coding. I can't express how much I appreciate her taking the time to help me. You are absolutely amazing Sam!”
Kelly O. submitted by Danielle V.
“Kelly is just the best. She sought me out to replace her when she moved out of state. She did an incredible job training me and was always available to consult when I had questions. We ended up needing to replace the other registrar and reached out to Kelly. There are not enough words to thank her for rejoining our team. She is the BEST coworker I have ever been blessed to work with. She fosters a culture of growth and education. She leads by example with excellence. Kelly kept our data solid when we walked through our ACS re-accreditation survey. She is the consistency that keeps the trauma dept together and running. As our dept grows and matures Kelly is quick to facilitate change and yet dependable in continuing the work. Kelly is the complete package; we are blessed to have her on our team, and she deserves the recognition of a job really well done.”
Stacy N. submitted by David S.
“Stacy is a rockstar!! It is hard to tell you what makes her the best of the best, but it all boils down to being a team player. Stacy is a resource for all the registry staff and even myself! Her depth of knowledge is constantly putting me in awe. She is a hard worker and puts in overtime nearly every week to help keep our registry up to date with excellent accuracy. She is a top performer, not only in productivity but also in accuracy. She comes to work each day with a positive attitude and a mindset to do the very best that she can. We are all blessed to have Stacy working with us and her commitment to our trauma patients!”
Kylee B. submitted by Jill C.
“Kylee has been a registrar for just under 2 years. Within her first 6 months of hire she experienced a Level III-N site visit and sat in as a navigator for one of the reviewers. After her first year she sat in as a navigator for a level I facility. Kylee is extremely detailed and picked up quickly on the WHY? We do what we do. She is a ROCKSTAR abstractor and with special projects. Thank you, Kylee, for your dedication to the program!”
Sonya W. submitted by Lindsay I.
“Sonya you are the best!”
Tammy S. submitted by Raenette S.
“We work in a large Level 1 Trauma Center and have a team of 6 registrars with an amazing Administrator. Tammy is the best! She is always ready to help when we have questions about procedures, diagnoses, processes, you name it. She is patient and kind and always willing to take time to assist in any way that she can. She also has a great sense of humor and keeps us laughing and smiling - this is so important because sometimes we walk through very difficult charts that can really be traumatic for registrars. Tammy serves on various committees and helps other registrars across our network. I consider her the "Best of the Best"!”
Tammy S. submitted by Judy S.
“Tammy Shaffer has been with the Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest Trauma Registry for over 19 years. She has grown into a phenomenal registrar, trainer, resource and backup for me, and trauma registry and documentation advocate. She takes on more than anyone else on the team. She is a VALIANT supporter of following definitions and improving EMR documentation for accurate, efficient, and timely data. She NEVER submits a chart late and is skilled in abstraction and reporting. She works well with all registrars, RNs and Physicians to get the job done. She is truly the BEST of the BEST!”
Judy J. submitted by Gloria M.
“Judy is the best trauma registrar because of her passion. She genuinely cares about each patient, as well as our colleagues. She goes the extra mile to ensure our registry is compliant and concurrent. She never shies away from helping with PI projects and even research. Judy is always in a positive mood and uplifts everyone she meets. No one is more deserving of a registrar award than she!”
Leigh P. submitted by Brandon C.
“Leigh has been working on our registry for well over a decade and has always been dedicated to providing our Level I trauma registry her best. She has seemingly endless enthusiasm for drilling deeper and will go to great lengths to help the team -all with a friendly attitude. She's an awesome person and we are very grateful to have her on our team!!!”
Ayesha M. submitted by Michelle C.
“Ayesha is the heart of the trauma department at Ochsner Lafayette General. I have had the privilege of working alongside her for the past 5 years. She goes above and beyond for our department, as well as being involved in many organizations helping our community. She is one of the greatest assets to our department.”
Gabriela H. submitted by Mark P.
“Gabriela (Gaby) is an up-and-coming Trauma Registrar. She has been in her position for a short period of time, but she has shown and proven she is dedicated to this field of Trauma Registry Professionals.”
Suzanne H. submitted by Mark P.
“Suzanne is a leader amongst her peers. She takes the initiative to educate and seek opportunities for her peers. She is an asset to this program and to the trauma community.”
Gloria M. submitted by Jency P.
“Gloria is so knowledgeable about the trauma registry. She is excellent with coding, re-abstractions, training new registrars, reports and much more! There is nothing that Gloria can't do. She co-founded our health system's trauma registry education program. She conducts monthly education for other registrars and has a wealth of knowledge. She is every single trauma program manager's dream registrar. Even with all her knowledge and expertise, she continues to be kind and humble and just an amazing human being! My trauma program and I are lucky to have Gloria as part of our team!”
Karlee R. submitted by Janet C.
“Karlee is our Trauma Program "COVID-baby." She joined our team one week after the shut-down and not only survived on-line orientation but THRIVED! She built our Trauma One-Note as a resource for future orientees and has kept a positive attitude and smile on her face for the last 3+ years. She has been an incredible asset to our team and has an efficiency and energy that keeps the rest of us in awe. We are so glad Karlee has joined our team!”
Shauna C. submitted by Michael G.
“Shauna Carlson represents the best of the best because of her dedication to the role. She is passionate about quality data and works tirelessly to ensure that our registry is the very best that it can be. Her colleagues here value her role as evidenced by the dozens of data requests she manages monthly for QI, education, prevention, and research. Fellow registrars across the state look to her for advice and support as one of the senior registry staff in our state. I could not do my job nearly half as well as I do without her leadership and dedication to managing our trauma data. Shauna is the Best of the Best.”
Maria V. submitted by Janet C.
“Maria has been the consistent glue that has held our trauma registry together for 20+ years. Maria has an incredible working knowledge of all things trauma and is known as the "trauma sleuth" as she doesn't stop until she finds the right answer! Maria is an expert in coding and accompanied her colleague in becoming the first CAISS in the state, raising the bar for everyone. Maria's work ethic is second to none, and her commitment to TEAM is unprecedented. We could not do it without her!”
Mila B. submitted by Janet C.
“Mila has been our lead trauma registrar for 20+ years. During this time, she was the first in our state to become a CAISS, also later receiving her CSTR. While working full time, Mila continued to expand her knowledge by obtaining first her RHIT, then her RHIA, and she will be graduating with her BSN in August! Mila is highly respected within our hospital and our state for her integrity in coding, her incredible knowledge base, and her personal and professional commitment to excellence.”
Mirko K. submitted by Kelly M.
“Mirko is a large asset to our registry team – he is always willing to answer ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure coding questions and has extensive CDM report writing skills. He has a depth of ICD-10 coding knowledge that helps our registry team coding standardization. Mirko always has an uplifting attitude and is a supportive colleague I can rely on every day.”
Kimberly M. submitted by Bethany M.
“Kim came to our trauma program almost three years ago and has been rolling through charts like she's been doing it for twenty years! She has an RHIA background which is wonderful when it comes to coding. She has learned about the world of trauma and its crazy chaos. Our program would not be where it is today without her dedication and hard work. We call her Speedy Gonzales because she cranks out completed charts faster than ever!”
Autumn M submitted by Amye D.
“Autumn is always quick to help in any way she can. She is a subject matter expert in abstraction and coding. She is innovative and strives to make our registry as accurate and efficient as possible. She is an asset to our team and an awesome co-worker.”
Ginger L. submitted by Cyndi M
“Ginger is the BEST of the BEST Trauma/Burn Registrar at Atrium Health-Wake Forest Baptist because… she received an associate degree in medical office administration, received her certified professional coder (CPC) certification in 2015 and CAISS certification in 2023. She has been in the trauma/burn registrar role since 2015 and has been a valuable asset to the program and her colleagues. She trains new employees and assists coworkers with coding questions. Ginger has been a member of AAPC organization since 2015 and has held numerous officer positions such as Secretary, member development officer, current officer of the Education committee and current AAPC annual coding symposium planner. She has been a speaker at AAPC on autopsies, coding round tables, trauma registry, and Stop the Bleed. Ginger is also a current member of ATS, ABA, and the Fire Fighters Burn Children Fund. She has participated in burn and trauma verification surveys. She is also a member of the injury prevention committee and is instrumental in assisting with project development and sharing awareness information in the public arena related to smoking on oxygen and use of firebreaks, medical ID app, fall prevention and distracted driving. Ginger is the BEST of the BEST because she always goes out of her way to lend a helping hand to coworkers, visitors, patients, family and friends.”
Jannet F. submitted by Sara S.
“Jannet is very detailed in her work and gives 100 % in all she does.”
Jill H. submitted by Jessica L.
“Jill is an asset to our trauma program. She is accountable to ensure that each chart has quality data because she knows it makes a difference in the outcomes of our pediatric trauma patients. She is also developing a Data Dictionary for our trauma center. She is a great team player and volunteers with our injury prevention team out in the community. We are lucky to have her. Thanks for all you do Jill!”
Trish C. submitted by Stephanie Thompson
“Trish has been a registrar for close to 30 years. She was the original registrar for our Trauma 1 center and has helped to develop the program to what it is today. She is always available when anyone has questions or needs advice. She has trained so many registrars and is a leader and mentor to many in our entire state. She holds biweekly meetings to help registrars study for their certifications and leads so many other meetings, classes, training and outreach that there are too many to mention. I cannot think of anyone who deserves this more than Trish Cooper and I hope you will consider her for this award. She does so much for so many without much recognition. Thank you for your consideration.”
Mandy R. submitted by Jannet F.
“Working with Mandy for almost 10 years has made my office and my job enjoyable. She meets deadlines, organizes the registry, and taught me from the ground up. Working closely with Mandy we must say we are proud of our hard work between Covid and deadlines, catching up has been difficult. Thank you for your dedication to our trauma program Mandy and helping us stay a verified level 3 trauma facility.”
Judith J. submitted by Jency P.
“Judy came to us with only 6 months of prior trauma registrar experience, and she is rocking the registry already. She is such a quick learner who is already noticing trends in the registry. She has great attention to detail and is a true rock star registrar. We are lucky to have her at our trauma program.”
Elizabeth T. submitted by Michele Herndon
“Our trauma registrars work remotely. Beth is the most experienced registrar on the team. The other team members look to her for guidance and support and Beth is always available for a video call or chat to provide advice. She is a true team player and makes our team (and our data) great!”
Desiree M. submitted by Michele H.
“Desiree and the rest of our trauma registrars work remotely. She lives in a different time zone than our hospital and the other registrars but she is frequently available via virtual call or video chat to collaborate with the other registrars. She also always has a smile and a positive attitude, which makes our team great!”
Amy S. submitted by Michele H.
“Amy is a trauma registrar who is also in school to obtain her Master's in Public Health. She has taken a special interest in our injury prevention initiatives and has worked to create a dashboard specifically with registry data that assists in our strategic planning for injury prevention. Amy is a hard worker and makes our program great!”
Joyce B. submitted by Michele H.
“Joyce has been a coder for a long time but recently transitioned to trauma registrar. She had a lot of learning to do that was specific to trauma coding and this was a challenge, since it was so different from her previous coding experience. She has worked hard to gain experience and knowledge and makes our team great!”
