Nikisha Small, RHIA, CRC, is an associate director in the Health Analytics practice at BRG, where she specializes in providing coding, documentation, process improvement, and data analysis services to healthcare providers.
She has more than seventeen years of consulting experience across a variety of areas, including inpatient and outpatient coding, physician documentation, revenue cycle, risk adjustment coding, compliance, and medical necessity reviews. As interim coding manager, she routinely reviews Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) and National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) and provides education or implements processes to help assure billing and coding requirements are adhered to.
As a consultant, Ms. Small:
- educates clients on provider coding and documentation
- educates clients on provider billing compliance
- functions as interim manager of coding
- performs various analyses in revenue cycle management
- acts as interim claims analyst
- develops coding and billing operations guidelines (physician billing/ProFee)
- develops policies and procedures
- develops process improvements
- analyzes population health needs
- performs risk adjustment coding (HCCs) reviews
- reviews codes for potential transactions/acquisitions
Ms. Small previously served as Johns Hopkins University compliance specialist/trainer, providing training and support on professional billing to physicians, non-physician providers, professional billing staff, clinical staff, administrators, and other personnel on third-party payer documentation and billing requirements for CPT and ICD-9/10. She also served as physician coding manager and manager of revenue enhancement at Duke University Medical Center.
Ms. Small earned her BS in health information management from East Carolina University and is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), a Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC), and an AHIMA Approved ICD-10 CM/PCS Trainer.
Employment History
Grant Thornton Consulting
Manager, Healthcare Advisory Services
2011 – 2013
HealthSpring/Bravo Health
Manager, Coding and Production
2011
Navigant Consulting Inc.
Managing healthcare consultant
2006 – 2011
Johns Hopkins University
Compliance specialist/trainer
2005 – 2006
Duke University Medical Center
Physician coding manager and manager of revenue enhancement
2001 – 2005
HIM special projects coordinator
2000 – 2001
Pitt Surgical Center/Physicians East
Health information management intern
2000
Pitt County Memorial Hospital
Rehabilitation outpatient coder
2000
Direct practice
1998 – 1999
Professional Affiliations
American Health Information Management Association
Maryland Health Information Management Association
Credentials
Registered Health Information Administrator
Certified Clinical Research Coordinator