Julie Everett is a clinical documentation specialist and a mother. She is also a Nonahood resident. Read our conversation with her below!
Nonahood News: What is your job?
Julie Everett: I am a clinical documentation specialist, which means I have a clinical background in nursing. What I do is I review medical records from an inpatient setting to make sure they’re accurate and reflect the person’s health status. Most people don’t know that your medical health record gets translated into quality scores for the hospitals and the physicians. We make sure that the information in the medical record is always accurate for the patient as well as from a reporting status.
NHN: What does your day-to-day schedule look like?
JE: My day-to-day schedule can start as early as 6 a.m. and go until 6 at night depending on how many meetings I have, how many physicians I have to talk to. I’m usually in between seven hospitals, so it depends on where my meetings are and what message I’m trying to relay for that particular month. If I have a meeting at one hospital site, then I go out there for the day, hang out with the team. We are a team of 40 nurses, a couple medical graduates, and we have nurses at each facility. When I’m at those specific hospitals, I speak to the physicians, hang out with the team to make sure they don’t need anything. I’m the educator over the department, so I go out there and educate them on new topics and trends that are going on in health care and new updates from CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).
NHN: What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
JE: When a physician understands the initiatives the hospital is going for when it comes to accuracy and documentation. It’s really rewarding when the physicians really see the impact they can have on someone else’s life.
NHN: What would you say is the most challenging aspect of your job?
JE: Physician buy-in when it comes to clinical documentation because, in medical school, they weren’t taught the terms and specific documentation that’s required now.
NHN: What got you interested in doing your current job in this area?
JE: I work at Orlando Health. I used to be a NICU nurse on nights. I loved my job, but I wanted something different. Most of the time, nurses like to try everything in health care. I think this is just another chapter in my life. Also, it was new to the East Coast. It’s like getting involved with something new, and it’s about to take off. I like the thrill and building a program from the ground up.
NHN: Do you have any interesting hobbies, collections or interests?
JE: I used to play tennis at USTA (United States Tennis Association). I used to take classes. Sometimes, my friend and I get together, we play tennis here with the community. I like to paint sometimes. I like hanging out with my son at the theme parks. I attend Toastmasters. I just acquired the position of vice president over membership. I’m looking forward to bringing more awareness about Toastmasters for young leaders and people who want to work on their public speaking. I also love to travel.
NHN: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
JE: I see myself still in the same position but further along. Probably doing some side consulting in this area. Probably go back to grad school, attain my master’s in leadership.
NHN: What brought you to Lake Nona and when did you move here?
JE: I bought a house here like a year ago. Initially, I lived off of Lee Vista. I came to Orlando eight years ago. I went to college in Tallahassee at Florida A&M University. After I graduated, I worked for the Department of Health as the Influenza Coordinator for the state of Florida for years. From there, I went back to nursing school and then I got my first job at Orlando Health as a nurse. But I liked the [Lake Nona] area. It was new and it was growing, and my son was getting ready to enter kindergarten. Schools are very important to me. You want your child to go to the best schools in the area, so that’s why I moved here.
NHN: Where are you from originally?
JE: Hollywood, Florida. That is between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
NHN: What would you say is your favorite part about Lake Nona?
JE: I like that it’s family-oriented. I think that’s what makes Lake Nona special within its own. It’s not like that everywhere else. I like the fact that within the community, you know somebody. You can go to Publix and run into a parent or a child. It seems like everyone knows somebody who knows somebody within the community. I think it’s good for the kids to show them that this is how a community is supposed to be run, and this is how you treat people with respect. It just gives positive vibes. I also like USTA. I always loved tennis, so I was excited when USTA was built. I like taking class there when I have time. I like the different events that they do. For those who haven’t been there, it’s very pretty.
NHN: What would you say to anyone who is considering a move to Lake Nona?
JE: You are moving into an area with a lot of hardworking families. People are really nice and welcoming. It’s nice. You’ll see kids outside playing, especially in the summertime you’ll see a lot of kids around the pool. There’s a lot of hospitals that are coming to Lake Nona, which is great for us because we have more accessibility to health care no matter what your insurance is. The healthier the people in your community, the healthier your overall community. You are welcome here. You have a second family.
Want to nominate YOUR neighbor (or yourself) to be featured? Follow this link: nonahood.to/nonaneighbor.
