Community Spotlight
Each month, we profile a special member of our community: a student, alumni, faculty member, or partner. Check out this month’s inspiring story below.
Nadia Youssef M.B.B.Ch, PGDi.P.H , CHIM
Coding Specialist
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Role/partnership with CHA Learning: Faculty Member & Subject Matter Expert
Website: https://www.sickkids.ca/
Social Media: LinkedIn | Twitter (organization)
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Nadia is originally from Egypt where she was a physician with a Bachelor’s Degree of Medicine and Surgery and a postgraduate Diploma in Public Health and Maternal and Child Health. Nadia has also worked with implementing Electronic Health Records. Nadia brings that medical and EHR expertise to her exceptional coding aptitude and loves to use her experience as a coder, working for Sick Kids in Toronto. She is a graduate of CHA Learning’s HIM Program and the Coding Specialist Program. She now coaches new and returning coders as a faculty member in both the Coding Refresher Course and the Coding Specialist Programs, which she finds is a great mutual learning experience.
On a personal level, Nadia has two daughters who completed their engineering degrees from University of Ottawa and her eldest daughter holds a Master’s degree from University of British Columbia. Both daughters are married and employed in the US.
A Little More About Nadia:
What is something you have worked on that you are proud of?
During every stage in my life, I accomplished a success that I am proud of and boosted my self-satisfaction as follows:
I am proud that I was a health care provider back home and I was able to provide healthcare services to vulnerable children and mothers in underserved areas. I was also a faculty member overseas to nursing institutes and colleges teaching Healthcare sciences and supporting students in acquiring knowledge and skills that allow them to succeed in their career.
Being a mother of two daughters, I am proud that I invested in them by coming to Canada to have the best education. In return, they worked hard, graduated with a Bachelor’s Degrees in Engineering and were able to grow in the careers they chose. Currently, both of them are married and working in the USA.
I am proud that I was able to work as a Settlement Counsellor in Canada to support high-need newcomers and refugees to overcome their barriers and settle in a new country.
Lastly, but most importantly, I am proud that I am an HIM Professional holding the CHIM designation, working as a Coding Specialist, that I achieved my goal of completing the Coding Specialist program, and that I support learners and coders during their professional development journey through my CHA faculty role.
Who do you admire in healthcare and why?
I admire all the people at all levels of the healthcare industry (volunteers, healthcare workers, healthcare providers, HIM professionals, decision-makers…etc.) who, by the role each is playing in the healthcare field, they make a difference in other’s lives. During the COVID 19 pandemic, the healthcare community risked their own lives to serve patients. All respect to these amazing people as their hard work and dedication were inspirational during this challenging time.
What would you want someone to know entering the Coding Specialist Program?
I would like them [students] to know the vital role HIM coders play in the sustainability and improvement of our healthcare system and that healthcare leaders and decision makers depend on the quality of data obtained from abstracting and coding health information. Therefore, it is crucial that coders have the proper training and experience to help them execute their role effectively so they can help their community and those who are most vulnerable in receiving the quality healthcare services they deserve.
How do you make room for continuing to learn while leading?
With the evolving role of the HIM professionals and the implementation of digitalization in the HIM field, continuous education is one of the pillars to maintain and enhance the competency of quality coders. Therefore, to excel and grow in my coding career and leverage my coding skills, I enrolled and completed the Coding Specialist program. As my impetus is to continuously be a valuable member of the healthcare coding community, I’m driven to constantly enroll in professional development courses, attend e-learning sessions and acquire new skills, tools, and strategies to apply them in my work. This also allows me to effectively support my students during their learning journey at CHA Learning.
What are the best ways that leaders can support other leaders, whether within the same organization or different organizations?
“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
What are some of your favourite hobbies outside of work?
My favourite hobbies are feeding birds, enjoying nature, and playing with my grandson.