One More Round: Sheila Duhon’s Unexpected Return to CDI Leadership

Listen to the episode here.

Even if you’ve never seen The Godfather, you’ve probably heard its iconic line: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” 

That certainly applies to Sheila Duhon, National Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity for Steward Health Care. A year ago Sheila was headed toward semi-retirement, but changing events on the ground in the beleaguered healthcare system prompted her to get back into the game with her old organization. 

Sheila is a 2022 CDI Professional of the Year award winner, a published author and passionate educator, but above all possesses a strong moral compass and a willingness to do what’s right for her CDI team and the patients they serve—one which has served her well in a tough spot.

On this show we cover:

• Sheila’s second act in CDI, from semi-retirement to full-time leadership role
• The cloud over Steward: How she puts that aside and focuses on the task at hand
• Her formative experiences as a nurse thrust into the ICU at age 19
• What makes for a good CDI educator, including her story of a challenging first educational session for a group of providers
• CDI as she sees it: A clarification that hospitals still miss, pros/cons of the current state of the profession
• Timeline toward retirement part 2 and final words of advice. Plus of course Sheila’s selection for the Off the Record Spotify playlist.