Sharpies and stage lights: MUSC’s Tracy Ferro on outpatient CDI origins

Listen to the episode here (Spotify).

At ACDIS 2026 I delivered an unofficial episode of Off the Record with my guest today: Tracy Ferro, Executive Director, System CDI for Medical University of South Carolina Health (MUSC).  

The “podcast” was delivered on stage, at the outpatient symposium. MUSC’s OP CDI program is new and being built in flight, and Tracy and I presented on it together, running the session a bit like an episode of #OTR. 

Full disclosure: Norwood partnered with MUSC, large academic health system, to implement OP CDI. That was a challenge! As was the Chicago presentation. 

On today’s episode we talk not only about MUSC’s OP CDI efforts but the presentation itself, including the prep and leadup and “game day.” And much more on Tracy’s unique leadership style and the importance of storytelling to drive home lessons (she’s wonderful at this). 

Listen in as we discuss: 

• Tracy’s healthcare background, a memorable nursing experience, and path into CDI. 

• The art of leadership: Style and lessons learned from childhood and beyond 

• MUSC’s outpatient CDI origins: The why behind the program 

• What a pre-visit review looks like, including the use of Epic’s Enhanced Risk Adjustment Framework.  

• Governance, workflows, reporting, and early outcomes.  

• Outpatient CDI impact and next steps for the new program 

• Presenting at ACDIS 2026, including tips on prep and combatting stage nerves 

• An unexpected Sharpie arm signature and a song for the OTR Spotify playlist…