December 2021 Member Spotlight
Jaime Jester, RHIT, CCS
Professional Shares
Where do you work and what is your job title?
National Park Medical Center, Revenue Integrity Coordinator
How long have you been a member of ArHIMA?
22 years
What certification types have you received or are seeking to receive?
RHIT, CCS
Which college/university did you attend?
National Park College back when it was Garland County Community College
What made you decide to pursue a career in HIM?
HIM found me! I had no idea what I wanted to do and the new HIT program at GCCC had just become all the rave. The dean of information at the college was a close family friend and he mentioned that he felt it would be a good fit for me and he was right! I had always been interested in healthcare, just not so much the smells of healthcare!
What other jobs and/or titles have you held prior to the present one?
Coder, Coding Supervisor, Director HIM, RAC Coordinator, QM/HIM Coordinator, Adjunct Instructor
What are some of your responsibilities at your current position?
Denial review, DRG Appeals, RAC Appeals, Regulatory Review and Education
What is a typical day like for you?
If I have an agenda for the day, it is blown. If I don’t have an agenda, I can get done what would have been on the agenda. NO LIE.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
That I get work with almost all the departments of the hospital at some point and we all get to learn from each other.
Any other professional tidbit(s) you want to include?
Healthcare is a profession of passion, if you are not passionate about what you are doing it is not the profession for you.
Personal Shares
What is your favorite food?
Sushi, Scallops, and Brownies (I can’t pick one)
What’s something about you (a fun fact) not many people know?
I despise putting make-up on or going shopping
What’s your favorite family tradition?
Watching “American Outlaws” with my boys on holiday breaks.
Who had the most influence on you growing up?
My Meme, she made me the princess that everyone accuses me of being! My dad was an only child!!
What was the first concert you ever attended?
Willie Nelson (and we all had matching pearl snaps and fancy cowboy hats with big feathers)
What’s something you want to do that you’ve never done before?
Take a train ride across the Midwest.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?
Quitters never win, Winners never quit.
Do you like to cook? If so, what is your favorite thing to cook?
I love to cook when I am not in a rush. After work, cooking not so much a favorite. Favorite things to cook are chicken and dumplings, quiche and fried deer steak.
If you could get on a plane tonight and travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Belize
Where is one place in Arkansas you would suggest people to visit?
Lake Ouachita