Employee Spotlight: Iliriana (Anna) Zhubi, Inpatient Coder
We’re so excited to introduce this month’s spotlight employee, Anna Zhubi! When she’s not meticulously coding charts, she loves spending time with her family, running the pizza restaurant she owns, and traveling the world!
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How did you first get into medical coding and how long have you been an Inpatient Coder?
“I graduated as a physician assistant from UW Madison in 2008 and for a while there, I struggled to find a job that was going to give me a flexible schedule and possibly not too long of a drive as I had two little kids at the time. So the struggles of that made me search for a job that was going to give me more quality of time with my kids (instead of driving in the rush hour daily) and still keep me in the medical field which I love and that is how I came across coding. I chose inpatient coding from the beginning and it has been 6 years now that I’ve been working as an inpatient coder.”
What do you love most about your job?
“What I love the most are the challenges that come with coding but especially the inpatient charts. No two charts are the same and that keeps this job very challenging and interesting.”
What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re proud of?
“My biggest work-related accomplishment that I achieve daily is the fact that once I log off from the computer for the day- I am done! I feel like coding can be stressful at times, yet it is not a job that drags you down or drains you! Once you log off that chapter has ended for the day!”
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in medical coding?
“As long as you like or love the medical field, medical coding is a perfect career! You get to do what you love yet you have the amazing flexibility of working remotely. Plus, it never gets boring as every chart is different! AND I promise you – you will learn something new daily!”
What does a “day in the life” look like for you in your role?
“My usual day in this role is like grabbing boxes with puzzles with my eyes closed – I never know if my puzzle will have 10 big pieces that I can get done fast without a sweat while enjoying my coffee, or, if my chart will have 100 small pieces that I need to figure out, making me completely forget about that cup of coffee I have nearby.”
What’s your favorite productivity hack?
“Pay attention to what you are reading. Copy notes on the dashboard provided so it is easy to follow certain diagnoses if those have perhaps been ruled out by discharge. And don’t stress! Code so you get the accuracy – productivity comes naturally! Always remember if the chart is coded wrong, then that chart will come back to you or someone else will have to go over it again and that is time being lost. Therefore dedicate the time it deserves to get it accurately done the first time around.”
What do you like to listen to? Music, podcasts?
“I combine news, weather and instrumental music on my Alexa. It helps my brain to stay busy and focus on reading too and since my brain is already doing two things at the same time there is no room for the third therefore I block all my other thoughts from coming to visit as there is no more room in my brain for that.”
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
“I own a pizza restaurant which keeps me quiet busy and I love spending time with my kids ,whether it is simply cooking dinner with them or watching a movie or doing pilates and yoga in our living room and laughing hard with each others poses. We also love to travel so we always jump last minute in a car and drive to nearby places to explore.
What’s your favorite summertime activity?
“Living in WI and the cold winters makes me absolutely love the summer time. I use a lot of summer time to hike and swim in the lakes and kayak or simply relax in the boat!”
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to?
“I love Europe and all the places I have visited there BUT if I would have to mention only one, it is the city of ROME – the life, the music on the street, the architecture, so much to see it is absolutely incredible. It is a place that gives energy and positive vibes to every person there!”
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Don’t forget to check back each month to get to know our featured employee of the month! We love sharing the different stories and personalities behind OnPoint, and we hope you enjoy learning more about our team.