Get to know Susan West

Easy-going and faithful are two words that friends and family would use to describe compliance auditor and internal review specialist Susan West. 

As a fourth grader, Susan had dreams of becoming a practicing veterinarian until she fell in love with medical records and coding in college. Now, over 35 years later, she is essential to the entire ACE team and finds herself serving the team in various capacities.

With years of medical coding and billing in her back pocket, Susan offers extensive knowledge in Medicare and Medicaid policies and requirements. In fact, in 1978 she received designation as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT). She values communication between providers and billing staff to ensure accuracy and trust. 

Since joining as a staff member in 1999, Susan continues offering valuable leadership skills and is a key team player for the ACE team. She demonstrates responsibility in auditing documentation and providing reports and recommendations to ensure proper payments. Additionally, she provides coaching for the ACE Coding team, manages the monthly auditing program and provides on-site compliance training. 

Ongoing education is extremely important for Susan. She is a designated AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM trainer and has developed anesthesia online training for other staff members. One of her favorite parts about her career is her ability to learn new things continuously, and she appreciates the opportunity to work together with others for the greater good. Throughout the year, you can find her attending various coding training sessions and conferences to stay knowledgeable on policy changes.

Outside of her professional career, Susan enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling and decompressing with exercise. She appreciates cooler temperatures and color changes the fall season has to offer and prioritizes healthy eating with an occasional sweet dessert. Looking back, she would advise her freshman high school self not to stress about the small things. 

If you’d like to work with Susan and our coding team, please feel free to reach out and set up a call at aceadmin@aceauditors.com.