Team Spotlight: Christine Powell, Identity Manager

Christin Powell first recognized the significant impact patient identification errors have across the healthcare continuum at the start of her career in patient access, handling registrations in an emergency room. Mistakes made here, a hospital’s front door where 75% of first patient contacts take place, follow a patient throughout their healthcare journey, from clinical care to medical records and billing.

“After seeing firsthand how something as simple as a misidentification or even a typographical error could result in tragic consequences, I developed a strong understanding of the importance of accurate patient identity management. I became fascinated by the field and challenged myself to approach every patient encounter with precision. That commitment sparked a passion that has guided my career ever since,” says Christine.

As she rose through the patient access ranks, she had the opportunity to learn more about health information management and the technologies behind it. That led her to leave the hospital for Quadramed. When it was later acquired by Harris Computers, she found new challenges in the realm of patient identity management as part of the Harris Data Integrity Solutions team.

“We have an exceptional team with decades of experience, including individuals who actively advocate for patient identity at the national level. On a personal level, I’m passionate about the meaningful impact of our work in restoring the integrity of compromised medical records that are often affected by identity issues,” says Christine, adding that she also finds it rewarding to know that “while we’re behind the scenes resolving these complexities of misidentification, we’re enabling healthcare providers to focus on what matters most, delivering quality patient care. I also value the opportunity to share our insights and recommendations, helping to advance the conversation around improving patient identity across the industry.”

For Christine, patient identity management plays a critical role in ensuring patient safety. It’s the foundation for delivering the right care to the right patient. It helps prevent duplicate records, supports a complete and accurate medical history, reduces denied claims, optimizes the revenue cycle, and protects against medical identity theft.

“By maintaining the integrity of patient records, it safeguards both clinical and financial outcomes across the healthcare system,” she says, adding that she wishes more people understood just how often personally identifiable information is compromised or entered incorrectly, and the significant impact that can have throughout the healthcare system.

“Errors in data capture can follow a patient for years,” she says. “I wish patients took a more active role in ensuring the accuracy of their information for every encounter. Lastly, I wish more people would support initiatives like the MATCH IT Act, which aims to improve patient safety and privacy by reducing misidentification and promoting interoperability across healthcare systems.”

And while her career has always been in healthcare, her first professional stint was actually with a professional women’s baseball—yes, baseball—team. “We played with wooden bats and 90-foot bases, just like the men,” says Christine, who dreamed of being an Olympic athlete as a child. Instead, she played first base for one “unforgettable season,” after which “I shifted gears and began my career in healthcare.”