Team Spotlight: Candice Neisen, MS, RHIA, Director, Professional Services Director
Healthcare was always Candice Neisen’s professional endgame, thanks in part to a family filled with nurses, a physician, firefighters, and other dedicated professionals. Initially drawn to sports medicine, her path shifted after having children. “I still wanted to build a meaningful career in healthcare,” she says, “but more than anything, I wanted to work from home so I could be present and available for my kids.”
That realization led her to Just Associates, now part of Harris Data Integrity Solutions, as a patient identity expert. Although the job initially checked all her boxes—she could work from home, it was in healthcare, and it offered flexibility for her when her kids were little—she quickly fell in love with the work.
“Patient identity management helps me fulfill that dream of helping patients,” says Candice, who has worked her way up over the last 14 years to the role of professional services director. “It’s behind the scenes, but we make sure patients have a complete and accurate medical record so they can get the best possible care.”
Her favorite part of her job is the people. Candice and her teammates share a passion for data integrity, which creates a sense of purpose. As for her clients, “I find it fascinating to learn from their projects, the challenges they're going through, and how to take that knowledge and improve our own processes to better support them,” she says, adding that she loves knowing she can then share those best practices with hospitals nationwide.
“I get to work with some of the most absolutely amazing people out there,” she says.
Patient identity management is critical to quality patient care because incorrect or incomplete records lead to care delays, unnecessary tests, and serious medical errors—not to mention frustration for patients and clinicians alike,” says Candice. By resolving duplicates and errors, identity managers help clinicians reduce those risks for their patients.
“Every time I look at medical records, I remind myself that this is someone's spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, or neighbor. I want them to have the best care, and what I do is the foundation of making sure that the clinical staff has the information they need.”
One aspect of patient identity management that is often overlooked is the complexity and detail-oriented nature of the work, which is why it is important not to rely overly on automation.
“Automation can help us streamline part of the work, but we can't fully automate it,” says Candice. “It takes trained professionals with critical thinking skills to catch those little nuances and to make sure that we are making the right decisions, not just for most of the time, but all of the time.”
That is why she would like to see more patients educated on the importance of taking 30 seconds to review their demographic information or questioning things that seem off, such as why they are undergoing a second test.
“Patients need to know that mistakes do happen. Medical records are not perfect. But patients can ask questions and make sure that they're advocating for themselves to get the best care possible,” says Candice.
While she loves her work in healthcare, it is not her only passion. Candice also loves traveling with her husband and kids and has big plans for future adventures.
“One of our life goals is to visit all 50 states together and all five of the world’s oceans. We collect maps and use them to track everywhere we've been—it’s become a fun tradition and a great way to look back on our adventures,” she says. “We also track national parks, zoos, and other fun travel experiences. Whether it’s a weekend road trip or a big vacation, we’re always looking for our next new place to explore!”