Karen Schuler Named UR/CDI/Denials Director

Karen Schuler, BSN, RN-NI, has been named Director of Utilization Review, Clinical Documentation Integrity, Denials for Revenue Cycle at Evangelical Community Hospital.

In this role, Schuler is responsible for the management and coordination and day-to-day review of inpatient medical records to evaluate the documentation and utilization of acute care services. In addition to ensuring accuracy of documentation essential to reimbursement for services, the director serves patients by advocating for the appropriate length of stays for care, securing authorizations, and working with insurance companies for the proper cost coverages for the patient and reimbursement for the Hospital and its various practices to ensure quality outcomes.

Schuler has 34 plus years of clinical experience with 11 of those years in service to Evangelical Community Hospital. As a RN, she has served in positions as a clinical nurse, clinical practice coordinator, IT clinical system specialist, and quality safety RN. At Evangelical, Schuler has served as an IT Clinical System Specialist Team Lead for 10 years beginning in 2012, and in April 2022, moved into the role of Utilization Review/Clinical Documentation Integrity Manager until this promotion.

Schuler is a PA Licensed RN, has an American Nurses Credentialing Center Board certification in Nursing Informatics and Medical-Surgical Nursing, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lycoming College.