Holly H. Kalua-Igarashi
California Regional Manager of Clinical Revenue Integrity (CDI)
St. Joseph Health Revenue Cycle Optimization
Holly H. Kalua-Igarashi is thrilled about her recent transition to become a St. Joseph Health CDI leader. With this new opportunity, she is closing the chapter on her 23 years of service for Adventist Health.
Holly H. Kalua-Igarashi, RN, BSM, expanded her role and responsibilities to serve the Northern California Network (NCN) hospitals as the Clinical Revenue Integrity Director in 2012 and has continued in that role since 2013 as a Cerner Associate for Cerner RevWorks at Adventist Health (AH). In 2013, concurrently to this role, she also became the Corporate CDI Director. Prior to that, she held leadership positions in Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) and Case Management (CM) for the St. Helena Hospital region from 2003 to 2012. Tapped as a thought leader in her field, she has advanced innovative thinking as the Team Building session presenter for both Adventist Health’s “Advanced Empowering Health Care Leaders” Series and the 2013 Chaplains’ Conference subsequent to co-facilitating for the NCN Directors Leadership Development Quest teams.
Kalua-Igarashi began her nursing career in a skilled nursing facility as Interim Director of Nurses in 1986 then moved to the acute setting on the medical-surgical and intensive care units. The next phase as a hemodialysis nurse afforded her the opportunity as assistant administrator to initiate and complete the opening of their fourth Hemodialysis clinic.
Her 23 year career at St. Helena Hospital commenced in 1991, initially providing care on the telemetry unit, then comprehensive care for the perinatal patient population on the family birthing unit and teaching the early pregnancy classes. Career opportunities overlapped in 1996-2003 as a case manager at St. Helena Hospital, a bed control nurse for patient throughput at Kaiser Vallejo Hospital and an advice nurse at their Call Center, and a patient review authorization nurse for California Medical Foundation. As the CM Director, she provided oversight for utilization review, denial/appeals, R.A.C. management, discharge planning and monitoring length of stay. Continuing the CM service line, she implemented a comprehensive Clinical Documentation Improvement program in 2008 to support revenue integrity and quality initiatives through working with physicians to appropriately capture patient severity of illness during inpatient hospitalizations.
Kalua-Igarashi presented “To Admit or Not to Admit: Appropriate Admissions” to the Team Health Hospitalists at the 2010 Team Health Leadership conference.
She hosted Sound Living, a one-hour weekly health-focused radio show on . It was a live format comprised of interviews with physicians and other healthcare professionals, integrating callers’ questions during the program.
Kalua-Igarashi established and participated in a parish nurse program at P.U.C. Prep School meeting and listening to students, assessing potential needs and making referrals as indicated. This program received recognition and commendation by the local press.
Kalua-Igarashi holds a bachelor’s degree in management and associate’s degree in nursing from Pacific Union College in Angwin, California. She is a member of the Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists (ACDIS) and participates in the California Hospital Association’s (CHA) Center for Post-Acute, HH Care and Hospice Committee. She previously served as a Northern California Chapter board RN Member-at-large from 2007-2011 as a member of the American Case Management Association (ACMA).