The program, core competencies, and test design of the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) credential have been developed by a CCDS certification board, consisting of healthcare professionals hailing from a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, including nursing, HIM/coding, case management, and quality. The board also includes a public member with full voting privileges.

The CCDS certification board currently includes the following members:

• Deborah Biskner, MBA, RHIA, CCS, CCDS, clinical documentation specialist, Port Huron Hospital, MI
• Margi Brown, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CCDS, independent consultant, Orlando, FL
• Gary David, PhD, associate professor, department of sociology, department of information design and corporate communication, Bentley University, Waltham, MA (public member)
• Tamara Hicks, RN, BSN, CCS, CCDS, manager, care coordination, North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Winston-Salem, NC
• Fran Jurcak, RN, MSN, CCDS, manager, Wellspring Partners, clinical documentation improvement division, Chicago, IL
• Kathy Kerfoot, LPN, CPHQ, CCDS, quality manager, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Enid, OK
• Melissa Legere, RN, BSN, CCDS, supervisor, clinical documentation, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC
• Mary Phelps, RHIA, CCS, CTR, CIC, CCDS, senior associate, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Charlotte, NC
• Lynne Spryszak, RN, CPC-A, CCDS, CDI education director, HCPro, Inc., Marblehead, MA

The following individuals previously served on the CCDS certification board:

• Jill Brocker, RN, MSN, CCS, CCDS, director of quality services, Indiana Heart Institute, Indianapolis, IN
• Mary Beth Brown, RN, BSN, CCDS, manager of clinical documentation improvement/utilization review, Moses Cone Health System, Greensboro, NC
• Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCDS, regional managing HIM director/NCAL revenue cycle, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. and Hospitals, Oakland, CA
• Wanda Myers, RN, BSN, MA, CCDS, clinical documentation specialist coordinator/coding and case mix analysis, Medstar, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.
• Suzanne Rogers, RHIA, CCS, CPHQ, CCDS, director, clinical data management, University of Texas Medical Branch

In addition, the following individuals assisted with initial content development and/or exam review:

• Robert Gold, MD, CEO, DCBA, Inc., Atlanta, GA
• William Haik, MD, director, DRG Review, Inc., Fort Walton Beach, FL
• Colleen Stukenberg,  MSN, RN, CMSRN, CCDS, clinical documentation management professional, FHN Memorial Hospital, Freeport, IL