Different Minds, Extraordinary Strengths: The UC Davis Coding Internship Story

This country does a decent job in our primary schools working with children and young adults with special needs. Certainly many improvements have been made in the last 40-50 years.  

But once neurodivergent kids become adults, that support seems to vanish. 

Tami Gomez stepped into this large breach by launching the UC Davis Neurodiversity Coding Internship Program. This new program creates professional pathways for neurodivergent individuals by offering hands-on training, mentorship, and real-world exposure to healthcare operations, specifically in inpatient medical coding. 

I’m thrilled to get her back on the program to talk about this, her greatly expanded role as Executive Director, Mid Rev Cycle, HIM, Coding, CDI Programs, & Revenue Integrity, and a cutting-edge new initiative she spearheaded that’s already making a big financial impact. 

Listen in as we discuss: 

• Origins of UC Davis Neurodiversity Coding Internship Program: Tami’s own story of neurodivergence 

• Getting started—funding, early struggles and sticking points, partnership with UCLA 

• The curriculum and beyond: What are they learning, thanks to generous donations from HCPro/AHIMA, and not just education—taking students all the way through CCS credentialing and job placement 

• Reception from attendees and the industry at large 

• What makes neurodivergent people uniquely able to code, and their real struggles interviewing and entering the workforce 

• Tami’s new busy day job as Executive Director, Mid Rev Cycle. HIM, Coding, CDI Programs, & Revenue Integrity at UC Davis Health.  

• New Initiative: High-Pay Huddles and its financial impact 

• Increasingly tech-enabled coding and CDI professions—are we in danger of losing them to AI? 

• Updates on her personal life as a party planner, why her colleague Penny Jefferson rocks so much, and a new song for the #OTR Spotify Playlist... 

Mentioned on today’s show: 

• UC Davis Neurodiversity Coding Internship Program: https://health.ucdavis.edu/him/Coding/Neuro.html  

• AHIMA video featuring Tami: https://contentwithpurpose.co.uk/ahima/healthinformation/videos/tami-mcmasters-gomez/