Temera Royston – Coding Executive

Temera is a highly accomplished Health Information Management (HIM) and Coding Executive with extensive experience leading multi-facility healthcare systems in coding, revenue cycle management, clinical documentation improvement, and physician education. With a career spanning over 25 years, Temera has demonstrated expertise in organizational leadership, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence, consistently driving efficiency, quality, and financial performance.

Currently, Temera serves as Director of Physician Coding Education and Audit at Sutter Health, where they oversee the development, implementation, and management of physician coding education programs and auditing initiatives across the organization. In this role, Temera Royston:

• Designs and delivers specialty-specific physician coding education, ensuring compliance with CPT, ICD-10-CM, and official coding guidelines.

• Leads system-wide coding audits for professional services, identifying risks, gaps, and opportunities for improved documentation and reimbursement.

• Collaborates closely with physicians, clinical leadership, revenue integrity, and compliance teams to implement corrective actions and coding best practices.

• Develops and monitors metrics and dashboards to assess audit findings, coding accuracy, and educational program effectiveness.

• Implements pre-bill hold reviews and risk mitigation strategies, providing actionable feedback to providers to ensure accurate claims submission.

• Acts as a subject matter expert for physician coding queries, policy interpretation, and compliance updates, facilitating consistent understanding across all service lines.

• Supports ongoing professional development for coding educators and staff, fostering a culture of continuous learning and high-quality documentation.

Previously, Temera Royston held leadership roles including Coding Manager II at UC Davis Health Systems, Director of Health Information Management at Tahoe Forest Health Systems and Dignity Health Medical Foundation, and Regional Director of HIM and Coding at Community Health Systems. In these positions, they directed statewide HIM operations, implemented EHR migrations, developed coding education programs, and led large-scale clinical documentation improvement initiatives. Their work has consistently enhanced coding accuracy, regulatory compliance, and reimbursement performance across diverse healthcare environments.

Temera Royston is recognized for exceptional expertise in physician documentation training, auditing, process redesign, and coding program development, as well as proficiency in major healthcare IT systems such as CERNER, EPIC, GECB, and McKesson. They are also adept at fostering relationships with high-level stakeholders, influencing operational decision-making, and implementing strategies that improve organizational efficiency and patient care outcomes.

Temera Royston holds a Master’s degree in organizational leadership from Chapman University, a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Biola University, and an Associate of Science in Health Information Technology from East Los Angeles College. She is RHIA, RHIT, CPC and CRCR certified, and have served in Board positions with the Maryland State Health Information Management Association.

Passionate about advancing healthcare operations through education, compliance, and process improvement, Temera Royston continues to make significant contributions to physician coding excellence, revenue cycle management and organizational performance.