Behind every accurate medical record is someone making sure the clinical truth is told, and at Northern Health, that someone is Mary Kouvas.

Mary, our Clinical Documentation Integrity/Improvement (CDI) Coordinator, has been named Clinical Documentation Specialist of the Year at the 2025 Clinical Documentation Improvement Conference.

This national recognition celebrates her extraordinary work in improving the quality and accuracy of patient documentation.

“I’m very honoured to receive the very first CDS of the Year award and grateful for the nomination and support from Northern Health,” said Mary.

“It came as a surprise and I wasn’t able to attend the conference in person, but I was thrilled to see Diana Villalta, a CDI team member, accept the award on my behalf and deliver such a beautiful speech.”

Mary’s impact is felt across our entire health service. From mentoring teams on the wards and educating junior doctors, to introducing smart tools like MedTasker, which lifted documentation response rates from 35 to over 90 per cent. Mary has been a quiet force for change.

She’s led the way in embedding better habits, celebrating quality documentation through the CDI Intern Award, and keeping patients at the centre of every conversation.

“CDI is a team effort,” she added. “It takes clinicians, CDSs, coders, and executives all working together to ensure our documentation tells the full story and supports better outcomes.”

Diana, who accepted the award on Mary’s behalf, shared: “Mary has put her heart and soul into CDI at Northern Health. She has this unwavering belief in the importance of accurate documentation and its impact on patient safety. Her dedication has inspired so many of us.”

“She doesn’t just lead, she uplifts everyone around her. Whether it’s supporting her team, mentoring junior staff or advocating for system improvements, Mary does it with purpose, warmth, and humility.”

“There are many facets to her role, but Mary is most passionate about educating staff, clinical and non-clinical, on the importance of complete, accurate and comprehensive patient documentation.”

Congratulations, Mary! Your passion, leadership and drive continue to shape the future of clinical care at Northern Health.