MCAS Cherry Point  –   One team’s attention to detail and meticulous execution of their duties plays a critical role in supporting the healthcare of Marines, Sailors and families of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point while ensuring service members are ready to train and deploy.
Staff of the Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point Patient Administration Department conduct their duties out-of-sight of most visitors to the facility.  They ensure the accuracy, accessibility and confidentiality of patient medical records and sensitive patient administrative information.

“It’s more than filing paperwork.  Many may think Patient Administration is just about filing records or checking patients in,” said Ms. Cindy Godley, the clinic’s Medical Records Administrator and Assistant Department Head.  “In reality, it involves complex processes like medical board coordination, coding audits, proper registration processes, and HIPAA compliance, all of which are vital to patient care and organizational readiness.”

Staff serving in the PAD support a multitude of functions critical to the clinic’s function, the wellness of patients and the deployment readiness of units assigned to MCAS Cherry Point.  Those functions include management of Limited Duty, coordinating the process to determine a service member’s fitness for duty, managing overseas screenings and even assisting mortuary affairs.

“We are the gatekeepers of patient data,” said Godley, a native of Havelock, North Carolina.  “The department [PAD] ensures data accuracy, privacy, and legal compliance. A single error in documentation or patient eligibility could impact treatment, billing, or readiness for deployment—especially in military healthcare systems.”

Additionally, PAD’s work protects the clinic from numerous risks.  The department prevents financial and legal issues through careful oversight of records requests, third-party liability, coding documentation verifications and maintaining Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance.  PAD staff helps the clinic avoid penalties, litigation or lost revenue due to noncompliance or incomplete documentation.

“We are an essential part to continuity of care.  From birth to end-of-life, we assist with ensuring documentation is available for the next patient’s visit, either in our clinic or at other facilities,” said Godley.  “Patient Administration tracks the full lifecycle of medical care. Without it, care would be delayed, incomplete, or undocumented.”

Though often in the background of all patient interactions, PAD ensures the smooth provision of medical care to the MCAS Cherry Point and surrounding communities.