Reframing Talent: What Neurodiversity Has Taught Me About the Future of Medical Coding

EDITOR’S NOTE: The narrative in this article reflects the firsthand perspectives and professional experience of Tami McMasters Gomez, curated and prepared for publication by Penny Jefferson.

In my recent two-part Talk Ten Tuesday series, I asked the healthcare community to pause and reconsider a longstanding assumption: that the medical coding workforce must be built the same way it always has been. That conversation, reinforced by my featured video in the American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA’s) Health Information: Making Every Patient’s Story Matter series, was never about novelty. It was about necessity – and about recognizing talent that healthcare has historically overlooked.

At UC Davis Health, I founded, designed, and launched a neurodiversity-focused coding internship with a clear purpose: to create a legitimate, structured pathway into health information careers for neurodivergent individuals. I did not approach neurodiversity as something that required accommodation or exception. I approached it as a strategic workforce opportunity, particularly in a field that depends on accuracy, pattern recognition, consistency, and deep focus.

Throughout the Talk Ten Tuesdays segments, I shared how this program was intentionally built from the ground up. Success did not come from lowering expectations or simplifying the work. It came from aligning training, mentorship, and work environments with how neurodivergent learners process information and demonstrate mastery. Participants receive structured education in anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and coding fundamentals, paired with exposure to real production workflows and professional standards. The rigor is real – because the work is real.

The AHIMA video expands on this story by highlighting something I have seen firsthand: when given the right structure, clarity, and support, neurodivergent professionals excel in health information roles. Remote-capable work, predictable workflows, and clearly defined performance expectations are not special favors; they are smart operational design. At the same time, these elements directly address the workforce shortages and retention challenges that continue to strain coding departments nationwide.

What matters most to me is that this program is not a one-time pilot or a conceptual exercise. It is a scalable, operationally proven framework that other organizations can adopt by rethinking how talent is identified and developed. Healthcare cannot afford to rely on the same hiring pipelines and expect different outcomes. We need to broaden our lenses without compromising quality, compliance, or accountability.

Together, the Talk Ten Tuesdays conversations and the AHIMA feature tell a larger story. Neurodiversity is not a trend, and this work is not about checking boxes. It is about redefining workforce excellence at a time when healthcare desperately needs sustainable solutions. The future of medical coding may not lie in finding more traditional candidates, but in finally recognizing the strengths that have been there all along.