Mary Bourland

Dr. Mary Bourland is the vice president of coding, clinical documentation integrity (CDI) and utilization management for Mercy Health system based out of Chesterfield, Mo. She is a retired cardiovascular (CV) and thoracic surgeon. Dr. Bourland practiced in Joplin, Mo, from 1993 until 2005 as a CV surgeon with a strong emphasis on women’s prevention of heart and vascular disease. In 2005, she was recruited to northwest Arkansas to start a similar program at Mercy. During the time she practiced, Dr. Bourland screened more than 10,000 women for heart and vascular disease and educated twice as many. She was the recipient of the Women of Distinction Award, her program was listed in the top 100 heart hospitals, and Money magazine listed her vascular program in the top 25 in the nation. Dr. Bourland earned her Doctorate in Medicine from Southern Illinois University (Alpha Omega Alpha) and her general surgery residency, where she was honored as the outstanding teacher for surgical residents. She obtained her cardiovascular training in New York at Buffalo. She is board-certified in both general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery. Currently, in her role as vice president of coding, CDI and utilization management, Dr. Bourland leads more than 700 coworkers for Mercy Health Systems. Her interests lie in using automation to decrease dependency on human labor, decreasing documentation burden on providers and nurses, and improving access for all patients. Dr. Bourland no longer practices surgery after an accident took away her ability to operate. She is passionate about healthcare reform and delivering high quality healthcare at the lowest cost.