Judy D'Ambrosio
Judy D’Ambrosio is a seasoned Medical Records Consultant with over three decades of experience spanning business management and healthcare. She began her professional journey with a business degree from SUNY Brockport, working in roles that included managing a convenience store, serving as a purchasing agent for Present Company, and contributing to operations at Finger Lakes Chemical. Realizing that her true passion lay elsewhere, Judy pivoted to healthcare, earning a degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology—a decision she calls “the best mistake of her life” after encountering a six-year waiting list for the physician assistant program. She then spent 22 years as a nuclear medicine technologist at Unity Hospital, providing one-on-one patient care and fostering meaningful connections with those she served.
After a personal health challenge ended her ability to continue direct patient care, Judy transitioned to regulatory consulting when a friend at Wegmans invited her to join Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies. For the past 11 years, she has served as a regulatory specialist, managing compliance for ambulatory surgery centers and ensuring adherence to CMS, New York State Department of Health, and accrediting agency standards. Her work spans governing body minutes, quality improvement programs, medical records security, and comprehensive support for clients’ operational needs. Known for becoming deeply invested in her clients’ success, Judy treats every consulting engagement as an extension of the healthcare team.
Committed to lifelong learning and professional growth, Judy returned to school during the COVID-19 pandemic to earn a Master of Science in Health Information Technology from the University of Pittsburgh and became a Registered Health Information Administrator. She has now launched her own LLC to provide medical record consulting services across New York State and plans to transition full-time into this role upon retiring from Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies at the end of the year. Her career reflects a unique blend of business acumen, clinical expertise, and regulatory knowledge, underpinned by a dedication to helping healthcare organizations achieve excellence.
• Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)
• University of Pittsburgh - MS, Health Information Technology
• Rochester Institute of Technology - BS, Nuclear Medicine Technology
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to not giving up, even when faced with devastating challenges. When I got seriously ill and couldn't continue the patient care work I loved, it was devastating - especially as a young woman with children in private school. But I had to educate myself on anything I could and make myself interested in something new. I had to do all those difficult things to get to where I am now. My advice is always: head down, just keep swimming, and something will fall for you, something will come to you if you don't give up. Looking back now, 11 years later, I'm so glad that pivot happened, even though at the time I didn't want to let go of that one-on-one patient connection I so much enjoyed.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell her to get as much education as she can in information technology first, because that is something that changes every second. Medical IT is a completely different animal - you need those IT skills, but then it becomes a lot about privacy, a lot about patient care, and a lot about patient record privacy. There's the medical record part of how a doctor keeps track of patients and their illnesses, and there's also the billing side, which is also a compliance issue to make sure we're not billing for anything that didn't actually happen. If you want to let a business owner or doctor or small center administrator not have to worry about that and be completely comfortable that you've got it, it takes a whole lot off their plate. You become part of the center even though you're a contractor - you become invested in that. So if somebody is into IT and into healthcare, this is a perfect place for them. It's nice that you can work out of your house, and there is some travel involved, and you get to meet some really wonderful people that do some interesting work.