Sharon Stohlman
Sharon (Tirrell) Stohlman is a highly accomplished Coding, Revenue Integrity, and Compliance Executive with over 25 years of experience leading medical coding operations, audit programs, and documentation integrity initiatives across complex health systems. Her journey in healthcare began unexpectedly as a medical assistant in El Paso, Texas in 1986, following in her mother’s footsteps. After relocating to Aurora, Colorado in 1989, Sharon transitioned into health insurance with MetLife, where she completed a rigorous six-month training program that laid the foundation for her career. She progressed through roles at MetroHealth, UnitedHealthcare, and Colorado Access, developing expertise in claims processing, departmental leadership, and operational management before her coding career truly took off at Kaiser Permanente in 1999.
At Kaiser Permanente, Sharon advanced from temporary coder to supervisor, helping establish specialized teams for coding education, quality assurance, and documentation standards. She drew on her experience as a union steward to promote fairness, conflict resolution, and employee development. In 2013, Sharon assumed the role of Coding Manager at UCHealth, where she built the outpatient coding department from the ground up, integrating hospitals across Denver, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs. She implemented innovative solutions including Epic workflow optimization, offshore coding operations in India, and new ambulance coding programs. Overseeing approximately 300 coders and six supervisors across 13 hospitals, hundreds of clinics, freestanding emergency departments, and mental health facilities, she created productivity standards, quality guidelines, and specialized education and auditing teams, achieving measurable improvements in coding accuracy and operational efficiency.
Sharon holds a Master’s in Counseling from Grand Canyon University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Colorado Christian University. She earned her Certified Professional Coder credential in 2004 and has maintained it through ongoing education. Committed to clean systems, strong teams, and measurable improvement, Sharon views compliance as both a moral and operational imperative. After a brief hiatus following a car accident, she is now actively seeking remote or hybrid leadership roles in coding operations, audit strategy, documentation integrity, and compliance. She brings extensive expertise to organizations looking to elevate coding quality, optimize revenue integrity, and scale documentation education programs across large health systems or health plans.
• Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
• Having Career Conversations with Your Team
• Community College of Aurora - AA
• Colorado Christian University - BSBA
• Grand Canyon University - MS, Counseling
• Phi Theta Kappa
• Magna Cum Laude
• Phi Theta Kappa
• Colorado Puppy Rescue - Foster and Adoption Volunteer
What do you attribute your success to?
Strong on-the-job training early in my career (MetLife), solid experience across claims and coding, union stewardship that developed my understanding of contracts and fair management, and collaborative teamwork when building coding departments.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Biggest challenges: annual coding changes and staying current; growing credential requirements; integrating coding and workflows during hospital acquisitions; managing offshore teams and time-zone coordination; implementing new coding areas such as ambulance coding. Opportunities include establishing strong coding education and quality programs and leading system-wide integrations that improve revenue cycle accuracy.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Fairness, helping others succeed, continuous learning and education, and service—particularly through animal rescue and community support.