DIRECT DIFFERENCE TEAM

Wendy Malagon

Clinical Data Specialist & Account Manager

Wendy Malagon is a Clinical Data Specialist with more than 10 years of experience in clinical data abstraction, CMS Core Measures, GWTG-Stroke Registry abstraction, and multi-system quality reporting. Since beginning her abstraction career in 2015, she has developed expertise in abstraction accuracy, regulatory requirements, and quality reporting, while building strong, collaborative relationships with hospital partners and healthcare teams.

Prior to her career in clinical data abstraction, Wendy served as a Research Intern at Moffitt Cancer Center, where she developed experience organizing, interpreting, and translating complex clinical data. This research background provided a strong foundation for her work in healthcare quality and data abstraction and strengthened her ability to apply analytical thinking to clinical information.

Wendy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Healthcare from the University of South Florida, earned in 2014. Her multidisciplinary background in psychology, behavioral healthcare, research, and clinical data abstraction provides a unique perspective in supporting hospitals with the Inpatient Psychiatric Quality Reporting (IPFQR) Program.

In her role with Direct Difference, Wendy combines her expertise in clinical data abstraction and quality reporting with a collaborative approach to client partnership. She supports hospital teams in navigating complex quality reporting requirements while promoting accurate, reliable, and meaningful clinical data to support quality measurement and performance improvement.