ACDIS update: CDI award for diversity and other opportunities open now

People often think the Diversity in CDI Award is only looking for CDI departments exemplifying racial diversity. But the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force says diversity within CDI means a whole slew of things, not only including race but also gender identity, educational background, and more.

“Diversity to me means accurate and meaningful representation from a wide range of racial, religious, sexual orientation, age, gender, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds,” says Diversity and Inclusion Task Force member Ella Elizee, MSN, RN, CCDS, CDI educator with Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida. “This allows people whose voices would not have normally been heard to have a ‘seat at the table’ and be involved in a conversation where in the past they did not have voice.”

“Diversity in the workplace, means providing equal opportunity to every qualified individual regardless of race, culture, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender preference and backgrounds, to apply for and be selected in roles that match their qualifications and not to allow their differences as stated above to hinder their selection in roles that they are qualified for including leadership roles,” agrees Task Force member Chinedum Mogbo, MBBS, MsHIM, RHIA, CDIP, CCDS, CCS, manager of CDI with Tenet Healthcare in Dallas, Texas. “For me diversity translates to giving everyone a fair and fighting chance to work and prove themselves, instead of being filtered out because of their differences. It also means having diverse individuals in the decision-making process.”

“A team can be diverse and still not be inclusive, as inclusive means to invite diverse individuals to have a seat and participate in dialogue at the table (not just an invitation to sit at the table); meaning those individuals are part of feedback, the decision making process, growth, and development,” adds Task Force member Angelica Naylor, MBA, BSN, RN, CCDS, CCS, Senior Healthcare Performance Advisor with 3M Health Information Systems based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Gaining some clarity from the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force members shows that so many CDI departments are eligible for the Diversity in CDI Award that may have thought they weren’t.

If you’ve searched through the ACDIS website, reached out to the team and still are unsure if you should apply for an open committee call, Achievement Award, or poster session, we still encourage you to do so.

Whether it’s applying for a position on an open board or committee, for an Achievement Award, or to present a poster session at the national conference, there are so many ways to contribute and become involved with ACDIS. Most of the information you’re looking for can be found on the website, including examples of past years’ poster presentations or committees’ scope of work under each committee description on the Boards and Committee’s page,. and descriptions of each award category under “Events & Education>Annual Conference>Awards.” Poking around through the website can give you ideas of what to expect for each means of contribution to ACDIS.

Still not sure? Reach out! Anyone on the ACDIS team or related committee would be happy to answer any questions you have about being on a board, the Achievement Awards, or presenting a poster session at the conference. This can be one of the best ways to set your mind at ease and get your specific questions answered.

We encourage you to take the leap and apply.

Worst case scenario you don’t make it and try again next year. But what if everything goes just as you’d hoped? You’ve gotten a foot in the door with ACDIS and have opened a world of CDI opportunities for yourself.