Local Chapter Update: Florida raffle winner to head to Vegas for conference

The Florida ACDIS Chapter has been active since 2009. Over the years, they’ve grown their group to more than 150 CDI-related professionals, gathering quarterly. Networking events alternate between Fridays and Saturdays to allow those not able to take time off from daily review responsibilities the opportunity to attend. The Friday/Saturday events also allow participants time to travel and to make a weekend trip out of their visits if warranted. The group also rotates its meetings across the state, with host facilities having been located in Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, and Orlando, just to name a few.

The chapter does collect dues generally to offset the cost of snacks and incidentals such as decorations for its fun, themed, events. (Note there is no direct financial relationship between ACDIS national and its local chapters.) Annually, the group uses a portion of the funds collected to purchase a seat to the ACDIS annual conference and raffle it off to attendees. This year, the lucky winner is Edna I. Betances-Harold, CDIP, CCDS, CCS, of UF Health Shands Hospital and Academic Health Center.

Thanks to the Florida ACDIS Chapter leaders for doing such a great and we’re looking forward to meeting you in Vegas, Edna!

The following is a list of upcoming events are various local chapters:

February

• The next ACDIS Westchester (New York) Chapter meeting will be held Thursday, February 16, 3-5 p.m., at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow. An agenda and additional information will be forthcoming. For additional information, contact Kerry Seekircher at kseekircher@nwhc.net.
• Kentucky/Southern Indiana ACDIS Chapter meets Thursday, February 16, 1-4 p.m., at Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville. For information, contact Leah N. Savage, at Leah.Savage@nortonhealthcare.org. 
• The Minnesota and Wisconsin ACDIS chapters join for a webinar hosted by ACDIS Editorial Director Melissa Varnavas regarding CDI salaries and career ladders on Wednesday, February 22, 1-2 p.m., central, via teleconference. Click here to register for the webinar. For information, contact Faye Bakke at faye.bakke@essentiahealth.org.
• The Alabama ACDIS Chapter meets Friday, February 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa. For information, email acdisalabama@gmail.com or contact Jeffrey Wayne Morris at jwmorris@health.southalabama.edu.
• The North Carolina and South Carolina ACDIS chapters join forces for a group event on Friday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Palmetto Health Baptist in Columbia. Presentations feature former ACDIS Advisory Board members Fran Jurcak on preparing for the CCDS exam, Cheryl Ericson on the future of CDI profession, and Don Butler on the role of physician advisors in CDI efforts. The program also features a presentation on CDI specialists place at interdisciplinary rounds with Holley Pegram, Sandie Pressely, and Kay Blue. For information, contact the NC ACDIS Chapter at ncacdis@gmail.com.

March

• The pediatric networking group APDIS meets Thursday, March 2, via webinar. For information, contact Leah N. Savage, at Leah.Savage@nortonhealthcare.org. 
• The Indiana ACDIS Chapter Spring Conference takes place Saturday, March 4, at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. For information, contact Lee Walton at LAWalton@stvincent.org.
• The Kansas City Missouri ACDIS Chapter meets Tuesday, March 7, at 2-4 p.m., at Liberty Hospital. For information, contact Christine Schattenfield, cneuman@saint-lukes.org.
• Tennessee ACDIS Chapter co-leader Sherri Clark, BSN, RN-BC, CCDS, CCS, heads to Knoxville Convention Center on March 8, where she participates on a panel discussion titled 'The powerful impact of CDI & Coding on Quality Reporting: Core Measures, PSIs, Outpatient CDI.” For more information, visit http://thima.org/annualmeeting/.
• Leaders of the Washington ACDIS Chapter will head to Spokane to join the Washington AHIMA leaders for its annual conference event March 16-18 at Red Lion at the Park. For more information, visit http://www.wshima.org/annualmeeting/.
• The Ohio ACDIS Chapter meets March 23 at the University Hospitals’ customer service center in Highland Heights. For information, contact Lisa McLuckie at lmcluckie@wchosp.org.
• The Massachusetts ACDIS Chapter meets Thursday, March 30, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. For information, contact Joyce M. Williams, at JWilliams@Lifespan.org.

Save the date

• The St. Louis Missouri ACDIS Chapter meets April 19, 6:30-8 p.m., at St. Luke’s. Outside food/drink is against hospital policy, so no pot luck this time. For information, contact Michael McKelvey, michael.mckelvey@bjc.org.
• The California ACDIS Chapter holds its third-annual conference Friday, September 15, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. For information, contact Rani V. Stoddard at stoddardrv@henrymayo.com.  
• Missouri’s three ACDIS local chapters join for a full-day conference event on October 14, at the University of Kansas Hospital. For information, contact michael.mckelvey@bjc.org.