Local chapter update: Leadership toolkit update underway, reach out to ACDIS for help

The Chapter Advisory Committee has officially reconvened and begun their work for the year. This committee exists primarily to support and guide local chapter and networking group leaders by providing resources and best practice advice. When the committee met last week, they commenced their first project to achieve this goal: updating the chapter leadership toolkit resources.

Veteran chapter leaders may recall the previous leadership toolkit, which was posted on the local chapter homepage. That previous version existed as a lengthy (and often cumbersome) list of 47 separate resources. While it was certainly comprehensive, the volume and presentation manner of those resources was often overwhelming for leaders looking for guidance and for committee members tasked with updating the toolkit.

To highlight the resources most useful for leaders, we’ve winnowed and consolidated the toolkit down to 13 distinct documents covering the major needs leaders encounter. Those 13 items will include documents related to:

• Getting started
• Hosting a first meeting
• Virtual meeting planning
• Leadership roles
• Sample meeting agendas
• Gathering participants
• Chapter PowerPoint templates
• Volunteer duties
• Vendor policies
• Speaker solicitation
• Chapter bylaws
• Offering CEUs
• Writing chapter newsletters

The committee will be reviewing these items over the coming weeks and we hope to have the finalized toolkit posted and distributed to current chapter leaders by the end of March. If you have a question or a need before that point, we welcome your questions. The ACDIS team can be reached at info@acdis.org and we’re always happy to help!

The following is a list of upcoming events for ACDIS local chapters. Visit your local chapter’s webpage on the ACDIS site for additional information about upcoming meetings. To join a chapter if you haven’t already or to update your chapter contact information/affiliation, click here.

March:

• The Wisconsin ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, March 16, 1-3 p.m., via webinar. The topic will be on denials and social determinants of health. For information, contact Alicia Whiteford (awhiteford@mhemail.org).
• The Minnesota ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, March 22, 1-2 p.m., via webinar. The program is titled, “Clinical Validation of Malnutrition,” and will be presented by Sharme Brodie, RN, CCDS, CCDS-O, CRC. For information, contact AnneMarie Vannurden (vannurdena@centracare.com).
• The CDI Educators Networking Group meets Friday, March 24, 1-2 p.m., via webinar. The program is titled, “The Matter of Mortalities: Educating Providers on ‘WHY’ Their Words Matter,” and will be presented by Kathy Hubbard, BSN, RN, CCDS, and Lisa Fuller, BSN, RN, CCDS. For information, contact Danita Arrowood (darrowood@nthrive.com).
• The Texas ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, March 30, 12-1 p.m., via webinar. The program is titled, "There and Back Again: Evolution of the CDI Profession and Emerging Professional Opportunities," and will be presented by Brian Murphy. For information, contact Tu-Quynh Hoang (tuhoang@utmb.edu).

April:

• The Illinois ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, April 20, 2023, 12-1 p.m., via webinar. The program is titled, “CDI Jeopardy,” and will be presented by Emilie Navidad-McDermid, BSN, RN, CCDS, Dottie Fanning, BSN, RN, CCM, CCDS, and Jeneth Esquivel-Salinas, MSN, RN, CCDS. For information, contact Amy Bush (dorothy.fanning@aah.org).
• The Pediatric Networking Group (APDIS) meets Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 3 p.m., via webinar. The program is titled, “Hot Topics in Pediatric CDI.” For information, contact Amy Bush (bush-amy@cooperhealth.edu).
• The CDI Educators Networking Group meets Friday, April 21, 1-2 p.m., via webinar. The program is titled, “Clinical Documentation Improvement Process for Cancer Patients,” and will be presented by Cheryl Radin-Norman, LPN, RHIT, CTR. For information, contact Danita Arrowood (darrowood@nthrive.com).