Local chapter update: Plan your 2019 calendars early

It’s hard to believe we’re already two weeks into the new year. While you’re still getting used to writing 2019 rather than 2018, chapter leaders should also be working to plan their chapter’s calendar of events for the new year.

Putting a calendar in place early in the year—even if some of the details are still vague—will set the chapter up for the best possible events in terms of  meeting attendance, speaker recruitment, and identifying hosts.

ACDIS national requires that chapters hold two meetings per year, but highly suggests quarterly meetings. This cadence gives the group continuity and keeps people engaged throughout the year. Plus, it’s easy to time these meetings because chapters can follow the flow of the seasons and hold meetings in winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Chapter leaders should share the hosting responsibilities to avoid burning out any one team member. For chapters in larger, geographically dispersed states, try rotating the meetings around the state so that chapter members from around the state all feel like they can attend at least one of the meetings per year without driving several hours or taking time off work. 

If you’re in need of meeting ideas, take a look at ACDIS’ “meeting in a can” list, and at the Leadership Toolkit. And, as always, feel free to reach out to Melissa Varnavas (mvarnavas@acdis.org) and Linnea Archibald (larchibald@acdis.org) if you need some more help.

Once you have your calendar set, send it over to us. We’d love to help you publicize your events and reach more people.

The following is a list of upcoming events for ACDIS local chapters. If you have an upcoming event you would like to include, please email Varnavas and Archibald.

January:

• The Westchester/Hudson Valley ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, January 17, at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow. More details to follow. For information, contact Kerry Seekircher (kseekircher@northwell.edu).
• The Central New York ACDIS chapter meets Friday, January 18, 12-1 p.m., via webinar. Please RSVP by January 17. Click here to download the event flyer. For information, contact Dawn Burr (dawnburr@crouse.org).
• The Oklahoma ACDIS chapter meets Friday, January 18, 2019, 1-3 p.m., at St. John Health Plaza in Tulsa. Click here to download the save-the-date. For information, contact Amanda Just (amanda.just@integrisok.com).
• The Washington Evergreen ACDIS chapter meets Friday, January 18, 10-11 a.m., via webinar. For information, contact Lillian Dickey (Lillian.dickey@gmail.com).
• The Minnesota ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, January 30, 1-2 p.m., via webinar. For information, contact Faye Bakke (Faye.Bakke@essentiahealth.org).

February:

• The New Orleans ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, February 7, 4-5 p.m., at Semolina’s Restaurant in Clearview. For information, contact Judith Dowling (Judith.dowling@ochsner.org).
• The North Carolina and South Carolina ACDIS chapters hold a joint meeting Friday, February 8, at Palmetto Baptist Health in Columbia, South Carolina. More details to follow. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (ncacdis@gmail.com).
• The Kansas City ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, February 13, via webinar. For information, contact Angelica Naylor (angelica.naylor@outlook.com).
• The Maryland ACDIS chapter meets Friday, February 15, 12-2 p.m., at the Maryland Hospital Association in Elkridge. For information, contact Deborah McClain (dmcclain2@fmh.org).
• The Arizona ACDIS chapter and the CDI Educator networking group meet Friday, February 15, 12-1 p.m. mountain time, via webinar. For information, contact M.E. VanGelder (ME.VanGelder@honorhealth.com).
• The Michigan ACDIS chapter meets Friday, February 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., via webinar. For information, contact Susan Fantin (susan.fantin@comcast.net).

Save-the-date:

• The Pediatric ACDIS networking group (APDIS) meets Thursday, March 7, 2019, 3 p.m. eastern. For information, contact Val Bica (valerie.bica@nemours.org) and Leah Savage (leah.savage@BHSI.com).
• The Tennessee ACDIS chapter meets Friday, March 29, for an all-day event at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. More details to follow. For information, contact Sherri Clark (sclark@utmck.edu).
• The Georgia ACDIS chapter meets Friday, March 29, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Piedmont Athens Hospital in Athens. For information, contact Jamie Doster (doster.j@icloud.com).
• The Maryland ACDIS chapter meets Friday, April 12, 12-2 p.m., at the Maryland Hospital Association in Elkridge. Visit the Maryland page on the ACDIS website for the rest of the year’s lineup. For information, contact Deborah McClain (dmcclain2@fmh.org).
• The Georgia ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, June 8, in Savannah. More information to follow. Please note that this meeting will include a volunteer opportunity with the Help End Hunger Food Bank. For information, contact Jamie Doster (doster.j@icloud.com).
• The Georgia ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, September 19, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. More information to follow. For information, contact Jamie Doster (doster.j@icloud.com).
• Missouri's three ACDIS chapters meet Saturday, October 19, 2019, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for the fourth annual Show Me State Conference at Boone Hospital in Columbia. Click here to download the save-the-date. More information to follow. For information, contact Karen Elmore (kelmore@bjc.org).