Local chapter update: Tips for leaders regarding onsite duties for in-person events

With fall comes a flurry of local chapter events nationwide. Whether the event is in-person or virtual, there’s a lot of work to be done and a lot of responsibilities for local chapter leaders to handle.

For the next couple weeks, the ACDIS national leadership will offer some helpful tips for local chapter leaders specifically regarding onsite duties for in-person events. 

Introducing speakers

• Ask the host to do the initial introduction/welcome. The host facility might invite the CDI program director or chief medical or finance officer to give stop in for a minute or two to welcome the group to the facility.
• Hosts should also be the ones introducing any speakers from within their facility as they likely know him/her best.
• Then, consider alternating members of the leadership team as moderators for each session to give everyone an opportunity to shine and be seen as leaders in front of the membership.
• Leaders should create a standing slide that can be used at every meeting with a team photo or headshot of each leader. This slide (or slides) should also include contact information and a short bio that can be pulled up during meeting breaks.

Time keeper

• Keep an eye on each other as members of the leadership team, know where your co-leaders are sitting and glance around at each other from time to time to gauge how things are going.
• Leaders should try and sit in an area where they can get up and move around the room without disturbing attendees.
• Someone should be stationed near the rear of the room, to be able to escort an attendee out of the room where they can freely ask a question without disturbing the session.
• Someone should be stationed near the front of the room to be able to direct the speakers if needed and to quickly get to the microphone if needed.
  • A leader might need to get to the microphone to ask an attendee to hold their questions until the end of the program, repeat a question, or ask the speaker to speak up.
• If it looks like the speaker is running over (they have 15 slides to go and only five minutes left), gently interrupt them by saying
  • Excuse me, sorry to interrupt your presentation. This is all really great information and we’re enjoying it so much. I just want to make sure we have time to get through all your materials as I think you still have a number of slides you want to share and we only have a few minutes left.
  • There’s no need to interrupt unless it really seems like they are going way over time
• Build short breaks into the agenda between sessions so that if a session does go over its allotted time, it won’t push back your entire day.

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 Melissa Varnavas (mvarnavas@acdis.org) and Linnea Archibald (larchibald@acdis.org).

September:

• The Washington Evergreen ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, September 28, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Trios Women's and Children's Hospital in Kennewick. Click here to download the save-the-date. For information, contact the leadership team (evergreenacdis@gmail.com).
• The Georgia ACDIS chapter meets Friday, September 28, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Trinity Community Ministries in Atlanta. Please register by Friday, September 14. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (georgia.acdis@gmail.com).

October:

• The Arizona ACDIS chapter and the Arizona component of AHIMA meet on Saturday, October 6, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at MIHS in Phoenix. For information, contact Debra Beisel Denton (debra.beiseldenton@mihs.org).
• The Michigan ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, October 6, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., at McLaren Hospitality House in Flint. Click here to download the save-the-date. For information, contact Susan Fantin (susan.fantin@comcast.net).
• The Colorado ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, October 11, 3:30-6 p.m., at UCHealth Anschutz Medical campus, Anschutz inpatient pavilion 2, in Aurora. Click here to download the meeting flyer. For information, contact Diane Kohler (dianekohler@centura.org).
• The Westchester/Hudson Valley ACDIS chapter meets Friday, October 11, 2-4 p.m. at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco. For information, contact Kerry Seekircher (kseekircher@northwell.edu).
• The Central Pennsylvania ACDIS chapter meets Friday, October 12, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at UPMC Susquehanna in Williamsport. For information and to RSVP, contact Deanne Wilk (dwilk@pennstatehealth.psu.edu), Brenda McCowan (bmccowan@susquehannahealth.org), or Lori LaFaver (lori.lafaver@towerhealth.org).
• The Wisconsin ACDIS chapter meets on Saturday, October 13, 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Wheaton Franciscan Medical Building, conference center fifth floor, in Milwaukee. Click here to download the agenda and registration information. For information, contact Diane Draize (ddraize@gmail.com).
• The Massachusetts ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, October 17, 1-4 p.m., at Care New England, Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island. For information, contact Joyce Williams (JWilliams@Lifespan.org).
• The Maryland ACDIS chapter meets Friday, October 19, 12-2 p.m., at the Maryland Hospital Association in Elkridge. For information, contact Candace Blankenship (cblanke4@jhmi.edu).
• The California ACDIS chapter meets for their fourth annual conference on Friday, October 19, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the San Diego Liberty Station Conference Center. Click here to download the save-the-date flyer. Note this event is near registration capacity. For information, contact Rani Stoddard (stoddarddrv@henrymayo.com).
• The Oregon ACDIS chapter meets Friday, October 19, 7:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Charles Medical Center, conference rooms A & B, in Bend. Click here to download the chapter newsletter, which includes the details of the event and registration form. For information, contact Linda Dawson (linda.dawson@providence.org).
• Missouri's three ACDIS chapters meet Saturday, October 20, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for the third annual Show Me State conference at SSM DePaul in St. Louis. Click here to register. For information, contact Mariann Dinello (mariann.dinello@ssmhealth.com).
• The CDI Educator ACDIS networking group meets Wednesday, October 24, 3-4 p.m. eastern. Click here to download the save-the-date. For information, contact M.E. VanGelder (me.vangelder@honorhealth.com).
• The Alabama ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, October 26, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Brookwood Baptist Health-Shelby in Alabaster. For information, contact Jeff Morris (jwmorris@health.southalabama.edu), Lauren Shivers (lauren.shivers@childrensal.org), and Marquetta Barron (mothompson@uabmc.edu).

Save-the-date:

• The Central New York ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, November 9, 2-4 p.m., in the Coyne Conference Room at Pomeroy College of Nursing in Syracuse. Please RSVP by November 6. Click here to download the flyer. For information, contact Pamela Shapely (pamela.shapely@ascension.org), Bobbie Massena (massenab@upstate.edu), or Dawn Burr (dawnburr@crouse.org).
• The North Carolina ACDIS chapter meets Friday, November 16, at Vidant Health in Greenville. More details to come. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (ncacdis@gmail.com).
• The Suffolk County Long Island ACDIS chapter meets Monday, December 3, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (scacdis@gmail.com).
• The Maryland ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, December 7, 12-2 p.m., at the Maryland Hospital Association in Elkridge. For information, contact Candace Blankenship (cblanke4@jhmi.edu).