Note from the Director of Programming: Growing the next generation of great CDI leaders

by Rebecca Hendren

Effective leaders are the most valuable asset any company has. Think about the great leaders or managers in your own career. What was it that made them stand out? What was it that made them great? Often, it’s because they took the time to help us develop new skills or they opened doors so that we could grow professionally. Sometimes they stand out because they clearly care about who we are as people and that care helps us feel safe, feel engaged in doing our best work, and be willing to take risks to try new things.

Good leaders bring out the best in other people as well as provide clear direction, encouragement, and structure. ACDIS is committed to helping our CDI community develop its own leaders to drive the profession forward and to foster personal satisfaction and environments where all can thrive.

One of the ways we do this is through the ACDIS Leadership Council, which is nearing its fifth year of existence and will be soliciting for the 2023/2024 cohort in August. The Leadership Council is a place for forward-thinking leaders and managers to learn from each other and grow their management skills, all while they advance their organizations’ strategic priorities and learn more about trends in the industry.

To join the alert list and be notified by email when the application period opens, you can do so here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Council-alert-list.

Another leadership development endeavor is the just-released Leadership in CDI Boot Camp, which provides leadership training for anyone in a CDI management role—whether their background is CDI or other areas—and those looking to grow into leadership. Created by Laurie Prescott, RN, MSN, CCDS, CCDS-O, CDIP, CRC, ACDIS interim director and CDI education director, and the rest of the ACDIS subject matter experts, this course provides knowledge and confidence to build effective leaders in CDI, including teaching skills to manage and staff departments, develop departmental mission, and create strategies that align with organizational goals.

The Boot Camp is offered in three formats to best suit everyone’s needs. It can be taken live in person or live virtually, both of which provide opportunities for conversations with other attendees and an ability to learn from each other. The third option is the eLearning version for those who prefer to learn at their own pace and on their own time. This version includes the ability to send a question to our ACDIS instructors and subject matter experts, so help and support is always available.

Graduates of any of the versions of the Boot Camp earn a Certificate in CDI Leadership and are allowed to designate themselves as ACDIS-Approved CDI Leaders.

We can’t wait to discover where this program goes and what its graduates are able to accomplish. I suspect in a few years we’ll see these graduates shaping the future of CDI in their respective organizations and within the ACDIS community.

I look forward to working with them on future committees and hearing them speak on webinars and at conferences as they help build the next generation of leaders.

Editor’s note: Hendren is the director of programming for ACDIS, which is based in Middleton, Massachusetts. Contact her at rhendren@acdis.org.