ACDIS update: Congratulations to our 2024 Scholarship winners!

For the past few months, the ACDIS Furthering Education Committee has reviewed each and every one of all the wonderful applications we received for the 2023/2024 ACDIS Scholarships. It’s been a long process to select our recipients, but so rewarding as we’ve considered the impact these awards will have on their futures and successes.

Since its launch in fall 2019, the purpose of the ACDIS CDI Scholarship program is to assist CDI professionals in enhancing their careers with further education and to increase collaboration among their colleagues by sharing knowledge. Here are the annual scholarships awarded:

• Introduction to CDI Scholarship: One award for a one-year ACDIS membership + enrollment in the ACDIS CDI Apprenticeship program
• Professional Development Scholarship: One award of registration to an ACDIS online Boot Camp
• Physician Advisor/Outpatient CDI Scholarship: One award of either a 2024 ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI registration or ACDIS Physician Advisor Forum registration.
  • Note: Due to applicant interest this year, ACDIS is awarding an additional Professional Development Scholarship in lieu of this award.
• Melissa Varnavas Scholarship: One award of a 2024 ACDIS conference registration

The scholarship recipients represent the best and brightest in the CDI industry, providing a glimpse into the promising future of the profession. They hail from different professional backgrounds, organization sizes, geographic locations, and levels of experience. Additionally, they all demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning and sharing the knowledge the scholarships will afford them with their teams and organizations.

Without further ado, we are proud to present the 2024 Scholarship recipients:

Introduction to CDI Scholarship

Sable Gonzalez, CCS, is a clinical documentation specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense in Germany. She worked at AE & Associates and the County of Riverside, totaling over five years of coding experience and working closely with the providers in the OB/GYN department.

“Her work ethic shows the highest level of dedication to all willing to the most forward deployed level III medical center in the Defense Health Agency footprint,” says one of her recommenders. “Her attention to detail ensures every patient care encounter is true and accurate. Her willingness to communicate with every member of the healthcare team reflects the highest caliber of team player she is in our team. This organization is immensely proud to have a teammate who is hungry to better herself and the team and supports her endeavor to seek opportunities for self-improvement and team enhancement.

Gonzalez will be enrolled in the CDI Apprenticeship program and a year-long ACDIS membership to help her in her future endeavors. Congratulations!

Professional Development Scholarship

Elisha Dawkins, MSHI, BSN, RN, CPC-A, works as a clinical coding specialist at Billings Clinic in Billings, Montana. In this role, he reviews inpatient/facility coding for education, auditing, billing, and clinical documentation improvement, and works with quality, patient financial services, and physician recruitment.

“[Dawkins] is a positive force in the organization,” says one of his recommenders. “He has embraced the world inpatient CDI and coding and is valued resource throughout the organization. His work ethic is impeccable, and he doesn’t hesitate to go above and beyond for the organization. His positive attitude and great sense of humor is refreshing in this ever-stressful world of healthcare.”

As he continues his education and progresses in this role, Dawkins will be enrolling in the CCDS Exam Prep Class Online to further his goal of being CCDS-certified. Congratulations!

Professional Development Scholarship

Mandy Petre, RN, works as a CDI specialist and utilization review professional for Rock Regional Hospital in Derby, Kansas. In October of 2021, she was asked to start the CDI program at her facility. She joined ACDIS and began learning all about coding, DRGs, and chart reviews, and was asked to absorb the role of utilization review which opened a new door of opportunity for learning. Since then, she’s taken on writing appeals for medical necessity denials and DRG reviews as well.

“The work that [Petre] does for our facility is absolutely critical and has made an extraordinary difference in our daily processes,” one of her recommenders wrote.

To help her continue growth in the CDI field, Petre has been awarded registration for an online CDI Bootcamp as well. Congratulations!

The Melissa Varnavas Scholarship

Chantal Hanley-Caban, RN, works as a CDI specialist for Steward Health Care System LLC based in Richardson, Texas. In the clinical realm, she has experience in care coordination, case management, patient education, perioperative services, occupational health, school health, home health, and acute care. Since taking on a CDI role, Hanley-Caban is thrilled by the daily prospect of capturing the true scope of quality patient care. Performing in the role of CDI has allowed her to experience immense personal and professional growth.

“[Hanley-Caban] is a self-starter, hard-working, and has done very well learning the coding guidelines and clinics,” says one of her recommenders. “She is a high achiever and spends extra time educating herself on CDI. She has also participated in a CDI buddy program whereby she has helped onboard new CDI’s and has received great feedback about her engagement and positive influence.”

To assist Hanley-Caban in experiencing a new CDI educational opportunity, the Furthering Education Committee was happy to award her registration for the 2024 ACDIS national conference in Indianapolis, Indiana this April 8-11. Congratulations!

Thanks to all those who applied for an ACDIS scholarship this year! The Furthering Education Committee encourages everyone who applied to try again for this coming year. If you have any questions about your application or about applying in the future, don’t hesitate to reach out to Jess Fluegel at jess.fluegel@hcpro.com.

Click here to read about the scholarship criteria, application, and selection process.