Note from the Editorial Manager: Feel empowered by the stories of our 2026 ACDIS Achievement Awards recipients

by Karla Kozak

Today marks the last day of the 2026 ACDIS Conference, and I want to extend a special thank you to all of you who were able to join us in Chicago this week, whether it was for the ACDIS Conference, ACDIS Physician Advisor Forum, CCDS Exam Prep Preconference, or the ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI. We look forward to conference week all year because it truly is so special each time the CDI community comes together.

As is tradition, yesterday we kicked off the day with our ACDIS Achievement Awards ceremony, recognizing and honoring the contributions of three individuals and one organization. Please join me in celebrating our four award recipients:

• The University of Chicago Medicine, a health system primarily serving Chicago’s South Side, received the Diversity in CDI award. UChicago Medicine was celebrated for its efforts to create a diverse CDI team, which includes members of varying ethnicities, races, ages, and educational and professional backgrounds. Department and/or team efforts to promote diversity and inclusion include inclusive recruitment supported by the Office of Culture, Belonging, & Community Care, a mentorship program for new CDI specialists, reimbursement and support for professional advancement, an Employee Assistance Program to support well-being, volunteer opportunities in the community, and culture- and belonging-focused education for staff. Shannon M. DiSilvestro, BSN, RN, CCDS, clinical coding denials specialist, accepted the award on behalf of UChicago Medicine.
• Sydni Johnson, BSN, RN, CCDS, director of education for clinical documentation and denials at Banner Health, received the Melissa Varnavas Spirit of Service award. Johnson has more than 20 years of nursing experience and 10 years of CDI experience. She is a current member of the ACDIS Advisory Board and ACDIS Leadership Council, contributor to the CDI Journal, past presenter at national and local ACDIS events, and past co-chair of the Arizona ACDIS local chapter. She served as a panelist for the 2025 CDI Week State of the Industry webinar and contributed to the 2024 update of the ACDIS Code of Ethics. Additionally, she previously navigated a major expansion at Banner, which included onboarding 53 new team members. Her colleagues praised her great communication skills, willingness to volunteer her time and expertise, and her nurturing approach.
• Laura Ogaard, RN, MSN, CCDS, director of Intermountain physician advisor services/CDI at Intermountain Healthcare, recieved the Accomplishment in CDI award. With more than 28 years of experience in healthcare, she has spearheaded enterprise-wide CDI initiatives, resulting in improved documentation quality and national quality rankings, and developed high impact processes that generate tens of millions of dollars/year in revenue. She is a member of the ACDIS Leadership Council, past CDI Journal contributor, and past ACDIS and AHIMA conference presenter. Her colleagues celebrated her ability to build relationships with physicians and stakeholders and her dedication to advancing the profession.
• Laura J. Strachan Szucs Werner, DC, RN, BA, BSN, MSN, CDIP, CCS, executive director, CDI, at Community Health System, received the CDI Professional of the Year award. Werner has more than 30 years of clinical and 15 years of CDI leadership experience. She has assisted in the design, development, and implementation of inpatient and outpatient CDI programs at acute care and critical access hospitals and spearheaded the standardization of CDI policies and procedures across multihospital systems. Additionally, she has presented at both local and national ACDIS and AHIMA events, served on the ACDIS Leadership Council, and is a past member of the ACDIS Events Committee. She is described as a “fierce advocate for her team” and someone who “models integrity and transparency in all activities.”

If you know or work with any of our award recipients, please take a moment to congratulate them on their achievements.

The ACDIS team thanks everyone who joined us in Chicago this week. We hope you took this opportunity to empower yourself and others with new knowledge and connections. We can’t wait to see you next year in fabulous Las Vegas!

Editor’s note: Kozak is the editorial manager of products and events for ACDIS. Contact her at karla.kozak@hcpro.co