ACDIS update: Four more days to choose your new ACDIS leaders on the Advisory Board!

ACDIS members have access to many resources, including our quarterly calls and position papers like the recently updated ACDIS/AHIMA Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice. The ACDIS national team works closely with the ACDIS Advisory Board to provide relevant clinical updates and general CDI guidance for our membership, as well as collective leadership and oversight and review of ACDIS conference presentations.

Because of the crucial role ACDIS Advisory Board members play in this association, we open the selection of candidates for all ACDIS members to participate in each year. Please take a few minutes to review the bios and election statements of our four finalists and cast your vote here. Voting is open for only four more days!

Please note that if you are not logged in on the website as an ACDIS member, you will not be able to see the candidates or voting mechanism on the page.

This year, members will be electing two new RN/other clinical candidates to join the Board. The candidates will be elected by popular vote of the ACDIS membership for terms effective spring 2023 through spring 2026. Cast your vote by the end of the day on Monday, May 1, 2023!

You can read all about our board members on the voting page, but here is a little introduction to each of them:

Johanne “Jo” Brautigam, BSN, RN, CCDS, is a manager of CDI for Ensemble Health Partners, and manages the Roper Saint Francis Healthcare (RSFH) site in Charleston, South Carolina. Currently, she manages a team of 11 specialists covering four hospitals.

When asked why she wanted to serve on the Board, Brautigam gave the following three reasons: 

1. "I use ACDIS in improving my practice and would like to give back to the association through participation on the Advisory Board."
2. "I have CDI experiences and made mistakes that others could learn from."
3. "I love collaborating, researching, and sharing leading practices. The Advisory Board would be a great platform for this."

Faisal Hussain, MD, MHIIM, RHIA, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, is the executive director of CDI at Wellstar Health System. In his current role, he is responsible for overseeing the CDI strategy and operations for the entire health system, which is comprised of nine hospitals and 300+ medical offices.

When asked why he wanted to serve on the Board, Hussain gave the following three reasons: 

1. "Contribute to the profession by assisting in the development of industry best practices in the form of position papers and white papers."
2. "Provide leadership, expertise, and guidance for the ACDIS membership and the broader CDI profession."
3. "Collaborate with other Advisory Board members and other industry thought leaders to explore the future strategic vision of the CDI profession."

Sydni Johnson, BSN, RN, CCDS, is the associate director of CDI quality and education at Banner Health. During her 19-year career in nursing, she worked as a quality analyst and partnered with CDI specialists on mortality, length of stay, and patient safety indicator/hospital-acquired condition projects. This experience led to her current CDI journey of eight years.

When asked why she wanted to serve on the Board, Johnson gave the following three reasons: 

1. "I am passionate about Clinical Documentation Improvement/Integrity and enjoy collaboration with others in the CDI field."
2. "I have a strong CDI knowledge set and skill base that I would like to share. I have the heart of an educator and get satisfaction in sharing what I know and in learning from others."
3. "The current ACDIS Advisory Board, ACDIS White Papers and Position Papers have provided me, and our CDI team, with invaluable guidance. I would like to give back to the CDI industry in the same way that I have been supported."

Tiara Minor, RN, BSN, CCDS, is the director of CDI at University of Miami Health in Miami. Minor has nine and a half years of experience in CDI, with the last six in CDI/coding leadership. During her tenure in CDI, she has worked with various types of hospital systems including large academic medical centers, multi-hospital systems, smaller community hospitals, a children’s hospital, and outpatient clinics.

When asked why she wanted to serve on the Board, Minor gave the following three reasons: 

1. "As an experienced leader in CDI, I believe I have a lot to contribute to the objectives of the Advisory Board—sharing my expertise, collaborating with leaders, and contributing to written guidance for the CDI profession."
2. "I am passionate about CDI and innovation, pushing the industry forward. The Advisory Board is imperative to these efforts as you all provide the guidance and set the tone for the entire profession."
3. "I want to make a larger imprint in the CDI profession. I never waiver from integrity and ethics, which aligns with what's needed from an advisory standpoint to ensure compliance, ethics, and integrity are at the forefront of CDI."