ACDIS update: Look as how ACDIS has grown in just five years!

In October, ACDIS will celebrate its fifth anniversary. We couldn’t be prouder. In those five years since its inception the association has grown to more than 3,200 members and more than 15,000 CDI Strategies subscribers. If you are not currently an ACDIS member consider joining this growing, vibrant community now. Individual membership costs just $129 and $99 for local chapter members and group participants.

There is a tremendous wealth of information available on the ACDIS site including new and expanded benefits of membership:

• Enhanced Forms & Tools Library: ACDIS has gathers tried-and-tested forms, tools, policies, and education/training materials, saving you time and effort. CDI expert volunteers ensure the compliance and effectiveness of materials. The library is constantly being expanded with new ICD-10 queries and education materials added regularly.
• Membership surveys and benchmarking reports: ACDIS  surveys  members on a variety of topics including program structure, physician queries, ICD-10 preparation, physician advisory involvement, and CDI salaries. Members site these industry reports when implementing new aspects of their program, hiring new CDI staff, and ensuring their programs are in-line with industry best practices.
• White Papers and Special Reports: ACDIS offers in-depth analysis on difficult CDI subjects such as auditing your CDI program for effectiveness, developing policies and procedures, conducting reviews of E/M documentation, reviewing Coding Clinic analysis for CDI take-a-ways, and much more. ACDIS members have access to new reports and analysis regularly, and benefit from the full archive of experts’ insight.
• Quarterly Conference Calls: The ACDIS Advisory Board and administration join ACDIS members on quarterly networking and education calls. During these calls, ACDIS members may submit questions and join the conversation offering their own experiences. Nearly 300 people frequently participate in these calls and they are so popular members are encouraged to dial-in at least 10-minutes prior to the call to ensure access. Calls are recorded and posted on the ACDIS website so members who are unable to attend can listen at their convenience.
• News and analysis: ACDIS members have access to the online quarterly publication of the CDI Journal, and its complete archive. In five years, the CDI Journal has nearly doubled its content, expanding from 14 pages in that first October 1, 2007 edition, to more than 24 pages in recent publications. To read a sample edition, click here. In addition, the bi-monthly email newsletter CDI Strategies, offers the latest news and tips from board members, educators, and industry experts, while the online ACDIS Blog offers readers a variety of perspectives on the developments of the day.
• Job Posting page: Members can post four free job openings each year. (Cost for non-members $325 per post)
• ACDIS National Conference: We’ve gone from 1 ½ days to 2 ½ days in 2013, added preconference events, and offer the CCDS exam on site for eligible candidates. In five years, the annual conference has grown from roughly 300 participants to nearly 900 participants in 2012. ACDIS members receive discounts on registration and have complete access to a digital archive of all conference materials from the past five years.
• Networking opportunities: In five years, the number of ACDIS local chapters grew from just three in select regions to more than 40 active local chapters and networking groups across the country. Local chapter members receive discounts on ACDIS national membership, materials to help facilitate meetings, opportunities to earn continuing education credits for CCDS certification, and more. CDI specialists can network with one another on the ACDIS message board CDI Talk, interact with one another on social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook, and join the Association on its Twitter feed.
• CDI Recognition Week: In 2011, ACDIS launched its first week-long celebration of the CDI profession. The event features daily Q&As, downloadable posters, powerpoints, educational materials, even videos and trivia regarding the profession that CDI professionals can share with others throughout their organization. Stay tuned for details about CDI Week 2012, September 17-21.
• The CDI Road Map: Coming this fall, The CDI Road Map is a special section designed to help new CDI programs get off the ground, and established programs to grow, all with your program’s success as our focus. We’ll share more details with you about this soon.
• Industry advocacy: You can depend on ACDIS and its Advisory Board to carry CDI interests forward to the rest of the healthcare industry. For five year, ACDIS has submitted comments to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding regulatory changes such as the Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rules, discussions from the Coordination and Maintenance Committee  and more. ACDIS recently joined with AHIMA to expand query guidances and will jointly publish these documents in 2013.