Local Chapter Meetings: Fall Agendas Set

The ACDIS California Chapter has been meeting since 2009. Originally three separate groups planned to meet in southern, central, and northern regions of the state to network and share ideas. Such efforts morphed into monthly telephone conference calls which allowed CDI professionals throughout the geographically diverse, most populous state in the nation, to participate and network with one another.

Within the past year, chapter leadership, participation, and volunteerism has grown exponentially. Today, the group meets via teleconference on a bi-monthly basis, has committees for education, ICD-10 resources, and marketing, and hopes to host in-person state-wide events in 2015.

For the fourth consecutive year, Romerl Cris C. Gumayagay, CCDS, CCS, CDIP, Regional Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist for Kaiser Permanente, led a meet-and-greet after hours event in celebration of CDI Week, last week. (Check out our slideshow of team and event photos on our YouTube Channel.) This year’s event took place at the Yard House in Pasadena and gathered more than 20 attendees from five different facilities.

During the California ACDIS Chapter’s regularly scheduled teleconference Wednesday, September 24, Julie Solomon, a data analyst for 3M Consulting Services in Atlanta gave a presentation on “Electrolyte Severity Drivers,” for the group of more than two dozen attendees.

“What we often overlook is that the very listing of the name of these lab values can drive severity for our patients,” Solomon said.

During the presentation she discussed capturing specificity for respiratory and metabolic acidosis and alkalosis, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypophosphatemia, among other conditions.

Those CDI programs with the ability to provide documentation education to physicians on a regular basis may choose to tackle this topic in that forum, Solomon said.

“You could be querying quite often for these [conditions] if you were to query on every case. Educating physicians might provide your team with a bigger bang for your buck,” she told the group.

Additionally, in a final CDI Week hurrah, Eva Valles will host a San Diego after-hours event for the chapter this Friday, September 26, 4-6:30 p.m., at Gordon Biersch in Mission Valley. To attend, email evalbert13@gmail.com.

For information regarding upcoming California meetings, email Chapter President Emily Emmons at Emmons.Emily@scrippshealth.org.

Editor’s Note: The following ACDIS chapters are also planning networking events. For additional information, visit the Local Chapter page of the ACDIS website or visit the ACDIS Blog and click on the Local Chapters category.

Michigan
The Michigan ACDIS Chapter meets Saturday, October 25, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Marriott Hotel, 235 Louis Street NW, in Grand Rapids. The day-long agenda includes:

• Keynote speaker Jonathan Elion, MD, FACC, founder of ChartWise Medical Systems, Inc., presents “Challenges in Clinical Documentation: Stories from the Front Line” 
• Pediatric CDI
• NEU-NES CDI
• Travel CDI
• Door prizes and essay contest

Registration of $110 per person includes continental breakfast, lunch, and breaks. The event is open to all but limited to the first 150 attendees. An application will be made for CCDS CEUs. For information, contact PNemeth@accretivehealth.com.

Oregon

The ACDIS NW chapter will meet Friday, October 31, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Salem (Oregon) Health System. It's Halloween and costumes are encouraged (but optional). The agenda includes:

• 7:30-8:30: Registration, Continental Breakfast Provided
• 8:30–9:15: Business Meeting and Elections, ACDIS NW Chapter Members and Board
• 9:15–9:30: Break (Basket Raffle)
• 9:30–9:45: CDI Search Group Presentation, Devon Santoro and Scott Ettinger
• 9:45–10:45: How to Talk to Doctors About CDI, Dr. Claire Norton, Internal Medicine
• 10:45–11:45: Diabetic Complications, Dr. Cort Garrison, Internal Medicine
• 11:45-12:00: Halloween Costume Contest (Judged by honored speaker Dr. Garrison)
• 12:00-1:00: Lunch (Basket Raffle)
• 1:00-2:00: Renal Failure, Dr. Lance M. Dicker, Nephrology
•  2:00-3:00: Heart Failure, A-Fib After Heart Surgery, Dr. Priya Kansal, Cardiology and Mary Bedell, Clinical Nurse Specialist
• 3:00–3:15: Break (Basket Raffle)
• 3:15–4:15: Encephalopathy, Dr. David Tate, Internal Medicine
• 4:15–4:45: Wrap – Up (Final Basket Raffle)

Meeting cost is $30 for chapter members, $40 for non-members. Pay at the meeting, cash or check only. Reservations by October 6, please. Email Eileen Pracz at mrsmgd@comcast.net.

Florida
The Florida ACDIS Chapter meets November 8 in Margate (north of Ft. Lauderdale). Save-the-date; the agenda will include this year’s election of officers. For information, contact Kimberly Reichert at kimrichert01@gmail.com; or vice president Jamie Dugan at Jamie.Dugan@bmcjax.com.