Local chapter update: Identifying new leaders

“The only help I really need is figuring out how to get people to step up and volunteer and take an active role,” wrote one local chapter leader recently.

“We haven’t transitioned out of our leadership roles because there just doesn’t seem to be a body of volunteers to step forward,” said another on a conference call.

There’s lots of strategies available to encourage participation, manage volunteers, and make handing off ownership to new local chapter leaders. over the next couple weeks, we’ll offer 10 ideas for you to try. Here are the first five.

First, establish clear roles and communicate those to the membership. This lets volunteers know what’s expected and how much time and energy they’re committing to donate to the cause.

Second, set clear timelines for transitions and maintain them. This lets volunteers know they won’t be stuck serving on the committee in perpetuity. It also lets members know that the chapter is a participatory endeavor—they can’t pretend that the same folks who’ve done such a great job all these years will just keep on being leaders forever.

Third, mentor, nurture, and involve members in the organization. Ask for help during local events. Approach that person sitting alone and ask them to help you set out agendas on the tables. Take that talkative CDI team and see if they’d put together a panel discussion about their program for the next event.

Fourth, leverage the tools available. Use the online membership roster to gather information about volunteer interest and follow up with those who respond affirmatively.

Fifth, identify the hidden talents of members and leverage these for chapter business. If you spy someone taking photographs of their team see if they’ll volunteer to be the official chapter photographer. If you overhear a team talking about the physician newsletter they put together for their program, see if they’ll volunteer to help develop one for the chapter. These fourth and fifth options may not yield a new core leader in the short term but if that individual has a positive experience during initial interactions with the chapter leadership they will feel a greater connection with the chapter, ownership of its direction, and responsibility for maintaining the networking group. 

The following is a list of upcoming events for ACDIS local chapters. If you have an upcoming event you would like to include, please email Melissa Varnavas (mvarnavas@acdis.org) and Linnea Archibald (larchibald@acdis.org).

July:

• The Washington Evergreen ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, July 20, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., via webinar. Click here to download the save-the-date. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (evergreenacdis@gmail.com).
• The Michigan ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, July 25, 12-1 p.m., via webinar. The topic will be “Coding highlights on the horizon for 2019.” For information, contact Susan Fantin (susan.fantin@comcast.net).

August:

• The Massachusetts ACDIS chapter, along with the New England components of AHIMA, meet Friday, August 3, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Baystate Health Educational Center in Springfield. Click here to register, registration limited to 200. For information, contact Aimee Van Balen (avanbalen@lifespan.org).
• The CDI Educator ACDIS networking group meets Friday, August 10, 12-1 p.m., PST, via webinar. For information, contact M.E. VanGelder (me.vangelder@honorhealth.com).
• The North Carolina ACDIS chapter meets Friday, August 24, for their summer conference at Mission Health in Asheville. For information, contact the leadership team (ncacdis@gmail.com).
• The Kentucky and Indiana ACDIS local chapters meet Friday, August 24, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Baptist Health in Louisville, Kentucky. The registration fee is $85 until August 3, at which point the fee is $95. Click here to download the registration form. For information, contact Susan Snyder (ssnyder1@bhsi.com).

Save-the-date:

• The Maryland ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, September 14, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Towson. Click here to download the save-the-date flyer. For information, contact Candace Blankenship (evalani3@msn.com).
• The Kansas City Missouri ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, September 19, 2-4 p.m., at North Kansas City Hospital in Kansas City. For information, contact Angelica Naylor (Angelica.Naylor@nkch.org).
• The Washington Evergreen ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, September 28, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Trios Women's and Children's Hospital in Kennewick. Click here to download the save-the-date. For information, contact the leadership team (evergreenacdis@gmail.com).
• The Arizona ACDIS chapter and the Arizona component of AHIMA meet on Saturday, October 6, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at MIHS in Phoenix. For information, contact Debra Beisel Denton (debra.beiseldenton@mihs.org).
• The Westchester/Hudson Valley ACDIS chapter meets Friday, October 11, 2-4 p.m. at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco. For information, contact Kerry Seekircher (kseekircher@northwell.edu).
• The Massachusetts ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, October 17, 1-4 p.m., at Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island. For information, contact Joyce Williams (JWilliams@Lifespan.org).
• The California ACDIS chapter meets for their fourth annual conference on Friday, October 19, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. pacific, at the San Diego Liberty Station Conference Center. Click here to download the save-the-date flyer. For information, contact Rani Stoddard (stoddarddrv@henrymayo.com).
• Missouri's three ACDIS chapters meet Saturday, October 20, for the third annual Show Me State conference at SSM DePaul in St. Louis. For information, contact Mariann Dinello (mariann.dinello@ssmhealth.com) or 314-344-6286.