Local chapter update: Make the most out of remote meetings

While ACDIS advocates for four, in-person local chapter events per year, rotating to various parts of the state, for some chapters, remote meetings are the best option. For example, regions that experience drastic weather conditions or chapters in large states with far-flung members may opt to host conference calls or web-based meetings when an in-person event is unfeasible.

If your chapter is planning a remote meeting in the near (or not-so-near) future, here are a few tips to help ensure your remote event goes off without a hitch:

• Remote options are best kept to an hour and a half duration or less.
• If they are used to accompany an in-person event, someone should be in charge of monitoring the conference line or web platform to:
  
  • take care of any technical issues
  • repeat audience questions for those on the phone
  • monitor questions from the remote audience
• Online participants need to be reminded not to put their lines on hold as hold music disrupts the conference call for everyone.
• Online participants should use the telephone dial-in information rather than their computer speakers as this often creates a feedback loop that disrupts the conference call.
• The volunteer monitoring the call or web platform should be able to mute attendees’ lines in case of background noise, side conversations, or disruptions.
• Even if the event is 100% remote, a meeting host should be chosen to arrange the teleconference/webinar platform and communicate the dial-in instructions to the chapter leadership and members.

Looking for more tips on hosting both in-person and virtual chapter meetings? Visit the Local Chapter Leadership Toolkit page for all the available resources.

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).

March:

• The Alabama ACDIS chapter meets Friday, March 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Brookwood Baptist Health—Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster. For information, contact Jeff Morris (jwmorris@health.southalabama.edu).
• The Arizona ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, March 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at HonorHealth-Shea Medical Center in Scottsdale. Click here to see the save-the-date flyer. Please RSVP by March 16. For information and to RSVP, contact Debra Beisel Denton (Debra.BeiselDenton@mihs.org).
• The Minnesota ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, March 28, 1-2 p.m. CST, via conference call. For information, contact Faye Bakke (faye.bakke@essntiahealth.org).
• The Maine ACDIS chapter meets Friday, March 30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. For information, contact Cathy Seluke (cathy.seluke@mainegeneral.org).
• The Massachusetts ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, March 30, 9:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Baystate Health Education Center in Holyoke. Please RSVP by March 26. For information and to RSVP, contact Jessica Barbeiro (jessica.barbeiro@steward.org).

April:

• The Idaho ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, April 4, 12:30 p.m. mountain time, at St. Luke's Health System in Boise. For information, contact Susie Curtis (curtisus@slhs.org).
• The Heart of Missouri ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, April 5, 6-8 p.m., at Nuance in Columbia. For information, contact Karen Elmore (kelmore@bjc.org).
• The Washington Evergreen and Oregon ACDIS chapters meet for a joint meeting Friday, April 6, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at PeaceHealth in Vancouver. Please register by March 15. For information, contact the Evergreen chapter leadership team (evergreenACDIS@gmail.com) or Linda Dawson (linda.dawson@providence.org).
• The Central Pennsylvania ACDIS chapter meets Friday, April 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Lancaster General Hospital offsite. For information, contact Deanne Wilk (dwilk@pennstatehealth.psu.edu).
• The Florida ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, April 7, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Cape Coral Hospital in Cape Coral. Agenda details to follow. For information, contact Deb Dallos (deb-dallos@smh.com).
• The Westchester/Hudson Valley ACDIS chapter meets on Thursday, April 12, 2-4 p.m., at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, in the Centennial Room. Click here to download the event flyer. For information, contact Kerry Seekircher (kseekircher@northwell.edu).
• The Wisconsin ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, April 14, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Wheaton Franciscan Medical Building Conference Center in Milwaukee. Lunch will be served. For information, contact Diane Draize (diane.draize@ascension.org).
• The Central New York chapter meets Thursday, April 19, 1-3 p.m., at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, featuring a discussion on new types of myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation by Gregory Kenien, MD, physician champion for St. Joseph’s.  RSVP by April 13 to Jennifer.Walts@sjhsyr.org.
• The Maryland ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, April 20, 12-2 p.m., at the Maryland Hospital Association in Elkridge. For information, contact Candace Blankenship (evalani3@msn.com).
• The Indiana ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, April 21, 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. Click here to download the agenda. Click here to download the registration form. For information, contact Leigh Wolff (lwolff@beaconhealthsystem.org).
• The Michigan ACDIS chapter meets on Wednesday, April 25, 12-1 p.m., via webinar. The topic will be clinical validation. For information, contact Susan Fantin (susan.fantin@comcast.net).
• The Colorado ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, April 26, 3-7 p.m., at Centura Corporate Headquarters in Centennial. For information, contact Diane Kohler (dianekohler@centura.org).

Save-the-date:

• The South Carolina ACDIS chapter tentatively plans to meet Friday, June 8, at MUSC in Charleston. For information, contact Mary Hopkins (mary.hopkins@hcahealthcare.com).
• The Massachusetts ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, June 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Agenda to follow. For information, contact Aimee Van Balen (avanbalen@lifespan.org).
• The North Carolina ACDIS chapter meets on Friday, August 24, for their summer conference at Mission Health in Asheville. More details to follow. For information, contact the leadership team (ncacdis@gmail.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.