Local chapter update: Monthly meeting guidance

Local chapter membership and leadership may decide to hold meetings in whatever format that works best for them. ACDIS recommends meeting a least quarterly to maintain momentum, relationships, and informational efforts. For some chapters, however, monthly, bi-annual, and annual meetings work better.

Over the next couple weeks, the ACDIS leadership will share some recommendations and examples for each meeting structure, taken from the Local Chapter Leadership Toolkit, starting with monthly meetings.

Due to the frequency, it may be difficult for CDI staff to receive support for attendance from their facility management. Because of this, monthly chapter meetings are typically shorter and often help via conference line and/or webinar.

Although there are a number of free-trial webinar services available online, ACDIS recommends leadership rotate hosting responsibilities using different facilities’ internal capabilities. This will increase the reliability of connectivity and eliminates “firewall” restrictions in place at many facilities regarding web-based software programs.

In general, monthly meetings work well for geographically diverse or challenging environments, places where it would take a long time to travel to an in-person meeting.

Leaders should ensure that, although monthly meetings may be primarily virtual, meeting hosts do still reserve a conference room and enable “live” participation should chapter members choose to travel. Face-to-face meetings often lead to new revelations and friendships. 

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 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.