Local chapter updates: Topically diverse full-day events available locally

ACDIS recommend local chapters and networking groups host quarterly meetings. It’s a cadence which experience has shown provides enough regularity to keep members engaged and interested in collaborating without being too rigorous as to be onerous and impeding on CDI specialists professional and personal obligations.

These events can be half-day, full-day, or remote teleconference, depending on the needs and geographical constraints of the membership. However, ACDIS does recommend groups aim to hold at least one, full-day event annually if possible.

Planning a full-day local event may seem like a daunting task but it needn’t overwhelm the leadership team. Establish a plan, assign tasks, and meet regularly to discuss ongoing progress and potential problems, is really all there is to it.

Start planning at least six to eight months out. This should provide the team enough time to accomplish the variety of tasks required. It should also provide the team with a wide enough window to identify a host facility and book the location. Identifying the host and booking the location is the first task to accomplish.

ACDIS recommends holding full-day events on a Friday or Saturday and during a season amenable to travel, if not tourism/vacations. This way, attendees can take a personal day for their educational event (if needed) and extend their stay through the weekend for a little rest and relaxation with colleagues or family.

For example, the Massachusetts ACDIS chapter collaborated with the MAHIMA and NYHIMA for a full-day event Friday, August 3, at Baystate Health in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The hosting facility, nestled in the Berkshire mountains, represented a central location for CDI professionals from Connecticut, New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts. It was also the perfect launching point for those interested in nearby attractions such as Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, the Basketball Hall of Fame, and hiking trails along Mount Tom in the Pioneer Valley.

So, the team might wish to hold its full-day event on a Friday in October or a Saturday in spring. They can then canvas the membership to determine if a host can be secured and amend plans accordingly.

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).

August:

• 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 Texas and Minnesota ACDIS chapters will hold a joint teleconference call featuring ACDIS Editorial Director Melissa Varnavas on Wednesday, August 15, 12 p.m. CST. To register, click here.
• The Suffolk County Long Island ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, August 16, 1-2 p.m., via conference call. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (scacdis@gmail.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).

September:

• The New Orleans ACDIS chapter meets on Thursday, September 13, 4-5 p.m., at Semolina’s Restaurant in Clearview. For information, contact Judith Dowling (Judith.dowling@ochsner.org).
• 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 Suffolk County Long Island ACDIS chapter meets Friday, September 14, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook. For infromation, contact the chapter leadership team (scacdis@gmail.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 Minnesota ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, September 26, 1-2 p.m. via conference call. For information, contact Jera Van Damme (jera.vandamme@essentiahealth.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).

Save-the-date:

• 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 Michigan ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, October 6, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., at McLaren Hospitality House in Flint. Click here to download the save-the-date. For information, contact Susan Fantin (susan.fantin@comcast.net).
• 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., 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.
• The Suffolk County Long Island ACDIS chapter meets Monday, December 3, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (scacdis@gmail.com).