A Note from the ACDIS Conference: Congratulations to our award winners

May 24, 2016
CDI Strategies - Volume 10, Issue 22

by Brian Murphy, ACDIS Director 

ACDIS honored the nation’s top clinical documentation improvement professionals this morning at the 9th annual conference in Atlanta.

I had the honor of presenting four awards in today’s general session to kick off the conference in front of an audience of more than 1,700 attendees. ACDIS is thrilled to recognize:

  • Candace E. Blankenship, BSN, RN, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, recipient of the Rookie of the Year award
  • Susan E. Kohl, MD, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, recipient of the Excellence in Provider Engagement award
  • Jessica M. Vaughn, RN, BSN, CCDS, Wake Forest Baptist Health, recipient of the Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement award
  • Karen M. DiMeglio, RN, MS, CCDS, CPC, Lifespan, as its 2016 CDI Professional of the Year

ACDIS recently revised, updated, and expanded its awards for 2016 to reflect the changes occurring in healthcare and the CDI profession in particular. The new Rookie of the Year award recognizes the rapid growth of the CDI profession by awarding an outstanding CDI professional on the job less than two years at the time of nomination.

"It's an overwhelming sense of validation for what I do," said Blankenship. "No matter how many times I got a 'no,' [from a provider or superior], someone said yes and we've been able to make an incredible impact." 

The new Excellence in Provider Engagement award recognizes a professional who has made measurable impacts engaging providers (physicians, nurses, and others) in the need for accurate and complete documentation in the health record.

The Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement award recognizes a professional who has made outstanding achievements within his or her facility, and the CDI Professional of the Year award is ACDIS’ top honor, given to a CDI professional who has made significant contributions within his or her organization and on the broader CDI community.

"This is an incredible honor," said DiMeglio. "I am so proud because I worked really hard, and had great people behind me. I'm so thankful to have been chosen." 

To learn more about the ACDIS Achievement Awards, the annual ACDIS conference, or ACDIS membership, visit www.acdis.org.