Note from the Associate Editorial Director: Call for 2019 conference speaking proposals open through Aug. 31

by Melissa Varnavas

Our 12th annual conference will be held May 20-23, 2019, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida. The 2019 Conference Committee has been meeting to determine must-have sessions and decide on the focus and track selection for the event.

To read the 2019 conference committee members' bios, please click here. To read this year’s session and track suggestions, click here.

Like last year, the ACDIS conference will feature six tracks including the much beloved Clinical & Coding track which focuses on bringing the clinical considerations together with coding and documentation guidelines, the Quality & Regulatory track which explores the new generation of government and payer focus on healthcare quality, the Expansion & Innovation track which presents new opportunities for CDI program growth both within the traditional short-term acute care health system but also into new venues such as critical access, rehabilitation, home health, etc.

This year, the conference committee is bringing back the outpatient and pediatric tracks as well to help those working in these advanced fields obtain the latest information and learn from their peers’ experience. Finally, the committee changed the Management & Leadership track to Professional Development to better align these sessions to all those who seek to obtain greater leadership skills, identify ways to move their program forward, and develop opportunities for career advancement.

The application process remains similar to that of previous years. Applicants should create an account in the online conference management system, by clicking here. The deadline for applications is August 31.

Applicants will be prompted to provide their contact information, and create a new application. Speakers may create more than one submission, but please note that ACDIS typically receives close to 200 applications for just under 50 open presentation times.

Similar to previous years, applicants should submit their draft session title and description, additional speaker information and learning objectives.

This year, the conference committee also seeks a draft of your presentation proposal. This needn’t be a complete presentation, but a draft of your potential slides as selected speakers will have an opportunity to further develop and refine their presentation. However, the draft should provide the committee with enough materials to assess the potential presentation.

Additionally, this year, the committee has included a spot for speakers to upload an MP3/4 file so applicants can provide a recording of their presentation. This is optional and not a requirement. 

The August 1 ACDIS Radio program featured 2019 conference committee members Jennifer Cooper, Faisal Hussain, and Shelia Bullock. During the program, they reviewed committee responsibilities and outlined the application process.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns. The conference committee is looking forward to reviewing your proposals!

Editor’s note: Varnavas is the associate editorial director of ACDIS. Contact her at mvarnavas@acdis.org.