Note from the Editorial Director: Plan for your future and apply to speak at the 2022 ACDIS conference

by Melissa Varnavas

I’ve been accused of burying the punchline from time to time. When I tell a story at a party, it typically has three or four parts. So, today, I’ll come right out and let you know that if you’re interested in speaking on the national stage in Kissimmee (Orlando), Florida, next May 2-5, at ACDIS 2022, the call for speakers is now open.

With that out of the way, I can digress a little.

I play a little game with myself from time to time. I ask, “What do I want to be doing in five years?” There’s always something new to do, new to learn, new goals to achieve, challenges to overcome.

Where will you be a month from now? Six months from now? A year from now? While the pandemic put many of our plans on hold, the world is beginning to find its balance once again. We are beginning to dream again, to plan—again—for the future.

Most of you know that one of my core duties here at ACDIS is crafting our events. If I’d played my game last year, I wouldn’t have said, “In five years, I see myself planning virtual events and hosting cocktail hours on Zoom.” But what a year it has been. Now it’s time to take what we’ve learned, re-evaluate our visions, leverage our imaginations, and take stock of where we want to be, how we want to grow.

That’s where you come in. Which brings me back to my little game.

No doubt you have your own professional goals. There are productivity measures you need to meet. Maybe you’ve been wanting to put together some physician education or start a CDI newsletter. Maybe this is the year you’ll study, sit for, and pass the certified clinical documentation specialist (CCDS) or CCDS-Outpatient exam and earn your credential.

I challenge you to consider stepping forward to speak on the national stage next May, as well.

I promise it’s not as scary as it seems. The submission process is straight forward. You need to know your personal contact information and the information for any co-speaker(s) you’d like to have on stage with you. (Yes, it’s okay to coerce a friend.)

You need an idea. Maybe last year you did make that newsletter and it was a huge hit because it helped the CDI team connect with providers despite remote challenges. Maybe your team discovered some new SOI/ROM metrics that hadn’t been analyzed before which revealed new areas of opportunity for the department. Maybe the CDI and coding team started holding Zoom cocktail hours which led to improved rapport and new ideas for collaboration. (Maybe the title of that session could be from “Zoom to the Moon: Exploring New Opportunities for CDI/Coding Engagement.”)

Whatever your idea, I promise the 2022 Event Committee will take great care in reviewing it. A couple of tips for you though:

1. Think your idea through fully.
2. Create three to five learning objectives. What should someone in the audience learn and be able to take back to their own CDI practices.
3. Create a clever synopsis. The Events Committee always helps nurture selected speakers with their presentations, but try to put as much thoughtful energy as possible into a succinct description of what you’re planning on presenting.
4. Craft an outline. The application includes an opportunity for you to upload a draft presentation; this is a good chance to let the committee know the type of information you’ll provide and how you plan to get from point A to point B throughout the session.

And while it seems surreal to barely have tossed out the last frisbee from our ACDIS Online: CDI Summer Retreat event, and to be looking forward to our live, in-person, main conference taking place in Dallas this October, the time has come to put your plans for the future in place once again.

The volunteer 2022 event committee is looking forward to reviewing your application.

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