ACDIS Achievement Awards

Nominations for the 2024 ACDIS Achievement Awards are now closed.

Click on the links below to learn more about the qualifications for each of these prestigious awards:

CDI Professional of the Year: This award is the highest honor bestowed by the Association and recognizes an individual who stands out as a consummate representative of the best attributes of a CDI professional. The nominee must have at least 10 years as a CDI professional at the time of their nomination.
Accomplishment in CDI: This award recognizes an individual who has made significant achievements as a CDI professional in their facility or within their broader organization. The nominee must have at least two years as a CDI professional at the time of their nomination.
Excellence in Provider Engagement: This award recognizes an individual who has made a substantive difference within their organization and the broader community through enhancing medical staff understanding, collaboration, and engagement. The nominee must have two or more years of experience in this role at the time of their nomination.
Melissa Varnavas Spirit of Service: This award is named in honor of our friend and colleague, Melissa Varnavas. It recognizes an individual who has committed themselves to service by volunteering their time and skills to assist their peers and advance the CDI profession.
Diversity in CDI: This award is intended to honor those organizations whose CDI departments are going above and beyond with creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Diversity in CDI looks like folks from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, those from minority groups in leadership positions, different educational backgrounds outside of the traditional clinical realms, inclusion of all gender identities and sexual orientations, and all abilities.

Winners will be honored with an award and recognition during the annual ACDIS annual conference, and the CDI Professional of the Year receives free admission to the conference. All nominations will be reviewed and voted on by the ACDIS Events Committee in conjunction with ACDIS administration.

The ACDIS Honor Roll

2023 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

2023 CDI Professional of the Year
Lori Ganote
MSN, RN, CCDS
Baptist Health System

2023 Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Tiara L. Minor
RN, BSN, CCDS
University of Miami Health System

2023 Excellence in Provider Engagement
Melissa Brawley
RN, BSN, CCDS-O, CRC
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

2023 Rookie of the Year
Patty Robles
BSN, RN
Advocate Aurora Health

2023 Melissa Varnavas Spirit of Service
Romerl Cris Gumayagay
MD, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, CRCR
NYU Langone Health System

2023 Diversity in CDI
Wellstar Health System
Marietta, Georgia

2022 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

2022 CDI Professional of the Year
Sheila M. Duhon
MBA, RN, CCDS, CCS, A-CCRN
Steward Healthcare

2022 Recognition of Professional Achievement
Tami McMasters Gomez
BS, CCS-P, CDIP, CCDS (MHL)
University of California Davis Medical Center

2022 Excellence in Provider Engagement
Paul Simmons
MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

2022 Rookie of the Year
AJ Hegg
MD
Essential Health, University of Minnesota Duluth School of Medicine

2022 Diversity in CDI
University of Miami Health System

2021 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

2021 CDI Professional of the Year
Deb Jones
MSN, RN
Brigham and Women's Hospital

2021 Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Anny Pang Yuen
RHIA, CCS, CCDS, CDIP
AP Consulting Associates LLC

2021 Excellence in Provider Engagement
Christopher Petrilli
MD, SFHM, CCDS
NYU Langone Health

2021 Rookie of the Year
Nichole Henry
BSN, RN
UCI Health

2021 Diversity in CDI
University of California Davis Medical Center

2020 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

2020 CDI Professional of the Year
Robin Jones
BSN, MHA/Ed, CCDS
AdventHealth-West Florida Division

2020 Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Valerie Parent
BSN, CCDS, CCRN-K
Northern Light Health

2020 Excellence in Provider Engagement
Karen Elmore
RN, CCDS
BJC HealthCare

2020 Rookie of the Year
Steven R. Ballantyne
BSN
Banner Health

2019 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Tamara A. Hicks
RN, BSN, MHA, CCS, CCDS, ACM
Wake Forest Baptist Health

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Paul Evans
RHIA, CCDS, CCS, CCS-P
Sutter Health West Bay Area

Excellence in Provider Engagement
Briggs Strelow
MD, CCDS
NYU Langone Health

Non-Traditional Setting CDI Professional Achievement
Barinder Gill
CCDS, CDIP, CCS
Optum 360 at Dignity Health

Rookie of the Year
Ashley Comiskey
MSN, RN
Baptist Health System

2018 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Rebecca Willcutt
BSN, RN, CCDS, CCS, CRC
Cooper University Hospital

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Tracy Boldt
RN, BSN, CCDS, CDIP
Essentia Health

Excellence in Provider Engagement
Vijeta Salunkhe
MBBS, MHA, MBA, CCDS, CCS
Baylor Scott and White McLane Children's Medical Center

Pediatric CDI Professional Achievement
Leah Savage
MSN, RN, CCDS
Baptist Health

Rookie of the Year
Heather Sandstrom-Schipma
RN, BSN
Dignity Health-St. Joseph's Hospital

2017 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Rita H. Fields
RN, BSN, CCDS
Baptist Health System

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Fran Jurcak
MSN, RN, CCDS
Iodine Software

Excellence in Provider Engagement
Nicole Fox, MD, MPH
Medical Director of CDI
Cooper University Hospital

Rookie of the Year
Nicole Eldridge, BSN, RN
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

2016 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Karen M. DiMeglio
RN, MS, CCDS, CPC
Lifespan

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Jessica M. Vaughn
RN, BSN, CCDS
Wake Forest Baptist Health

Excellence in Provider Engagement
Susan E. Kohl, MD
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas

Rookie of the Year
Candace E. Blankenship
BSN, RN
MedStar Union Memorial Hospital

2015 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Karen Newhouser
RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS, CCM
MedPartners

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Mary Margaret McGrady
RN, CCDS
NYU Langone Medical Center

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Amy Yung
RN, CCDS
Kaleida Health

2014 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Michelle Custodio
RHIA, CCDS, CDIP
Ohio Health

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Karen Chase
RCN, BSN
Stony Brook University Medical Center

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Katy Good
RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS
Flagstaff Medical Center

2013 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Nancy Rae Ignatowicz
RN, BS, MBA, CCDS
Loyola University Medical Center

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Ailsa Kompare
RN, MHA, BS, CCDS
Kindred Las Vegas Integrated Market

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Judy Schade
RN, MSN, CCM, CCDS
Mayo Clinic

2012 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Cathy Seluke
RN, BSN, ACM, CCDS
MaineGeneral Medical Center

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Dee Schad
RN, BSN, CCDS
Clark Memorial Hospital

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Robert S. Hodges
BSN, MSN, RN, CCDS
Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center

2011 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Donald Butler
RN, BSN
Pitt County Memorial Hospital

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Kelley Sears
RN, CCM, BS
Steward Health Care

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Kara Masucci
RN, PNP, MSN, CCDS
Morristown Memorial Hospital/Atlantic Health

2010 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Sandra Beatty
RN, BSN, C-CDI
Columbus Regional Hospital

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Adelaide La Rosa
RN, BSN
St. Francis Hospital—The Heart Center

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Jennifer Love
RN, BA, CCDS
Novant Health

2009 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Beth Kennedy
RN, BS, CCS
Montefiore Medical Center

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Lynne Spryszak, RN, CPC-A
FTI Healthcare

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Wendy Clesi
RN
Ochsner Health System

2008 ACDIS Achievement Award Winners

CDI Professional of the Year
Randi Ferrare
RN, BSN
Morton Plant Mease Healthcare

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Karla Johnson
Iowa Methodist Medical Center

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement
Nancy Taylor Ward
Tampa General Hospital