Note from the ACDIS Director: Deepest condolences on the passing of CDI professional and friend Wendy Clesi

By Brian Murphy

All of us at ACDIS were deeply shaken and saddened to learn of the passing of dear friend Wendy Clesi this past Saturday.

Wendy was a winner of our 2009 Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement Award for her work at Ochsner Health System. Later she ran for the ACDIS advisory board and was elected for a three-year term of service from 2014 through 2017. She served as the executive director of CDI services at Enjoin.

Wendy wrote many excellent articles for ACDIS, spoke at our conferences, and penned a wonderful white paper that we are proud to have on our website: Cornerstone of CDI Success: Build a Strong Foundation. Its message remains as true today as the day she wrote it.

More than her professional contributions, however, we will remember Wendy for her kindness, professionalism, quiet sense of humor, and the eternal smile she always wore on her face. I am grateful to have been able to spend some time with her at our advisory board dinners and Enjoin’s receptions, where she was always excited to talk about the CDI profession and its evolution, and share stories of family and friendship.

She once said “CDI continues to evolve in the industry creating never ending excitement in the profession. The possibilities are endless and achievable with the right people in place.”

The great folks over at Enjoin sent us this wonderful note of remembrance that we are happy to share. You can read that here. Please take a moment to do so.

Information on services can be found here, and tributes to Wendy are welcomed at this website as well.

Wendy, the CDI community will miss you, and all of us at ACDIS will miss you dearly, too.

Editor's note: Murphy is the director of ACDIS. Contact him at bmurphy@acdis.org.