Local chapter update: Sending thoughts to our friends affected by hurricane Dorian

Amazingly, Hurricane Dorian spared Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands this week. As the storm seemed aimed in their direction our Puerto Rico ACDIS Chapter leaders assured us of their steadfast nature and stout hearts. Meanwhile, however, our CDI friends in Florida, Georgia, and elsewhere along the eastern seaboard braced for the storm. According to CNN, Dorian could be the strongest hurricane to hit the Florida coast since 1992 and would be the fourth year in a row that a hurricane made landfall there. The most years in a row since the 1940s.

Those working in healthcare not only need to take care of themselves and their families during times of crisis but also of their healthcare communities. During a panel discussion at the 2019 ACDIS national conference Johanne “Jo” Brautigam, RN, BSN, CCDS, clinical documentation integrity manager at Roper Saint Francis Healthcare in Charleston, SC, and her colleague Deborah Lawrence, RN, CCDS, CDI specialist there, explained opportunities for CDI professionals during emergency situations including power outages, and EHR blackouts. During times such as these, CDI professionals need to essentially roll up their sleeves and help out in any way possible. They indicated that remote staff often need to come onsite to the facility to be on the floor tracking the loose documentation and flagging orders for follow-up later. They also encouraged CDI programs to develop emergency plans ahead of any potential disasters.

ACDIS local chapters offer a close-to-home community of like-minded individuals who share best-practices and CDI experiences. They also often pull together at their meetings to raise funds and donate food or other items to local charities.

While Dorian’s path and outcomes at the time of this publication remains unclear, we know that our local chapter members can count on each other and the ACDIS community despite rain and wind.

The following is a list of upcoming events for ACDIS local chapters. If you have an upcoming event you would like to include, please email Melissa Varnavas (mvarnavas@acdis.org) and Linnea Archibald (larchibald@acdis.org). 

September:

• The Chapter Advisory Board invites chapter leaders and members to join them for a panel discussion on Thursday, September 12, 12-1 p.m., via webinar. Click here to register.
• The Arkansas ACDIS chapter meets Friday, September 13, 1-4 p.m., at St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock. For information, contact Cindy Whichard (cynthia.whichard@coniferhealth.com).
• The Georgia ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, September 19, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (georgia.acdis@gmail.com).
• The Maryland ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, September 20, for an all-day event at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Towson. Click here to download the registration form. For information, contact Deborah McClain (dmcclain2@fmh.org).
• The Indiana ACDIS chapter meets Friday, September 20, 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., at Ivy Tech Culinary and Conference Center in Indianapolis for their fall conference. Click here to download the event agenda. Click here to download the registration form. For information, contact Angela Green (agreen915@gmail.com).
• The Oklahoma ACDIS chapter meets Friday, September 20, 12:30-3:30 p.m., at Hillcrest Medical in Tulsa. For information and to RSVP, contact Amanda Just (amanda.just@integrisok.com).
• The Ohio ACDIS chapter meets Friday, September 20, 1-4 p.m., at St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima. For information, contact Kathryn Vermillion (kmvermillion@mercy.com).
• The Virginia ACDIS chapter meets Friday, September 20, 12-1:30 p.m., via webinar. For information, contact Fran DeLisser (franchesca_delisser@bshsi.org).

Save-the-date:

• The Iowa ACDIS chapter meets Friday, October 4, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. For information, contact Deanna Brennan (deanna.brennan@uiowa.edu).
• The Michigan ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, October 5, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at McLaren Hospitality House in Flint. Click here to download the save-the-date. Click here to download the agenda. Click here to download the registration form. For information, contact Susan Fantin (susan.fantin@comcast.net).
• The Massachusetts ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, October 10, 1-4 p.m., at Boston Children's Hospital. For information and to RSVP, contact Jessica Barbeiro (jessrn316@hotmail.com).
• Missouri’s three ACDIS chapters meet Saturday, October 19, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Columbia, for the fourth annual Show Me State Conference. Click here to download the event flyer. Click here to download the welcome letter, which includes instructions for registration. For information, contact Karen Elmore (karen.elmore@bjc.org).
• The Oregon ACDIS chapter holds a joint meeting with OrHIMA Friday, October 25, at Linn Co. Fairgrounds Albany. For information, contact Bonita Quinn (bgquinn@stcharleshealthcare.org).
• The Washington Evergreen ACDIS chapter meets Friday, October 25, at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue. More details to follow. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (evergreenACDIS@gmail.com).
• The California ACDIS chapter meets Friday, October 25, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the University of California, Davis. To register and save your spot, click here. Click here to download the save-the-date flyer. For information, contact Rani Stoddard (stoddardrv@henrymayo.com).
• The California ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, November 20, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., via webinar. For information, contact Rani Stoddard (stoddardrv@henrymayo.com).
• The North Carolina ACDIS chapter meets Friday, November 22, for their fall conference at Atrium Health in Charlotte. More details to follow. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (ncacdis@gmail.com).
• The Kansas City, Missouri, ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, December 4, 2-3 p.m. central, via webinar. For information, contact Angelica Naylor (angelica.naylor@outlook.com).
• The Chapter Advisory Board invites chapter leaders and members to join them for a panel discussion on Thursday, December 12, 12-1 p.m., via webinar. Click here to register.