Note from the ACDIS Editor: Launching the ACDIS CDI Scholarship program

by Linnea Archibald

After months of planning, ACDIS is proud to announce the launch of its CDI Scholarship program. The purpose of this scholarship is to assist CDI professionals in enhancing their careers with further education and to increase collaboration among colleagues by sharing knowledge.

The effort hasn’t been solely the domain of internal ACDIS administration, however; I’ve also had the privilege of working with a group of nine CDI professionals on the ACDIS CDI Scholarship Committee. They’ve worked tirelessly to develop the scholarship program from the ground up. Please join me in extending a warm “thank-you” to these lovely folks:

• Johanne “Jo” Brautigam, BSN, RN, CCDS, CDI manager at Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, South Carolina
• Judy Cassetty, BSN, RN, CCDS, manager of CDI and quality auditors/interim CDI educator at Providence St. Joseph Health System in Irvine, California
• Deb Dallos, RN, CDI program supervisor at Sarasota (Florida) Memorial Hospital
• Teresa Downie, RN, CCDS, CDI specialist/care manager at TSN Nurse Consulting in Vidalia, Georgia
• Julian Everett, BSN, RN, CDIP, CDI specialist at Orlando (Florida) Health
• Erin Head, MBA, RHIA, CHDA, CHRS-TR, director of HIM and medical staff services at Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, Florida
• Linda Jackson, RHIT, director of HIM at Arkansas State Hospital in Little Rock
• Molly Siebert, RHIA, CCDS, CDI specialist at Legacy Health System in Portland, Oregon
• Elisa Sninchak, M.Ed, BSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, clinical documentation excellence educator at Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina

ACDIS will award three scholarships annually for the following educational activities. Please note that ACDIS will provide each recipient with the registration information and/or login instructions, etc., related to accessing their award, rather than a monetary prize.

• One-year ACDIS membership + enrollment in the ACDIS CDI Apprenticeship program
• Registration to an online CDI Boot Camp of the recipients’ choice
• Registration to the ACDIS national conference and a set travel budget provided by our 2020 scholarship sponsor, Nuance

Applicants must be active in the CDI field, working in the profession. They must be able to demonstrate that fact with a note from their manager or supervisor verifying employment. Scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis and distributed in the form of a product or registration (depending on the scholarship awarded) directly to the recipient at the beginning of the new year. Click here to download the scholarship criteria overview sheet.

Those interested in applying for the 2019-2020 ACDIS CDI Scholarship program may do so during the application period, September 1-December 31, 2019. Scholarship applications will be reviewed by the ACDIS Scholarship Committee upon the application period’s closing. All decisions will be rendered, and applicants notified by February 7, 2020. To learn more about scholarship eligibility, application, and selection process, click here.

We can’t wait to hear from you and review your application!

Editor’s note: Archibald is the editor for ACDIS. Contact her at larchibald@acdis.org.