Local chapter update: A note about COVID-19 for chapter leaders

The ACDIS leadership team is closely monitoring the events unfolding with COVID-19 as we know you are too. Many of you are planning your events; spring has traditionally been a busy time for our local chapters.

Please know first and foremost that your health, safety, and well-being are our top priorities and we’re sure that the health, safety, and well-being of your members is your top priority, too. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend staying home in a self-imposed quarantine for those feeling ill and various government officials have recommended avoiding gathering in groups of as low as 10 people. Many of your organizations have put travel bans in place and many of you have been asked to work from home yourselves.

If you have an upcoming event in the next few weeks, please discuss the matter with your colleagues and include ACDIS Associate Editorial Director Melissa Varnavas (mvarnavas@acdis.org) in these conversations. If the event was originally slated to be a full-day, in-person event, you may wish to trim it down to a one- or two-hour session to be done remotely or postpone/reschedule. At this point, we do not recommend keeping on any in-person event in March or April.

Options could include:

• Conduct a virtual session instead
  
  • This may be an option if the host facility has a remote meeting platform available
  • Conduct a test run with the core leadership team and speakers to ensure viability
  • Additionally, ACDIS national is working with a few local chapters who will be holding remote education sessions to open up their events to any other networking groups which have needed to cancel (more information will be emailed to chapter leaders this week)
• Postpone/reschedule
  
  • This may be an option if the host is willing to reschedule and your speakers can make the new time
  • Be sure to clearly communicate with the members and/or registered attendees to explain:
    1. Why the meeting is being postponed
       • Use language such as: Due to the unfolding situation with the COVID-19 (coronavirus), the local chapter leadership team has decided to postpone the upcoming event. We value you, your time, and our CDI community, so stay healthy, listen to the CDC, and watch for additional information from us regarding new meeting details to come.
    2. Any information about the rescheduling
       • Day, date, time, location, change in speaker line-up
       • Refunds or exchanges if registration fees were gathered for either vendors or attendees
       • Who to contact with questions

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 Carolyn Riel (criel@acdis.org).  

March:

• The Central New York ACDIS chapter event slated for Friday, March 20, has been postponed. For additional information, contact Dawn Burr (DawnBurr@crouse.org).
• The Indiana ACDIS chapter meeting slated for Saturday, March 21, has been changed to a webinar event. For additional information, contact Angela Green (agreen915@gmail.com)
• The Arizona ACDIS chapter meets Friday, March 27, 12-1:15 p.m., for a round table discussion Q&A on CDI Hot Topics with Dr. Richard Pinson. For information, contact M.E. Van Gelder (mvangelder@honorhealth.com).
• The Georgia ACDIS chapter meets Friday, March 27, in Athens. More details to follow.
• The Illinois ACDIS chapter event slated for Saturday, March 28, has been postponed. For more information, contact Dottie Fanning (Dorothy.Fanning@advocatehealth.com)
• The Tennessee ACDIS chapter event slated for Friday, March 27, has been postponed. For information, contact Kristie Perry (kristie.perry@erlanger.org).

April:

• The Maryland ACDIS chapter meets Friday, April 17, 12-2 p.m., at the Maryland Hospital Association. For information, contact Deb McClain (dmcclain2@fmh.org).
• The Oklahoma ACDIS chapter meets Friday, April 17, at Integris in Oklahoma City. For information, contact Ann Donnelly (Ann.Donnelly@hillcrest.com).
• The Arizona ACDIS chapter meets Friday, April 17, 12-1:15 p.m., for a webinar titled “Joining Forces: How Ambulatory CDI can Collaborate with Inpatient Efforts,” featuring Jennifer Boles and Lori Ganote. For information, contact M.E. Van Gelder (mvangelder@honorhealth.com).
• The Oregon (Northwest) ACDIS chapter meets Friday, April 17, at Salem Health. For information, contact Jennifer Grubb (grubbj@ohsu.edu).
• The Ohio ACDIS chapter event slated for Friday, April 24, has been moved to Friday, June 26, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Atrium Medical Center Friday. For additional information, contact Brittani Winkler (brittani.winkler@trusthcs.com).
• The Washington Evergreen ACDIS chapter meets Friday, April 24, at Multicare Tacoma General in Tacoma. For information, contact the chapter leadership team (evergreenACDIS@gmail.com).
• The Virginia ACDIS chapter event slated for Saturday, April 25, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., has been postponed. For information, contact Denice Shelton (denice_shelton@bshsi.org).
• The St. Louis Missouri ACDIS chapter meets Wednesday, April 29, at SSM DePaul Hospital. For information, contact Pam Bulfer (pamela.bulfer@ssmhealth.com).
• The New Orleans ACDIS chapter meets Thursday, April 30, 4-5 p.m., at Semolina's in Clearview. The educational topic for the meeting will be wounds and ulcers. For information, contact Judi Dowling (judith.dowling@ochsner.org).

May:

• The Florida ACDIS chapter meets Saturday, May 16, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Broward Health Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale. The chapter is also looking for volunteers to join the leadership team. For information, contact Edna Betances-Harold (betane@shands.ufl.edu).