Note from the ACDIS Director: Stepping forward, boldly, into 2021

January 21, 2021
CDI Strategies - Volume 15, Issue 3

by Brian Murphy

Whew, that was a year.

2020 was brutal, all around. COVID-19 is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths in the United States (and climbing). It was a year of incredible social and political unrest and division.

CDI departments were not unaffected. According to ACDIS survey data two-thirds of CDI departments suffered a number of consequences ranging from staff redeployed to other departments, hiring freezes, unpaid time off, and in some cases layoffs.

But ever resilient, CDI specialists responded by conducting  deep dive record reviews, capturing positive COVID-19 tests in the medical record, and clarifying the deadly cytokine storms and viral sepsis that accompanied this novel coronavirus. Some put on their scrubs and returned to the front lines, working at the bedside to help fight a worldwide pandemic.

As 2021 gets underway, ACDIS is recommitting to what it does best: Deep member engagement, education and programming, and, through the power of community and common purpose, growing and transforming the CDI profession to meet the challenges of the day.

To do that, we’ve got an ambitious schedule of events taking us through the end of 2021. These include a mixture of virtual and live events. Yes, you read that last piece correctly: We are planning, full-steam-ahead, a return to responsible, face-to-face programming with the return of the ACDIS national conference in October in Dallas, Texas.

Following is a look ahead at what we’ve got planned:

  • February 11: “ACDIS Insights: The Second Surge Impact of COVID-19 on CDI,” a free webinar
  • April 22: “ACDIS Virtual Summit: State of the CDI Profession,” a full-day, free webinar series thanks to our sponsors
  • June 23-25: “ACDIS Online: CDI Summertime Retreat,” a multi-day, online, educational conference focused on offering fresh CDI perspectives
  • August 26: “ACDIS Insights: CDI Innovations,” a full-day, free webinar series thanks to our sponsors
  • October 25-28: ACDIS National Conference: “Stepping Forward,” our full, in-person, ACDIS education and networking experience
  • November 10-12: “Next Steps: ACDIS Encore,” a multi-day, online, educational event drawing on the excellent speakers typically seen on the live stage

You’ll see a theme emerging through these events: We’re still dealing with the second-surge of COVID-19, and next month we’re bringing you a free webinar (register at link above) with three extraordinary leaders. Tonia Catapano (Yale New Haven Health System), Angie Comfort (LifePoint Health) and Adelaide LaRosa (Catholic Health Services of Long Island). You may recall they joined me back in April 2020 for a webinar “COVID-19: Assessing the Impact on CDI Operations,” and now they’ll return to discuss their experiences of the last 10 months. Led by myself as moderator, we’ll share their expertise, lessons learned, review survey data, and answer questions from the audience.

We’ll then begin taking stock of where things stand at our April 22 “Virtual Summit: State of the CDI Profession.” By summer, a retreat will be in order. But one in which we’ll be learning with peers, at “ACDIS Online: CDI Summertime Retreat.”

The latter half of the year is a commitment to looking ahead and growing from these lessons learned. Bringing you innovative new ideas from your peers and innovating ourselves. The August “ACDIS Insights: CDI Innovations,” (August 26) will focus on growth opportunities and new technologies transforming the profession.

For the first time in its history the ACDIS national conference will be a hybrid live/virtual event. Our return to a live conference in October will be done safely and responsibly, and Texas in the fall is a beautiful place to be. Attendees of the live program will receive free access to the November 10-12 “Next steps: ACDIS Encore,” which will include additional virtual sessions from the national conference. These sessions will also be available for separate purchase from those who are unable to attend live.

In closing, thank you for all your hard work and sacrifice in a year unlike any other. We suffered together but grew together. Continue to stay strong. Be part of the fight. Run for a board or committee including the ACDIS advisory board, which has four openings.

Help us heal, get back on track, and step forward into a new year with renewed commitment, unity, and purpose.

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