Note from the Associate Editorial Director: A place for leadership education and camaraderie
by Linnea Archibald
My work life shifted substantially in 2020, and not just because of COVID. Up until that point, my role revolved almost entirely around ACDIS’ publications, but at the beginning of that fateful year I stepped into my current role with the ACDIS Leadership Council. At the time, I was hesitant about this next step within my ACDIS journey and about how it might change my day-to-day work.
I’m thrilled to say that working with the Council has been a joy. The folks I’ve gotten to know over the past few years are truly wonderful people, each willing and excited to share their expertise with their peers whenever possible.
If you’re not familiar, in brief, the ACDIS Leadership Council connects CDI leaders through personalized insight-sharing and networking opportunities that create relationships, advance leadership strategies, and illuminate industry trends. We do this through a few membership benefits:
- Bimonthly educational panel discussion calls (which each offer 1 ACDIS CCDS/CCDS-O CEU for those who attend and 2 ACDIS CCDS/CCDS-O CEUs for those on the panel for the meeting)
- Monthly newsletter designed for the Council members
- Quarterly surveys related to leadership topics (the data is then shared via the panel discussions and in written reports)
- Weekly “connections” emails sent by me to connect leaders with questions to others who can help
- Occasional in-person opportunities in conjunction with the ACDIS national conference and other live events (we just had a lovely in-person reception a couple weeks ago!)
In my opinion, there’s really no downside to Council membership for leaders. It’s free to join and you are immediately connected to hundreds of leaders who understand your unique challenges. The connections made within the Council’s ranks have led to members developing new processes, policies, job titles, career ladders, templates, and plans for expansion. Being a member of the Council offers you an invaluable opportunity for education geared to your specific needs as a leader and camaraderie with your peers nationwide.
While membership is free, in order for members to get the most possible out of their time on the Council, there are a few eligibility and participation requirements. To apply, you must be:
- A current CDI leader with supervisory responsibilities (over staff, educational, or department decisions) employed by a healthcare provider organization. Eligible CDI titles include, but are not limited to: directors, managers, supervisors, team leads, educators/auditors, and physician advisors/medical directors of CDI.
- Able to meet the following participation requirements for the membership term of September 1, 2023, through August 31, 2024:
- Complete at least 75% of surveys offered during your membership term (at least four surveys will be offered per year).
- Provide and reconfirm eligibility and professional details as requested.
- Grant permission for HCPro and ACDIS to share your contact information and aggregated survey response data with Council sponsors.
Applications will open this summer with the 2023/2024 term beginning in September 2023. If you’d like to get a notification when that application opens, go ahead and fill out our alert list here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Council-alert-list
I sincerely hope that you’ll consider signing up for the alert list and applying when the time comes. I often describe the Leadership Council as a mini association within ACDIS for leaders and we’d love to welcome you into the fold!
Editor’s note: Archibald is the associate editorial director for ACDIS. Contact her at larchibald@acdis.org.