Note from the Associate Editorial Director: Build connections, share your expertise, learn from your community

by Linnea Archibald

One of the things I love about the ACDIS community is members’ willingness to share and offer advice to fellow CDI professionals based on their experiences. The CDI industry is one that values sharing over gatekeeping, connection over competition. We see this ethos all over ACDIS from members sharing sample forms in the Resource Library to members answering questions on the Forum, to professionals volunteering to speak at ACDIS events.

As you may have already seen, right now through July 24, ACDIS is calling for community members to submit applications to speak at our 2024 events. While veteran ACDIS friends may be familiar with our regular annual call for conference speakers, this year’s application lets prospective speakers select from three in-person events in 2024:

• The ACDIS national conference: This is our flagship event, which will take place April 8-11, 2024, in Indianapolis. The conference includes five tracks of educational sessions, each focused on a different topic area, which means we often have close to 100 speakers take to the podium each year.
• ACDIS Physician Advisor Forum: This new event, previously known as the Physician Advisor’s Role in CDI pre-conference, offers two days of education delivered by the country’s leading physician advisors for both those new to the advisor role and those looking to expand. It will take place directly before the ACDIS conference in Indianapolis on April 7-8.
• ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI: This event is focused exclusively on CDI efforts in the outpatient and ambulatory settings. With two simultaneous educational tracks on the second day, attendees of all experience levels will find something of value on the agenda. Like the Physician Advisor Forum, this event will take place directly before the ACDIS conference in Indianapolis on April 7-8.

Those interested in applying to speak at more than one of these events are welcome to do so; simply complete a separate application for each session you wish to submit. Selected speakers are eligible for free admission to the event at which they are presenting (up to two speakers per session), have an opportunity to advance their own professional development, and get the chance to enact that sharing I waxed on about above.

Stepping up on that stage in front of a room full of people, sharing your CDI story, and letting people ask questions can feel daunting and scary. As an introvert, I feel your hesitation acutely. But the CDI community is the most welcoming group out there and they are hungry for your expertise. Your willingness to share, to contribute knowledge will help them advance their programs, help you grow in your own professional life, and it may be just the inspiration someone needs to submit an application next year.

What I’m saying is, be brave and embrace the sharing ethos of the CDI community. We want to hear from you and so do your peers. So, click here to apply before the July 24 deadline, or copy/paste this URL into your browser: https://acdis.org/24speaker!

Editor’s note: Archibald is the associate editorial director of publications and membership at ACDIS. Contact her at larchibald@acdis.org.