Author Archive for Penny Richards

Nashville Conference Buzz: Schedule time for fun

Nashville Visitor Center.

ACDIS Director Brian Murphy, ACDIS Associate Director Melissa Varnavas, and myself all fly into Nashville this morning. Although we’ll be a bit blurry-eyed, we’ll stash our stuff in our respective hotel rooms and amble down to meet our conference coordinator Kathy Wilson and the rest of the staff to help stuff this year’s conference bags with collections of great materials. Although we will have our arms and heads full of to-do lists as we prepare for our two terrific preconference events, we hope that you’ll take advantage of all that Nashville has to offer.

This list isn’t all-inclusive but it should get you started planning your down time in Music City. We adapted it from the Nashville Visitor Information Center web site (www.visitmusiccity.com/Visitors/events/freenashville). Stop by the glass tower in the Bridgestone Arena at 5th Avenue and Broadway and talk to the staff. They have lots of brochures, a gift shop, and stage with props for a free photo op.

The much-awaited Music City Center (www.visitmusiccity.com/visitors/events/mccgrandopening) will celebrate its grand opening on May 19-20. Guests can enjoy a free open house featuring live local music on both days. Phil Vassar and Ten Out of Tenn will perform on the east plaza on Sunday, May 19. Sheryl Crow will headline the free street party and concert on Monday, May 20. The Time Jumpers featuring Vince Gill, Fisk Jubilee Singers, and Mikky Ekko will also perform, ending with a finale of fireworks.

Lower Broadway, around Fourth and Fifth avenues, is Nashville’s entertainment district which includes the Bridgestone Arena, our conference hotel, the Nashville Convention Center, and various honky tonk bars, including Robert’s Western World and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. The area is also called the Honky Tonk Highway. Honky tonks line both sides of Lower Broadway and pump live music into the streets all day, every day. There’s no cover charge but the tip jar gets passed for the musicians.

The Grand Ole Opry, at 2804 Opryland Drive, started as a radio broadcast and is now home to a

Take a tour.

weekly stage show with programs on Tuesday nights. Its first home was at the Ryman Auditorium (116 Fifth Avenue North). When the new venue was built, a large circle was cut out of the Ryman stage and placed into the stage at the Opryland site, so entertainers could stand on the same floor that countless musicians stood on through the years.

Gaylord Opryland Resort, at 2800 Opryland Drive, features nine acres of indoor gardens and waterfalls.

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, at 600 James Robertson Parkway, features a 200-foot granite map of the state, a walkway that meanders over its 95 counties, and 31 fountains representing the major rivers of Tennessee.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 5th Ave. South, features instrument demonstrations, dance lessons, musical petting zoos, letterpress art making, and more. If you plan to bring your little ones, children ages 5 and under get in for free.

For history lovers, visit Fort Nashborough, 170 1st Ave. North for a walk through the replica of the original settlement of Nashville on the banks of the Cumberland River, or visit Fort Negley, 1100 Fort Negley Blvd. where you can explore the largest inland masonry fort built during the Civil War.

In the round at the Bluebird Café, 4104 Hillsboro Pike, hosts weekly songwriter performances with no cover. Get an intimate performance with the unique no-stage setup from the people who have wrote the songs that you love the most.

Belle Meade

Belle Meade Plantation is a 30-acre historic site 6 miles west of Nashville. The mansion is the centerpiece of the estate and was built in 1853. The plantation grounds feature an art gallery, tours of the estate, and rotating Living History activities such as storytelling, period dance and demonstrations. Children under 5 are admitted free.

The second-ever North American exhibition of Light, a stunning outdoor art installation by acclaimed British artist Bruce Munro, opens May 24, at Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, at 1200 Forrest Park Dr.

Of course, if you have the opportunity, taking a tour of a distillery could also be an once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg is just over an hour’s drive from Nashville and the George Dickel Distillery in Tullahoma is just outside the city limits as well.

No matter what you decide to do, support our host city and make sure you schedule in some time to enjoy yourself.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the special conference edition of CDI Strategies.

Nashville Conference Buzz: Redefining malnutrition

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of posts showcasing speakers at the 6th Annual ACDIS

Trey La Charite will discuss new malnutrition criteria during the 6th Annual ACDIS Conference.

conference in Nashville, May 21-23. Trey La Charité, MD, and Jane White, PhD, RD, FADA, LDN, will kick off Track 1, Pathophysiology, on Tuesday, May 21, at 10:45 a.m., with the presentation “Understanding and implementing the new definition of malnutrition.”

ACDIS: Tell us how you got into CDI. 

TL: I was tired of running codes during my residency on other services’ patients who had been in the hospital for two weeks but nothing was written in the chart.  How do you successfully resuscitate a patient whom you know nothing about?  We do our patients a tremendous disservice when there is not adequate documentation of their medical state available.

ACDIS: What is biggest challenge preparing to speak for ACDIS and getting your topic ready? 

TL: Since lab values were suddenly considered inadequate for making the diagnosis of malnutrition, the biggest challenge, for us at our facility, was coming to the realization that we were probably never going to get a busy clinician to take the history or do the physical exam and assessment now required to capture the diagnosis.  Physicians will comply with a new directive if they perceive it as being time neutral to their daily routine.  Add something that is going to extend their day at the hospital and they are not likely going to cooperate.

ACDIS: How will your ACDIS presentation help attendees with obtaining the needed clinical documentation for malnutrition? 

TL: First, the lead author of the the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy) and the American Society for Parental and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) consensus statement which was publishes in May 2012 Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics will discuss why the new definition was needed and explain the exact components of it contains.

Then, we will give a detailed case example of how we were able to successfully implement the adoption of the new definition at an academic medical center.

ACDIS: Tell us something about yourself that we can share with ACDIS attendees?

TL: Before medical school, I went to graduate school and studied both Ichthyology (the study of fish) and Behavioral Ecology. My daughters and I have a 125-gallon fish tank that we stock only with fish that we catch in the local lakes, ponds, and streams.

ACDIS Note: Dr. La Charité,will also present the two-day pre-conference “The Physician Advisor’s Role in CDI: A collaborative approach for success,” with James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS.

CCDS Credential: Class of 2013 First Quarter

How many professionals from your state hold the CCDS certification?

Congratulations to the 91 people who earned the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist designation in the first quarter of 2013 (January through April). Of that number 15 were from Texas!

Click this link to see if you know anyone on the list. If you do, send them a congratulatory note!

There are currently 1,239 people who hold the CCDS. Here are the latest figures on just where the CCDS-ers are located:

• California leads the pack with more than 100.
• Texas and New York each have more than 80
• Florida has more than 75
• North Carolina has 60-plus
• Ohio has more than 50
• No one in Wyoming, North Dakota, or Nebraska holds the CCDS.

You might want to remember where you saw these numbers. There just might be a quiz at a future date!

Nashville Conference Buzz: Peek into quality improvement presentation

Editor’s Note: This is the third is a series of posts showcasing speakers and their sessions at the 6th

Tamara Hicks talks about how quality improvement efforts help her CDI program grow.

Annual ACDIS conference in Nashville, May 21-23.  On Tuesday, May 21, at 1:30 p.m., Tamara Hicks, RN, BSN, MHA, CCS, CCDS, ACM, and Melinda Matthews RN, BSN, CCDS, will discuss “Partnering with quality assurance: The impact of CDI on quality reporting.” ACDIS caught up with Hicks for the following interview.

ACDIS: Tell us a little about your background. 

TH: I got into CDI 14 years ago. I was looking to move away from bedside nursing.  I had worked for 15 years in a critical care step-down unit and had recently completed my bachelor’s degree, so I was looking to advance my career and do something new.  Little did I know, I was about to become part of something brand new!  I became part of the team that kicked off the clinical documentation management program at Wake Forest Baptist Health Winston-Salem, N.C., in 1999.  We were a team of seven, and covered only Medicare patients for the whole house. I learned very quickly how few programs there were like this in the country.  After a few months, it became obvious that we needed a team leader; I became that leader, and over time, the role evolved and I became the “coordinator.”

Over the next several years, we expanded the team and our scope to include all payers, reviewing for revenue enhancement as well as for severity of illness (SOI) and risk of mortality (ROM).  In 2007, I became the manager of care coordination with the documentation improvement team, utilization management, and a team of case managers and social workers reporting to me.

Since that time, the team has continued to grow and expand. There are now 19 clinical documentation consultants, three clinical documentation compliance coordinators, and one supervisor. We have been extremely successful in realizing improvements in documentation and coding, in improving capture of SOI and ROM for our hospital, and in collaborating with areas like quality to ensure appropriate reporting of profiling data for our institution.  I know that now, CDI is huge all over the country, but I also know that we have one of the most seasoned programs in the country, and I’m proud to be part of this team.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest challenge developing your topic and presentation?

TH: The biggest challenge was capturing a snapshot of this process because it is actually ongoing. We were required to submit our conference materials in February, and we weren’t even sure what the process would be at that point!

ACDIS: How will your ACDIS presentation help attendees with this topic? 

TH: I hope that the work we’ve done here will help other programs be able to do the same at their hospitals.

ACDIS: Tell us something about yourself that we can share with your future audience.

I was once in a community theater production of “Guys and Dolls.”  When my husband and I were dating (when in nursing school), he and his sister were involved in the theater.  I had seen him perform in “Camelot.”  They were casting “Guys and Dolls” and asked me to be a “Hot Box” dancer.  I’ve never been into drama or any type of performance art.  So this was a real stretch for me!  But I thoroughly enjoyed myself (not enough to ever do it again, but it was a great experience). I still know all the songs and most of the lines to “Guys and Dolls!”

ACDIS Note: Tamara says she has never been to Nashville and is looking forward to checking out a new city.

Nashville Conference Buzz: Sneak peek into ‘Yes SIRS, No SIRS’

Michelle Fournier presents ‘Yes SIRS, No SIRS’ at the 6th Annual ACDIS Conference in May.

Editor’s Note: This is the second post in a series of articles showcasing speakers at the 6th Annual ACDIS conference in Nashville, May 21-23. Michelle Fournier, RN, MN, presents “Sepsis and respiratory failure:Yes SIRS, No SIRS, and deep cleansing breaths,” on Wednesday, May 21 at 8 a.m.

ACDIS: Tell us a little about your background and how you got into CDI. 

MF: I retired from a 24-year career as an Army nurse and was working in the personal leadership arena. I served as a facilitator and coordinator for a 90-day goal achieving program. After 3 ½ years I  went looking for something back in the nursing arena. While attending a national critical care conference hosted by the American Association for Critical Care Nursing, I saw a ‘Be a Consultant’ banner at a J.A. Thomas booth. I was hired a month later, having no idea what a DRG or case mix index was, and now five years later, the rest is history.

ACDIS: What has been the biggest challenge in creating your presentation on SIRS?

MF: Getting everything I want to cover down to 50 or so slides. And certainly, getting my presentation together four months ahead of the conference.

ACDIS: How will your ACDIS presentation help attendees with this topic?

MF: It will help them understand the pathophysiology behind SIRS, sepsis, and respiratory gas exchange. My goal is that attendees will leave confident in knowing when to ask or not to ask for sepsis as a documentation clarification request.

ACDIS: Tell us something about yourself that we can share with your future audience.

MF: I joined the Army because of a cute guy named Kevin. I’m the co-author of a book “Freeing Godiva: A Woman’s Journey of Self-Empowerment.” When I was in the Army I jumped out of perfectly good airplanes and rappelled out of helicopters. I love to play golf.

ACDIS Note: That cute guy named Kevin is not longer part of Fournier‘s life. We say that’s his loss! She has never been to Nashville and is looking forward to the trip.

Applications for the CCDS paper-and-pencil exam due Thursday

Deadline for the paper-and pencil CCDS exam Thursday, May 25.

The annual paper and pencil seating of the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) exam takes place following the 6th Annual Conference in Nashville, on Thursday, May 23, at 1 p.m.

You must submit your application with your intent for this exam date and location to ACDIS Member Services Specialist Penny Richards by April 25. Email, fax and street address contact information is listed on the application. Click here to download the application.

Check the box for the Nashville location in Section 7 on page 2.

If you have already applied for but have not yet selected a date and time for your exam, you may opt in for the Nashville test, however, you must contact Penny Richards to put your name on the Nashville exam list. Walk-ins are not eligible.

Results of the paper-and-pencil exam will be available by mail four to six weeks after the exam date. For additional information, email prichards@cdiassociation.com.

Nashville Conference Buzz:Integrating CDI with EHR

Mark Dominesey

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles showcasing speakers at the 6th Annual ACDIS conference in Nashville, May 21-23. Mark Dominesey, RN, BSN, MBA, CCDS, CDIP, MCP, presents Integrating CDI processes with the EHR: Getting it right from the beginning,” on Tuesday, May 22 at 3:15 p.m., in Track 7, Leadership and Department Management.

ACDIS: Tell us a bit about your background and how you got into CDI.

MD: I was an IT specialist, IT trainer, and a systems administrator prior to becoming a nurse. After a few years as a bedside nurse and a house supervisor, I “stumbled” into CDI.  For my first CDI job I was hired to not only do CDI, but also to assist the IT department with HIM application integration into the EHR.  I learned that CDI fit my background and professional goals perfectly.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest challenge with your topic, “Integrating CDI processes with the EHR?

MD: Getting the various stakeholders to understand how important specificity is to medical documentation, and how work on the front-end can alleviate so much additional work after implementation.

ACDIS: How will your ACDIS presentation help attendees with this topic?

MD: They will hear practical information about how to engage the IT staff members and the clinicians in order to promote the importance of CDI principles in a new EHR implementation.  I’ll also offer best practices for interacting with the EHR.

ACDIS: If you’ve been to Nashville, what is the one “don’t miss this” recommendation for conference attendees?

MD: I spent three days of my honeymoon in Nashville. As someone who does not care for country music (shhhhh!), I was afraid that Nashville didn’t have a lot to offer me.  I was very surprised to find a cosmopolitan small city with a thriving higher education community.  Outdoor activities are plentiful as are cultural attractions.

ACDIS: Tell us something about yourself that we can share with your future audience.

MD: My wife and I have had six children in not quite 10 years of marriage (our oldest is 8 years old).  I’m restoring a vintage 1966 small camper and have more than 3,000 books categorized in my home library. My library holds my favorite books including:

• Nonfiction: “Good to Great” by Jim Collins
• Memoir: “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson
• Biography: “The Unfinished Presidency” by Douglas Brinkley
• Fiction: “The Silmarillion” By J.R.R. Tolkien

Superstar stories: Starting a multi-state chapter

By Sara Baine, MSN-Ed, CCDS

The Heartland ACDIS Chapter started out slowly as we looked to encompass a 50-mile radius covering two local hospitals.  Our CDI program was young, just 1.5 years. We decided to expand and reach out to  hospitals within a 150-200 mile radius and contacted  case management and health information management departments.  We explained what we were trying to do, and invited CDI/CM/coders/QM staff to a “meet and greet.” A few people turned out but we continued to receive email interest for a regional local chapter.

We searched the web and found Anymeeting.com to host our web-based meetings. We are making plans to meet local chapter members at the national conference in Nashville in May, and are hoping to plan a leadership traveling “meet and greet” with each local members’ facilities this year.

Since our beginning, our membership has grown from  15 to 45 members. We are very proud and excited to be learning and sharing our CDI experiences.

Editor’s Note: Baine is a documentation specialists at Southeast HEALTH   Cape Girardeau, Mo., and the president of the Heartland ACDIS Chapter which includes CDI staff from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Visit the chapter at their website or visit the Local Chapter on the ACDIS website.

This post is part of our ongoing “CDI Superstar Stories” series which asks members to explain what it takes to be an exemplary CDI specialist. To share advice of your own, email Penny Richards at prichards@cdiassociation.com and include “Superstar Stories” in the subject line.

April 25 deadline for Nashville CCDS exam

Deadline to register for the paper-and-pencil exam in Nashville is April 25.

The annual paper and pencil seating of the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) exam takes place following the 6th Annual Conference in Nashville, on Thursday, May 23, at 1 p.m.

You must submit your application with your intent for this exam date and location to ACDIS Member Services Specialist Penny Richards by April 25. Email, fax and street address contact information is listed on the application. Click here to download the application. Check the box for the Nashville location in Section 7 on page 2.

If you have already applied for but have not yet selected a date and time for your exam, you may opt in for the Nashville test, however, you must contact Penny Richards to put your name on the Nashville exam list. Walk-ins are not eligible. Results of the paper-and-pencil exam will be available by mail four to six weeks after the exam date. For additional information, email prichards@cdiassociation.com.

Conference early bird deadline nears: Start planning your Nashville visit now

This morning I received an email from a member who wanted more information about the agenda for the Sixth Annual ACDIS Conference in Nashville May 21-23. She was excited and wanted to plan a get-together with other members from her state attending the conference. We love such excitement and enthusiasm.

Her question prompted me to think about the day-to-day flow of the conference so I thought I’d share a few tid-bits.

Registration/discounts

First, it isn’t too early to register. In fact, early-bird registration ends on Monday, March 18. You should also reserve your rooms as soon as possible, especially if you plan to arrive early or extend your stay to take advantage of the long Memorial Day weekend. While ACDIS does have a number of rooms reserved for conference attendees, these quickly sell out. Weekend days are difficult to get.

If you are a member of a local chapter reach out to your chapter leader. We encourage chapter members to register together if possible to take advantage of the group discount. You may even want to consider bunking together to save on hotel costs. For additional information, email Al Occhipinti at aocchipinti@cdiassociation.com.

Conference planning

There are two pre-conferences: The ICD-10 Boot Camp for CDI Specialists and The Physician Advisor’s Role in CDI which both take place Sunday, May 19 through Monday, May 20.

Monday evening, while everyone arrives in Nashville and prepares for an intensive conference, we hope that local chapter leaders will plan after-hours events to welcome their compatriots.

The conference starts Tuesday morning, May 21 and will be a full-day that starts at 8 a.m. Similarly, Wednesday, May 22, will be a full day. Thursday, May 23 is a half-day—the conference will wrap up at 11:30 a.m. For the complete agenda visit the conference website. Be sure to talk over your schedule with your manager, coworkers, and fellow chapter members. Divide and conquer, sharing notes about what you’ve learned to get the most from your conference attendance.

Don’t forget to wear your ACDIS purple and orange on Day 1 and you local sports team paraphernalia on Day 2. As is our tradition, we will introduce the CDI Professional of the Year and other award winners at the luncheon on Tuesday and have our Local Chapter event and lunch on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday morning for the adventurous I’ll invite anyone who wants to accompany me on an early morning walk-about.

Don’t forget, this year’s conference is expanded to three days! So, on Day 3 be ready for more education sessions and an opportunity to take the paper-and-pencil Certified Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CCDS) exam.

What will you do to round out your fabulous ACDIS-in-Nashville experience?