All Entries in the "Local Chapters – Networking Groups" Category

May meetings and June plans for local events

Maryland: The MDHIMA hosts its meeting 1-5 p.m., Thursday, May 3, at the Convention Center in Baltimore. The

Attendees of the April Dallas, TX, ACDIS meeting.

agenda features ACDIS Advisory Board member Robert S. Gold, MD, and discussion of CDI-related efforts including:

Getting Medical Staff Interested in ICD-10
Metrics of CDI
Writing Effective Queries

For information, visit http://www.mdhima.org/ContactUs.html.

Alabama: The first ACDIS Alabama Chapter meeting takes place Friday, May 11, 10 a.m., at Capstone Village Retirement Community in Tuscaloosa. Breakfast and lunch will be served for $15 for those who RSVP. For information, contact Kim S. Murphy at 205/759-7371 or email kmurphy@dchsystem.com.

West Virginia: The newly formed West Virginia ACDIS Chapter holds its first meeting Monday, May 14, at 1 p.m., at CAMC Hospital in Charleston. For information, contact Sheila Harrison at 304/389-0689 or email Sheila.Harrison@camc.org.

Washington: The Evergreen (WA) ACDIS Chapter hosts a teleconference meeting Tuesday, May 15, 8-9 a.m. For information, contact Jennifer Woodworth at 206/215-2073 or email Jennifer.Woodworth@swedish.org.

Massachusetts: The Boston, MA AAPC Chapter hosts a CDI-related event Wednesday, May 16. Click on this link to learn more or to register.

Virginia: The VA ACDIS Chapter holds its spring meeting Saturday, May 19, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. Agenda includes:

Networking, open items, discussion
Presentation by 3M regarding Potentially Preventable Complications
Lunch and networking
ACDIS 2012 Conference recap
Credentials for the CDI specialist: CCDS vs. CDIP
CDI specialists in the IT department: Interaction with EHR design and implementation
Business wrap-up

RSVP by Friday, May 11, for lunch. For information, contact meeting host Mark N. Dominesey at 202/660-6782 or email mdominesey@sibley.org. Those interested in additional chapter information can sign up for the Virginia ACDIS Yahoo group! http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/VA_ACDIS/

Connecticut: The CT ACDIS Chapter holds its meeting Thursday, May 24, 9-10:30 a.m., at the Hospital of Central Connecticut Bradley Memorial Campus. There will be a discussion of lessons learned during the 2012 ACDIS National Conference. For information, call MaryAnn Shanley at 860/714-1261 or email mshanley@stfranciscare.org.

Kentucky/Illinois: The next session of the Kentucky/Illinois ACDIS Chapter will be Thursday, May 24, 1-4 p.m., at St. Mary’s and Elizabeth Hospital in Louisville, KY. For information, contact Rita Fields at or email rita.fields@BHSI.COM.

June meetings

Florida: The Florida ACDIS meeting will be held on Friday, June 1, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Jupiter (FL) Medical Center. Reservations requested by May 23 to Iris at 561/263-5783. For additional information, visit the Florida ACDIS Chapter website at http://flacdis.org/ or its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/acdisflorida.

Texas: The Austin/San Antonio ACDIS Chapter holds its first meeting Tuesday, June 5, at the University Medical Center Brackenridge in Austin. For information, contact Barbara Presley at 512/324-7679 or email bapresley@seton.org.

Georgia: The next meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the Association of Clinical Documentation Specialists will be Friday, June 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, GA. For information, contact Bonnie I. Epps at 404/712-4550 or email Bonnie.Epps@emoryhealthcare.org. Visit the Southeast Regional ACDIS Chapter Facebook page for announcements and other information.

Heartland: The new Heartland ACDIS Chapter (encompassing the region where MO, IL, KY, TN, and AR meet) will host its first annual meeting HealthPoint Plaza in Cape Girardeau, MO, on Friday, June 22, 5-7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. For information, contact Sara Baine at 573/331-6932 or email sbaine@SEhealth.org.

Save the date

Kentucky/Southern IN: The KY and IN ACDIS Chapters will host a combined Regional Chapter Meeting on Thursday, August 23, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Columbus Regional Hospital. For information, contact Susan Bradford at 317/776-7285 or email sbradford@riverview.org.

May 01, 2012 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 0

More than a dozen opportunities to learn locally this spring

Texas: The state-wide TX ACDIS group holds its annual meeting Friday, April 6, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at KPMG Building in Dallas. The agenda includes:

Registration and networking
Chapter Business Meeting
The Importance of Capturing Shock in the ICU Setting, Cindy Pritchett
Lunch
IPPS and ICD 10: What the future holds, Beverly Cunningham
Value Based Purchasing, Scott Robins, MD
Networking, Q&A

For information, contact Joanne Dukes at 972/566-5526 or email joanne.dukes@hcahealthcare.com.

New Orleans: The NOLA ACDIS Chapter holds its next meeting on April 11, 4-6 p.m., at Semolina’s restaurant in Metairie, LA. For information, email Melissa Mayer melissamayer@ejgh.org.

Indiana: The Central Indiana Chapter is gearing up for its next meeting Wednesday, April 11, 10 a.m. to noon, with featured speaker Nancy Ignatowicz presenting “CDI Success: How Do You Measure It?” For information, contact Susan Bradford at 317/776-7285 or by email at sbradford@riverview.org.

PHIMA: The Pennsylvania AHIMA group holds a CDI-related education session on Friday, April 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Wesley Village Conference Area, in Pittston. The agenda includes:

Continental Breakfast
Physician Buy In for your CDI Program, David McCann, director, Berkeley Research Group, LLC
Physician Leadership and CDI Initiatives, Herbert Weinman, MD, president, BCE Technology
CDI Programs: Why you Need One, Make it Successful, and Justify It, Mario A. Perez, III, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P director, clinical consulting, J.A. Thomas & Associates
Lunch
Roundtable Discussion: CDI Programs Implementation and Use, AHIMA CDI Tool Kit
Review of Documentation Requirements for Optimal Reimbursement, Caroline Rader Znaniec, manager, Health Care Advisory Services, Grant Thornton, LLP

For information, email Eve Ellen Mandler at Eve-Ellen.Mandler@stclair.org.

Nevada: The next Southern Nevada ACDIS meeting will be on Wednesday, April 18, at 5:30 p.m. Guest speaker Karen Zaninovich Parker, RHIT, 3M Health Information Services consulting, will discuss how CDI specialists can begin ICD-10 documentation improvement now. She is making a special trip from Utah to join the Nevada ACDIS Chapter group. Attendees are invited to bring a brown-bag dinner. Admission is free. RSVP to Ailsa Kompare by April 16 at 702/343-7232 or email ailsa.kompare@kindredhealthcare.com.

Tennessee: The TN ACDIS and the THIMA host a joint session Friday, April 20, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., focused on ICD-10 and the CDI program development. The agenda includes:

ICD-10 and Beyond: The changing world of classification systems, Kathy Hallock, RHIA
CDI from a Physician’s Perspective, Drew Rothschild, MD
Best Practices for CDI Programs: Practical advice for improving or creating a successful program, Kyra Brown, RHIA, CCS
What you should be doing now to prepare for ICD-10: How you can help your physicians improve documentation practices now, James Kennedy, MD, CCS
Working lunch: HCA’s Approach to CDI.
Group work: groups will choose a diagnosis or procedure where documentation must drastically change to support ICD-10 coding. The groups will discuss ways to improve documentation practices relative to those situations. In the second half of the group work session participants will discuss how to propose and justify a CDI program to hospital administrations.
Reports from group work and open forum

Registration is $120. Online registration closes at the end of the business day on Tuesday, April 17th.
Click here to register. For information contact, Wanda M. Johnson executive director, TN Health Information Management Association, Nashville, at 615/242-7275 or email wanda@thima.org.

Michigan: The MACDIS Chapter will hold its quarterly telephone conference call on Thursday, April 19, noon to 1 p.m. The guest speaker is ACDIS Advisory Board member Fran Jurcak, RN, MSN, CCDS, director of CDI Practice for Huron Healthcare in Chicago. She will discuss ICD-10, goals/objectives of a CDI program, CDI staff productivity standards, leading queries,and the benefits of the CCDS certification.

The July MACDIS conference call is in its planning stages. The October quarterly meeting will be a joint regional meeting in collaboration with the Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Northern Illinois, ACDIS associations.

For more information, contact Janet Gentle at 231/487-7509 or email jgentle@northernhealth.org.

New York: The next Albany, NY-regional ACDIS meeting will be held Wednesday, April 25, 2-4 p.m., at the Krause Center at Samaritan Hospital in Troy. For information, contact Lois Rubin at 518/525-1081 or email LRubin@sphcs.org.

Illinois: The next Northern Illinois ACDIS meeting will be held on Friday, April 27, 12:45 p.m., at Centegra Hospital, in McHenry. For information, contact Colleen Stukenberg at 815/599-6820, or email CStukenberg@fhn.org.

Maryland: The MDHIMA hosts its meeting 1-5 p.m., Thursday, May 3, at the Convention Center in Baltimore. The agenda features ACDIS Advisory Board member Robert S. Gold, MD, and discussion of CDI-related efforts including:

Getting Medical Staff Interested in ICD-10”
Metrics of CDI
Writing Effective Queries

For information, visit http://www.mdhima.org/ContactUs.html.

April 03, 2012 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 6

Update: Local Chapter meetings

There are few upcoming meetings I wanted to bring to your attention.

First, the FL ACDIS Chapter meets tomorrow, Saturday, March 17, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Regional Medical Center, Bayonet Point, in Hudson. The agenda includes:

Pastries and coffee, donated by Panera Bread, and registration/opening comments
George Klimis discussion of “The Road to Outpatient CDI”
Dr. Mark Michelman Q&A: “Ask a Physician: Clinical Questions from the Florida Chapter ACDIS Membership”
Lunch, featuring homemade corned beef and cabbage and sandwiches from Publix (mint chocolate brownies and Irish crème cake for dessert)
Sylvia Hoffman presentation titled “Keeping the Wolf at Bay: Query Compliance and Risk Reduction.”

There will be five raffle baskets themed:

Quality Time with Your Pet
Sweet Treats
Time to Garden Gift
Relaxing Over Spring Break
Leprechaun’s Delight

One lucky raffle winner will earn money towards their ACDIS Conference attendance expenses.

The meeting’s game will be in a Family Feud format with limericks regarding predetermined diagnoses likely to represent those patients. The teams will try to guess the diagnoses and receive a shamrock coin for each correct guess. The team with the most shamrocks wins St. Patrick’s Day-themed prizes.

For more information about the Florida ACDIS Chapter, visit its website http://flacdis.org/.

Next, I wanted to share the following thoughts written by Judi Bates, RN, BSN, CCDS, CDI specialist at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, NJ, who has teamed up with Debby Dallen, RN, clinical documentation coordinator at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, to host the first Philadelphia regional CDI networking meeting. Excited about the event which which will be held Thursday, March 22, 8-10:30 a.m., at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Bates writes:

“Nothing grows in a vacuum. With that thought in mind a new networking group will have their first meeting on Thursday, March 22. The ACDIS website is a great way to collaborate via e-mail/CDI Talk and the ACDIS Blog. For some, that little bit of networking is all they need. But I am excited about being able to go to an ACDIS local chapter meeting, where we can share and learn in a face-to-face venue. Whether our gathering proves to be big or small, I know this forum will be a catalyst to solving problems and working efficiently.

“The purpose of an organized meeting in the local area is to share; share the good, bad, and ugly of our profession. Actually I hope that when we do gather next week, our discussions will mostly be about the positive aspects of our jobs and that when we do discuss problem areas that we may help one another through our CDI growing pains. I am looking forward to talking with like-minded people, people who won’t give me that quizzical look when I tell them my title is CDI specialist.

“When I started as a CDI specialist more than three years ago, it didn’t take long before I was curious to see how other people did this job. I also wanted to pick people’s brains about what didn’t work and what did at their facilities. Efficiency is the name of the game, after all. That was when I began chatting with many individuals via ACDIS, one of which is the co-chair of this group, Deb Dallen.

“Our paths have crossed a few times over the years but it wasn’t until ACDIS Associate Director Melissa Varnavas suggested we start this group that we got together. So we are hoping to have lots of CDI specialists join us next week. We hope you’ll come with great ideas and positive energy to spark the potential for improvements in world of CDI in this area.

“Membership to ACDIS is not mandatory, so if you know someone who doesn’t belong and is interested, bring them along. You can find all the information you need under the tab ‘Local Chapters’.”

Bates and Dallen say that the first meeting will be informal and informational in nature featuring a meet-and-greet and open networking discussion. RSPV to Judi Bates via e-mail at Batesj@lourdesnet.org, or by phone at 856/757-3161. Or contact, Debby Dallen at dallend@einstein.edu, or by phone at 215/456-8902.

As a reminder, the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Minnesota ACDIS Chapters all also meet in the coming weeks. Like Judi, we know how valuable these local networking events can be. Frequently, they present an inexpensive way to stay informed on important CDI-related topics, and to learn from others’ experiences.

You can find a list of meeting information in a previous ACDIS Blog post or by visiting the Chapter Meeting tab under the Local Meetings section of the ACDIS website.

March 16, 2012 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 0

Several new CDI networking groups want your support.

New Networking Efforts

Alabama: Inspired by attending networking meetings in Georgia and Tennessee, CDI specialist Margaret Stephens, RN, MSN, CCDS, from Huntsville (AL) Hospital hopes to gather CDI-related professionals closer to home to share best practices. For information, contact her at margaret.stephens@hhsys.org.

Children’s/NICU network: ACDIS is developing a special networking group for CDI professionals working in children’s hospitals or looking to expand their current CDI program efforts to cover pediatric or neonatal intensive care units (NICU). For information, contact ACDIS Associate Director Melissa Varnavas at mvaranvas@cdiassociation.com.

Missouri: Sara Baine, MSN-Ed, CDI specialist at SoutheastHEALTH in Cape Girardeau, MO, hopes to gather CDI professionals from the intersection of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee. For information, contact her at 573/331-6932 or e-mail sbaine@SEhealth.org.

Nebraska: Cindy Lungrin and Michelle Clyne from Catholic Health hope to gather interested professionals for networking purposes via telephone conference. For information, contact ACDIS Associate Director Melissa Varnavas at mvaranvas@cdiassociation.com.

Rochester, NY: Ruth Pfrengle, BSN, RN, director of utilization management at the University of Rochester Medical Center, volunteered to help facilitate networking opportunities in the region. For information, contact her at 585/273-3816 or e-mail ruth_pfrengle@urmc.rochester.edu.

Texas: Barbara Presley, RN, CDI specialist at the University Medical Center Brackenridge in Austin volunteered to help professionals from the San Antonio/Austin area to network. For information, contact her at 512/324-7679 or e-mail baPresley@seton.org.

Vermont: Suzanne Schultz, RN, BSN, CCM, CCDS, CDI specialist at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, volunteered to connect CDI professionals in the state. For information, contact her at 802/847-2140 or e-mail suzanne.schultz@vtmednet.org.

Washington: The Evergreen ACDIS Chapter of Northwest Washington seeks new volunteers to help lead the group in 2012. For information, contact Jennifer Woodworth, RN, BSN, CCDS, director of CDI at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle by phone at 206/215-2073 or e-mail Jennifer.Woodworth@swedish.org. Or contact Cathie Murphree, LPN, CCDS, Documentation Improvement Specialist/HIM, at St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, at 360/788-6300 ext. 3429 or e-mail CMurphree@peacehealth.org.

West Virginia: Sheila Harrison, RN, BSN, CDI specialist at the Charleston Area Medical Center, Teays Valley Division, volunteered to help get networking efforts started in the state. For information, contact her at 304/389-0689 or e-mail Sheila.Harrison@camc.org.

March meetings

Long Island, NY: St. Francis Hospital hosts the next networking meeting 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, For information, contact Adelaide M. La Rosa at 516/562-6229 or e-mail Adelaide.LaRosa@chsli.org.

Connecticut: The CT ACDIS Chapter holds its next meeting 1:30-3 p.m., Thursday, March 8, at The Hospital of Central Connecticut, Bradley Memorial Campus, in Southington. Discussion will focus on how CDI staff can audit their efforts to demonstrate program success. Participants should read the ACDIS White Paper “Audit your CDI program to avoid pitfalls,” prior to the meeting. The group will also discuss how to incorporate PEPPER analysis into CDI program focus areas. Participants should also review the ACDIS Journal article “Put PEPPER to Proper Use.” For information, contact MaryAnn Shanley at 860/714-1261 or e-mail mshanley@stfranciscare.org.

Tennessee: The next TN-ACDIS meeting will be held at Baptist Hospital in Nashville 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, March 16, featuring keynote speaker Trey LaCharite, MD, clinical asistant professor, physician advisor for CDI and Coding at University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. To RSVP, e-mail james.wilson@baptisthospital.com. For more information, contact Sherri Clark at 865/804-6561 or e-mail SClark@mc.utmck.edu.

Florida: The FL ACDIS Chapter hosts its first quarter meeting 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17, at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, in Hudson. The agenda includes:

9-10 a.m.: Pastries and registration
10-11 a.m.: George Klimis; “The Road to Outpatient CDI.”
11-11:15 a.m.: Break
11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Mark Michelman, MD; “Ask a Physician-Clinical: Questions from the Florida Chapter ACDIS Membership.”
12:15-1:15 p.m.: Lunch and networking
1:15-2:15 p.m.: A CDI game of diagnoses; “When Irish Eyes Aren’t Smiling.” Prizes for the winning team.
2:15-2:30 p.m.: Break
2:30-3:30 p.m.: Sylvia Hoffman; “Keeping the Wolf at Bay: Query Compliance and Risk Reduction.”

Nearby hotels include the Hampton Inn & Suites in New Port Richey. RSVP to Charrington “Charlie” Morell by phone at 727/819-2929 ext., 2252, or by e-mail at Charrington.Morell@hcahealthcare.com.

Philadelphia, PA: The first meeting of the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey ACDIS Chapter will be held 8-10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 22, at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, in Camden, NJ. The first meeting will be informal and informational in nature featuring a meet-and-greet and open networking discussion. RSPV to Judi Bates via e-mail at Batesj@lourdesnet.org, or by phone at 856/757-3161. Or contact, Debby Dallen at dallend@einstein.edu, or by phone at 215/456-8902.

North Carolina: The NC ACDIS Chapter holds its first meeting of 2012 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, March 22, at Cone Health System in Greensboro. The agenda includes:

9-9:45 a.m.: NC ACDIS Chapter Business meeting
10-11:30 a.m.: Donald A. Butler, RN, BSN, 2011 CDI Professional of the Year; “Audit Your CDI Program to Avoid Pitfalls.”
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Lunch
12:15-1:15 p.m.: Linda Lucas, LCSW, CEAP; “Taking Care of You.”
1:30-3 p.m.: Doreen Ireland, VP of Consulting for JA Thomas.

Admission is $40. To register, e-mail Brenda.Harris@carolinashealthcare.org or call 336/832-7000 or visit www.ncacdis.org.

South Carolina: The SC ACDIS Chapter meeting will be held 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, March 23, at Greenville (SC) Hospital System. The agenda includes:

10:30-11 a.m.: SC ACDIS Business Meeting.
11-11:45 a.m.: Speaker, TBD.
Noon to 2 p.m.: Working lunch featuring ACDIS Audio-on-Demand.
2-2:45 p.m.: Cathy Lips, CCS, Coding Educator; “Encephalopathy and the CDI Struggle.”
3-3:30 p.m.: Open networking, closing statements and discussion.

RSVP to Nita Seel at Jseel@ghs.org, or for additional information contact, Rebecca “Ali” Williams, RN, BSN, CCDS, manager, documentation integrity at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center rawilliams@srhs.com.

Minnesota: The monthly MN ACDIS Chapter meeting will be held 1-2 p.m., Wednesday, March 28. For dial-in instructions, contact Mark LeBlanc, RN, MBA, CCDS, Clinical Documentation Manager-HIM, at Hennepin County Medical Center, at 612/873-9376 or e-mail Mark.LeBlanc@hcmed.org.

Upcoming events

Texas: The state-wide TX ACDIS group holds its annual meeting 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday, April 6, at KPMG Building in Dallas. The agenda includes:

9 a.m.: Registration and networking
10 a.m.: Chapter Business Meeting
11 a.m.: Cindy Pritchett; “The Importance of Capturing Shock in the ICU Setting”
Noon: Lunch
1 p.m.: Beverly Cunningham; “IPPS and ICD 10: What the future holds”
2 p.m.: Scott Robins, MD; “Value Based Purchasing”
3 p.m.: Networking, Q&A

For information, contact Joanne Dukes, RN, BSN, MS, CDI Supervisor at HCA Healthcare, in Dallas at 972/566-5526 or by e-mail at joanne.dukes@hcahealthcare.com.

Tennessee: The TN ACDIS and the THIMA host a joint session 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, April 20, location to-be-decided, focused on ICD-10 and the CDI program development. The agenda includes:

8:30 a.m.: Registration
9-9:30 a.m.: Kathy Hallock, RHIA; “ICD-10 and Beyond: The changing world of classification systems.”
9:30-10 a.m.: Drew Rothschild, MD; “CDI from a Physician’s Perspective.”
10:15-11 a.m.: Kyra Brown, RHIA, CCS; “Best Practices for CDI Programs: Practical advice for improving or creating a successful program.”
11-11:45 a.m.: James Kennedy, MD, CCS; “What you should be doing now to prepare for ICD-10: How you can help your physicians improve documentation practices now.”
Noon to 1 p.m.: Working lunch; HCA’s approach to CDI.
1-1:45 p.m.: Group work; groups will choose a diagnosis or procedure where documentation must drastically change to support ICD-10 coding. The groups will discuss ways to improve documentation practices relative to those situations. In the second half of the group work session participants will discuss how to propose and justify a CDI program to hospital administrations.
2-3 p.m.: Sharing and learning; Reports from group work and open forum.

For information contact, Wanda M. Johnson, RHIT, executive director, TN Health Information Management Association, Nashville, at 615/242-7275 or e-mail wanda@thima.org.

Maryland: The MDHIMA hosts its meeting 1-5 p.m., Thursday, May 3, at the Convention Center in Baltimore. The agenda features ACDIS Advisory Board member Robert S. Gold, MD, and discussion of CDI-related efforts including:

“Getting your medical staff interested in ICD-10”
“Metrics of CDI”
“Writing Effective Queries”

For information, visit http://www.mdhima.org/ContactUs.html.

March 05, 2012 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 3

Summary of Wisconsin February meeting

The Wisconsin Chapter of ACDIS held its Winter Chapter Meeting on Saturday, February 18^th in Wauwatosa, with 45 members in attendance. The keynote speaker was Dr. Jessica Whitley, a currently practicing hospitalist who also operates an active clinical documentation educational practice geared towards physician-to-physician education. Dr. Whitley presentation, titled “A Clinical Perspective on Chart Review and Diagnoses Assignment from a QIO Reviewer’s Perspective” reinforced concepts of clinical validation of diagnosis selection through use of an actual case study resulting in alternate principal diagnosis selection. Other presentations included “CDI’s Impact on the Recovery Audit Contractor Initiative-Capitalizing Upon Our Strengths to Minimize Hospital Financial Exposure,” and “You Don’t Know About Principles of Multiple Significant Trauma is What You Don’t Know!”

The WI ACDIS Chapter’s next monthly teleconference is scheduled for March 29^th and plans are being made to organize a Fall Meeting. Contact Glenn Krauss at glennkrauss@earthlink.net for additional information about chapter activities.

February 29, 2012 | Glenn Krauss | Comments 0

Early on the Florida ACDIS Chapter developed its own logo.

By Kimberly A. Richert, RN, CCDS

I started the Florida ACDIS Chapter back in 2009. There were only 15 chapters in the country then. Now there are nearly 40. At the time I was a lead CDI specialist for Morton Plant Mease (MPM) Healthcare system in Clearwater, Fl. After attending my first ACDIS conference that spring in Las Vegas, I knew I had to get the CDI specialists and programs in our state involved. After attending that first conference, I realized that our area of expertise (CDI) was BIG and that it was only going to get BIGGER.

There was great support from our upper management in the Morton Plant Mease Hospital which allowed us to move forward with our dream. (Thank You, Clare Garrard, RN, DSN, manager of the CDI department, for allowing this to happen!) The CDI team at MPM’s Clearwater facility started making phone calls to other local facilities to see if they had anyone of this specialty in their system. It turned out that Tampa General’s CDI program was up, trying to run with the CDI concept, and form their department. A few more phone calls and we found CDI teams at St. Anthony’s hospital in St. Petersburg and Tampa General Hospital.

We had enough interested participants to hold a meeting and form the Florida ACDIS Chapter. We held our inaugural meeting at my facility. There were 17 participants from diverse backgrounds including RNs, coders, and physicians. Click on this link to listen to that meeting in its entirety.

After that we formalized our structure and elected a president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer. Now our

Several participants in an ACDIS Florida Chapter meeting donned floppy hats to celebrate the Kentucky Derby.

membership has increased to nearly 100 participants from all over our great state. We hold quarterly conferences that typically take place on either a Friday or a Saturday at a different host facility each time. We have held meetings as far north as the Florida panhandle at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola and as far south as Jupiter, at the Jupiter Medical Center. We typically decide on a “meeting theme” to add to the enjoyment of the event. Participants have enjoyed wearing hats for “Kentucky Derby Day,” masks for Halloween, even grass skirts for a luau.

While our chapter members like to enjoy themselves, our main purpose is to provide a collegial venue for networking, a space to provide information and education to the CDI specialists and related professions working in the Florida region. Our goal is to provide a cohesive bond between CDI specialists in diverse hospitals and clinical settings throughout Florida and provide advocacy for the CDI role. Since its inaugural meeting, we have been fortunate enough to offer presentations regarding RAC efforts, denials, transition to ICD-10, compliant query creation, electronic queries, and so much more.

In the beginning, there was no nationally recognized credential on which we could tout our experience and expertise in the CDI role. Since the creation of the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) credential, however, most of the Florida ACDIS members have become certified. Congratulations to those who now have the CCDS behind their names! We are so proud of you!

And big kudos to all of you who have helped to start and sustain this wonderful chapter. Thank you, to those who continue to support this chapter throughout each year. You are the ones who keep us going.

As our Florida ACDIS Chapter grows we hope to keep communication open between individuals working in this new and expanding field and to have the collaboration with all other departments involved. We hope to see you out on the floors or at one of our upcoming meetings!

Editor’s Note: For information about the Florida ACDIS Chapter visit its website at http://flacdis.org/ or visit the Local Chapter page on the ACDIS National site www.acdis.org.

February 15, 2012 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 0

Central Indiana Chapter chooses leaders

By Susan Bradford, RN, BSN

Central Indiana ACDIS Chapter picks 2012 leadership team

I am pleased to announce the following people have accepted their nominations and will serve as the 2012 ACDIS Central Indiana Chapter officers:

President: Susan Bradford, RN, BSN
Current position and organization: Clinical Documentation Specialist, Riverview Hospital, Noblesville, IN.
Past positions and organizations: Operating room staff nurse, medical-surgical staff nurse, OB/labor and delivery charge nurse, case manager, lead case manager Marion General Hospital (MGH), in Marion, IN.
Education: Bachelor of Science in nursing, Ball State University, Muncie, IN.
Professional organization memberships: ACDIS member since 2009; participated on the executive leadership team of the Central Indiana ACDIS Chapter since January 2010.
Professional experience and attributes: I have 19 years of clinical experience as well as 10 years of experience in utilization review and case management. As the lead case manager, I served as a liaison between case management and IT core team. I represented case management in a hospital-wide process to gain Magnet recognition for nursing at MGH and served on a task force for rapid process change in case management. Currently, I’m the CDI specialist for a small 154-bed community hospital. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of implementing a CDI program along with learning and applying inpatient coding guidelines and processes. I strive to build collaborative relationships with the medical staff as well as quality improvement, case management and the revenue cycle team at my facility. I believe that a complete medical record which accurately reflects medical necessity and facilitates continuity of patient care is of the utmost importance in today’s healthcare climate.
Objectives and vision for 2012: I would like to continue to offer continuing education opportunities to the Central Indiana ACDIS Chapter membership, promote best practices, share resources, encourage collaboration, and facilitate networking of CDI professionals in Indiana. With regard to continuing education, one specific goal I have for 2012 is to pool our resources with the Kentucky/Southern Indiana Local Chapter to plan a larger combined chapter meeting offering prominent speakers addressing key CDI topics and issues.
Contact: sbradford@riverview.org

Vice President: Kathy Wilson, RN BA, BSN
Current Position and organization: CDI specialist, Community Health Network in Indianapolis.
Education: BSN, BA in education/English literature, HCPro Certified Coder Boot Camp® – Inpatient Version, HCPro Certified Coder Boot Camp®.
Professional organization memberships: ACDIS, Executive Women in Healthcare, AHIMA.
Professional experience and attributes: As the medical auditor/coding manager at All Children’s Hospital in St Petersburg, FL, I became aware of the urgent need for improved physician documentation in the medical record as this documentation directly related to the amount of reimbursement the hospital received from insurance payers. I began networking with other RN medical auditors and found a group of nurses from another hospital called documentation specialists. They had also just begun this journey and helped me tremendously to get such a program started at All Children’s. From this small group of dedicated nurses, one of the very first organizations of documentation improvement specialists began. I have been a CDI for the past six years taking my unique skill set to three different hospital organizations to teach them the importance of detailed and accurate physician documentation.
Objectives and vision for 2012: As the vice president of the local Central Indiana ACDIS Chapter my main objective is to support the elected president and serve in her absence. I am passionate about CDI specialists becoming recognized as professionals. Our unique knowledge is based on years of clinical expertise, an understanding of the relationship between documentation and revenue, and the ability to relate to physicians in a professional manner. In the coming year I would like to see our chapter become firmly established within the national ACDIS organization and eventually take the lead in seeking education and knowledge for CDI specialists.
Contact: kwilson4@ecommunity.com

Secretary: Angela Birch, RHIA
Current position and organization: Clinical documentation liaison in the CDI program at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis
Past positions and organizations: Revenue cycle solutions coordinator for CDI, inpatient coding supervisor, inpatient coding coordinator, inpatient coding coordinator-float coder, inpatient coder for Indiana University Health (formerly Clarian Health Partners); HIM services assistant director at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana.
Education: Bachelor of Science in health information and administration, Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis.
Professional organization memberships: AHIMA.
Professional experience and attributes: I have 11 years of experience in the health information profession in various inpatient coding and CDI positions. I have spent the last four years as a member of the CDI team at IU Health and in that role I use my many years of experience with coding and quality auditing to effectively contribute to the documentation improvement efforts at my organization. In my role as CDI liaison, I concurrently review inpatient medical records to identify potential opportunities for further clarification of diagnostic and procedural documentation and query medical staff when appropriate. I also provide education to physicians on CDI opportunities in formal and informal sessions and oriented and trained new CDI staff members. In addition, I audited inpatient medical records to assess accuracy of coded data and to identify potentially missed documentation opportunities and its impact on quality measures such as severity of illness and risk of mortality. I embrace new ideas and keep an open mind when encountering different opinions and thoughts. I love to teach others about what I know as much as I love to learn new things and take on new challenges and experiences.
Objectives and vision for 2012: I would like to incorporate more continuing education opportunities into our meeting times that would be applicable to as many certification areas as possible. I plan to keep everyone connected and informed about clinical documentation improvement efforts discussed within our local Central Indiana chapter and those at the national level.
Contact: abirch@iuhealth.org

Thank you to everyone who responded, special thanks to Angela Birch, who drafted the candidate bio form and to Carla Payne at Community Hospital East, who created our chapter web page to provide a safe and secure election as well as a forum for chapter communication. I appreciate their combined efforts and input to facilitate a fair election.

Editor’s Note: For more information about the Central Indiana ACDIS Chapter visit the Local Chapter tab on the ACDIS website, visit the ACDIS Blog, or e-mail Bradford at sbradford@riverview.org.

February 08, 2012 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 0

The Las Vegas, NV chapter at its first meeting in June 2011. Pictured above from left to right: Sharon Yens (Centennial Hills Hospital), Kathy Bird (Southern Hills Hospital), Karen Thorsteinson (St Rose Hospital – De Lima), Kathy Hurst (Kindred Hospital – Flamingo), Lori Mejia (Southwest Medical Associates), Sherry Siewers (DDCM Kindred Desert District), Sherry Shariff Hall (St Rose Hospital – Siena), and Marissa Schanbacher (Mountain View Hospital). Taking the photo: Ailsa Kompare (Kindred Las Vegas Market).

New networking groups

Philadelphia: The Philadelphia CDI network has new energy and is planning its first meeting for 2012. For information, contact Judi Bates at Lourdes Health System at 856/757-3161 or e-mail at BatesJ@lourdesnet.org. Or call Debby Dallen at Albert Einstein Medical Center at 856/786-0897 or e-mail dallend@einstein.edu.

Rochester, NY: Ruth Pfrengle, BSN, RN, director of utilization management at the University of Rochester Medical Center, has volunteered to help facilitate networking opportunities in the region. For information, contact 585/273-3816 or e-mail ruth_pfrengle@urmc.rochester.edu.

Texas: Barbara Presley, RN, CDI specialist at the University Medical Center Brackenridge in Austin has volunteered to help professionals from the San Antonio/Austin area to network. For information, contact her at 512/324-7679 or e-mail baPresley@seton.org.

Vermont: Suzanne Schultz, RN, BSN, CCM, CCDS, CDI specialist at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, has volunteered to connect CDI professionals in the state. For information, contact her at 802/847-2140 or e-mail suzanne.schultz@vtmednet.org.

Washington: The Evergreen ACDIS Chapter of Northwest Washington seeks new volunteers to help lead the group in 2012. For information, contact Jennifer Woodworth, RN, BSN, CCDS, director of CDI at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle by phone at 206/215-2073 or e-mail Jennifer.Woodworth@swedish.org. Or contact Cathie Murphree, LPN, CCDS, Documentation Improvement Specialist/HIM, at St. Joseph Medical Center, in Bellingham, at 360/788-6300 ext. 3429 or e-mail CMurphree@peacehealth.org.

West Virginia: Sheila Harrison, RN, BSN, CDI specialist at the Charleston Area Medical Center, Teays Valley Division, has volunteered to help get networking efforts started in the state. For information, contact 304/389-0689 or e-mail Sheila.Harrison@camc.org.

February meetings

New Hampshire: The next meeting will be held Wednesday, February 8, 1-2:30 p.m., at Elliot Hospital in Manchester. For information, contact Carla A. Heyn at 603/663-3452 or by e-mail at cheyn@Elliot-HS.org

Albany, NY: The Albany (NY) ACDIS Regional Chapter holds its next meeting Wednesday, February 8, 2-4 p.m., at St. Peter’s Hospital. The group will discuss documentation regarding acute renal failure. For information, contact Lois Rubin at 518/525-1081 or e-mail lrubin@sphcs.org.

Virginia: The next Virginia ACDIS Chapter meeting will be held Saturday, February 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 1222 Jefferson Park Ave., in Charlottesville. Each attending facility will present/discuss what works well in their facility and what needs improvements. There will also be a teleconference/webinar presentation by ACDIS Advisory Board member Glenn Krauss.

Continuing its “ACDIS gives back” tradition, UVA has decided to donate to The HAVEN, a safe and welcoming place for the homeless in our community. Donations can range from warm items such as gloves, hats, or scarves to nonperishable food. A complete list can be obtained at www.thehavenatfirstandmarket.org/give/. For information, contact Sequana Webb 434/760-4491 or e-mail sck8u@virginia.edu.

Wisconsin: Will hold its winter meeting Saturday, February 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Wheaton Franciscan Health Care, in Wauwatosa. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. CCDS and AHIMA credits will be offered. The meeting agenda includes:

“A Clinical Perspective on Chart Review and Diagnoses Assignment: A QIO Reviewer’s Perspective,” by Jessica Whitley, MD, MBA, hospitalist and QIO reviewer.
“CDI’s Impact on the Recovery Audit Contractor Initiative: Capitalizing on our Strengths to Minimize Hospital Financial Exposure,” by Diane Draize, RN, CPUR, CCDS, CDI specialist at Ministry Health, and Joan Korn, BSN, RN, CDI specialist at Wheaton Franciscan Health Care.
“What You Don’t Know About Principles of Multiple Significant Trauma is What You Don’t Know!,” by Kathy Thomas, RN, CDI specialist at Wheaton Franciscan Health Care, and Renee Hedtcke, RN, CCDS, at Aurora Summit Medical Center
Open Discussion/Roundtable: Opportunities for CDI Initiatives in the Ambulatory Care environment as well as inpatient setting beyond reimbursement

Deadline to register is Sunday, February 12. Registration is $25 for WI ACDIS members; $50 non-members.

For information, contact Kathy Thomas, RN, at Wheaton Franciscan Health Care, kathleen.Thomas@wfhc.org; Renee Hedtcke, RN, CCDS, at Aurora Health Care, renee.hedtcke@aurora.org; Diane Draize from Ministry Door County Medical Center Sturgeon Bay at diane.draize@ministryhealth.org, Joan Korn from Wheaton Franciscan St. Francis in Milwaukee at joan.korn@wfhc.org, or Glenn Krauss, independent consultant, glennkrauss@earthlink.net.

N. Illinois: The next meeting will take place on Thursday, February 16, from noon to 3:30 p.m., at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. The agenda includes:

Participation in the ACDIS Quarterly Conference Call
Presentation by Maralee Gray, BSN, CDI specialist at Rockford Memorial Hospital regarding “CDIS and ICD-10 Crossing Over: How to Safely Make it to the Other Side”
Presentation by Karolee Fill, MSN, APN-CNP, at Northwest Community Hospital regarding “Basic Review of Echocardiography in the Heart Failure population”

For information, contact Nancy R. Ignatowicz at 815/806-2322 or e-mail nancy.ignatowicz@provena.org. Or contact Colleen Stukenberg MSN, RN, CMSRN, CCDS, at 815/599-6820, or e-mail CStukenberg@fhn.org.

California: The California ACDIS Chapter holds its regular meeting the fourth Wednesday of the month, February 22, 9-10 a.m. Those interested in volunteering to help lead the chapter are invited to step forward at this time. For information, contact Dexter D’Costa at 573/529-1791 or e-mail dr_dexterdcosta@yahoo.com.

Maine: The next meeting will be held Thursday, February 23, noon to 4 p.m., at Mid-Coast Hospital in Brunswick. For information, contact Cathy Seluke at 207/872-1796 or e-mail Cathy.Seluke@mainegeneral.org.

New England: The next New England Regional ACDIS Chapter meeting will be held Tuesday, February 28, 2-4 p.m., at Tufts Medical Center, Stearns Auditorium. Janet Cavagnac from Baystate will review ICD-10 coding in 3M software. Participants should bring a 3M equipped laptop if possible. Volunteers are needed to schedule future meeting and help lead the group. For information, contact Kelley Sears at 508/954-7432 or e-mail Kelley.Sears@steward.org.

Georgia (Southeast): The next Southeast ACDIS meeting will be Wednesday, February 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga, TN. For information, contact Bonnie I. Epps at 404/712-4550 or e-mail Bonnie.Epps@emoryhealthcare.org. Or visit the Southeast Regional ACDIS Chapter Facebook page for meeting announcements and other information.

Upcoming events

New Jersey: The next NJ meeting will take place Friday, March 2. For information, contact Deborah Gardner-Brown at 732/238-4511, or e-mail Deborah@RRA-INC.com.

Tennessee: The next TN-ACDIS meeting will be held at Baptist Hospital in Nashville on Friday, March 16, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information, contact Sherri Clark at 865/804-6561 or e-mail SClark@mc.utmck.edu.

Long Island, NY: St. Francis Hospital hosts the next networking meeting on Tuesday, March 6, 3-5 p.m. For information, contact Adelaide M. La Rosa at 516/562-6229 or e-mail Adelaide.LaRosa@chsli.org.

Mid-West Regional: The Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota state ACDIS networks’ mid-west regional conference, has been postponed.

Meeting minutes

The following minutes and/or presentations have been made available from the following chapters:

February 01, 2012 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 1

Get a jump on your networking/education resolutions with these January meetings

New England

There's no better way to celebrate the New Year than with these educational opportunities. Make good on your resolutions. Get involved.

The next New England ACDIS regional meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 9, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton, MA. The day-long event features AHIMA certified ICD-10 Trainer Kelley Godin, CCS, who will present a discussion regarding ICD-10 for CDI.

Admission is $30. AHIMA and ACDIS CEU’s will be available. A light breakfast and lunch will be served. Space is limited. Send check or money order to: Kelley Sears, 480 School St, North Dighton, MA 02764. Please include your email address as you will receive a confirmation email that you should bring with you to the program. Jeans will be allowed with a $5 donation for charity.

For information, contact sears.kelley@yahoo.com or kelley.sears@caritaschristi.org.

Northern Illinois

The next Northern Illinois CDI meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012. For information, contact Nancy R. Ignatowicz, at 815/806-2322 or by e-mail nancy.ignatowicz@provena.org. Or contact Colleen Stukenberg at 815/599-6820 or CStukenberg@fhn.org.

Maine

The Maine ACDIS Local Chapter will meet at Midcoast Hospital on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. For information, contact Theresa Davis at 207/735-8340 or tdavis@emh.org.

Nevada

The Southern Nevada Association of Clinical Documentation Specialists holds its next meeting Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. Guest speaker former ACDIS Advisory Board member Wendy DeVreugd will discuss “How to measure the success of your CDI program.” RSVP to Ailsa Kompare by Jan. 11, 2012 at 702/343-7232 or ailsa.kompare@kindredhealthcare.com.

Michigan

Michigan ACDIS chapter, M-ACDIS, is planning to meet via a telephone conference call on Thursday, Jan. 19, noon to 1 p.m. For information, contact Janet Gentle, 231/487-7509 or e-mail jgentle@northernhealth.org.

California

The next California ACDIS webinar featuring a presentation regarding the role of CDI in RAC reviews and audit prevention will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 9-10 a.m., PST. For information, contact Dexter D’Costa, MBBS, MHA, at Dexter.G.Dcosta@kp.org.

Other chapter news

The North Carolina ACDIS chapter now has a web site. Visit http://ncacdis.org/ to see photos from its November meeting and to learn more about recent events and initiatives. For information, contact Leah Taylor at 704/878-7436, or e-mail Leah.Taylor@iredellmemorial.org.

Editor’s Note: If you are interested in joining an existing local chapter please visit the Local Chapter page on the ACDIS website. If you do not see a group listed for your area please e-mail ACDIS Associate Director Melissa Varnavas at mvarnavas@cdiassociation.com

January 03, 2012 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 7

Looking for your holiday wishes to come true? The present of CDI education is waiting to be unwrapped during December's collection of local networking meetings.

Minnesota

The next meeting of the Minnesota group will be a 3M sponsored event Friday, Dec. 16, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the 3M Innovation Center in Maplewood. For information, contact Mark LeBlanc at Mark.LeBlanc@ParkNicollet.com.

Northern Ohio

The next meeting of the Northern Ohio ACDIS Chapter takes place Thursday, Dec. 8, at Mercy Medical Center in Canton. Steven Robinson, MS, PA-O, RN, CPUR, senior director of CDI for Maxim Health Information Services will discuss the following CMS mandates and concurrent review opportunities:

CMS current and upcoming mandates
The importance of documentation in the medical record
The typical CDI program
MS-DRG IPPS (CC/MCC lists)
POA coding
RAC
JCAHO quality core measures

For information, contact Kristine Cilona, RN, at Kristine.Cilona@cantonmercy.org.

Southeastern (Georgia)

The next Southeastern Chapter of ACDIS meets Friday, Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. The agenda includes:

SECACDIS Chapter meeting
ICD-10 coding for orthopedics
E/M coding
Lunch and networking
IPPS Final Rule updates applicable to CDI

For information, visit the group’s Facebook page or e-mail james.doster@emoryhealthcare.org.

Central Indiana

The deadline for leadership nominations are due Friday, Dec. 9. Please take the opportunity to nominate a colleague via e-mail to Carla Payne at cpayne@ecommunity.com. Candidate biographies/forms are due Dec. 12 and membership voting will take place from Dec. 19 through Jan. 9, 2012. There are currently 68 members in the chapter directory. Please take the time to participate by submitting your nominations today and make this a meaningful election of our chapter leadership.

The next Central Indiana ACDIS Chapter meeting takes place Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. For information, contact Susan Bradford, RN, BSN, by phone at 317/776-7285 or by e-mail at sbradford@riverview.org.

Maryland

The next Maryland Hospital Association Clinical Documentation Improvement Workgroup meets Friday, Dec. 16, from 12:30-1:30 p.m., for a holiday pot-luck lunch followed by its regular meeting from 1:30-3 p.m., at the Maryland Hospital Association Headquarters in Elkridge. For information, Contact Christine Mobley, RN, director of clinical documentation at Prince George’s Hospital Center, at christine.Mobley@dimensionshealth.org, or James Nagel at jen.01@ex.uchs.org.

Click here to read the minutes from the previous meeting.

Northern Illinois

Maine

The Maine ACDIS Local Chapter will meet at Midcoast Hospital on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. For information, contact Theresa Davis at 207/735-8340 or tdavis@emh.org.

Nevada

California

Other chapter news

Editor’s Note: If you are interested in joining an existing local chapter please visit the Local Chapter page on the ACDIS web site. If you do not see a group listed for your area please e-mail ACDIS Associate Director Melissa Varnavas at mvarnavas@cdiassociation.com

December 07, 2011 | Melissa Varnavas | Comments 1

All Entries in the "Local Chapters – Networking Groups" Category

May meetings and June plans for local events

More than a dozen opportunities to learn locally this spring

Update: Local Chapter meetings

It’s not luck that makes March networking meetings flourish

Summary of Wisconsin February meeting

Florida Chapter founding leader remembers group’s begining

Central Indiana Chapter chooses leaders

New groups, meetings promote CDI efforts in February

Get a jump on your networking/education resolutions with these January meetings

Local Chapters announce December/January meetings