All Entries Tagged With: "North Carolina"

Local Chapters announce December/January 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

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.

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 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

Local networking groups plan November/December events

If you don't see your state among those gathering with fellow CDI professionals for networking and education let us know. E-mail mvarnavas@cdiassociation.com.

Connecticut

The CT ACDIS Chapter meets Thursday, November 10, 9-10:30 a.m., at The Hospital of Central Connecticut, Bradley Memorial Campus in Southington. The group will discuss “Principal Diagnosis: What Does It Really Mean?” CE credits for CCDS will be provided. For information, contact chapter leader MaryAnn Shanley at 860/714-1261 or e-mail mshanley@stfranciscare.org or co-leader Alison Yazmer at 860/358-6224 or e-mail at alison.yazmer@midhosp.org.

North Carolina

The next NC ACDIS Chapter meeting will be held Friday, November 11, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington. The agenda includes:

• 9-10 a.m.: Sandra Musselwhite of CSG Health Solutions
• 10:15-11:15 a.m.: NC ACDIS business meeting
• 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Lunch
• 12:15-1 p.m.: Pamela Riddle, RHIT, CCS: “2012 Coding changes and hot button topics.”
• 1:15-2 p.m.: Jacquelin M. Smith, RHIT, Data Integrity Specialist: “RAC Issues.”

To register download the form and e-mail it to Brenda.Harris@carolinashealthcare.org. Cost is $20. For information, e-mail leah.taylor@iredellmemorial.org.

South Carolina

The next SC ACDIS Chapter meeting will be held Friday, November 11, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Providence Hospital in Columbia. The agenda includes:

• Laura Nardone, RHIA, CCS, Senior Coding Manager and educator at AnMed Health: “The CDI Role in ICD-10-CM/PCS Transition.”
• Angela Worden, RN, BA/BS, Managing Director with FTI Consulting: “CDI Metrics: Making your program a success.”
• Nita Seel, RN, CCDS, CDI Supervisor Greenville Hospital System: “CCDS Exam: Preparation and What to Expect.”
• Brian Miller and Gayl Kirkpatrick: “3M Demo: 360 Encompass.”

Admission is free. To RSVP, e-mail Dawn Oman at Dawn.Oman@RoperSaintFrancis.com and include your name and the name of your facility. For information about the SC ACDIS Chapter, contact Rebecca “Ali” Williams, by e-mail rawilliams@srhs.com or call 864/560-5701.

Kentucky

The next Kentucky ACDIS networking meeting will be held Thursday, November 17, 1-4 p.m. The agenda includes:

• Acute and chronic respiratory failure
• Discussion of ACDIS audio conference “Coding Clinic for ICD-9-CM: Best Practices for CDI and Coding Compliance.”
• Coding and documentation improvement opportunities associated with UTI
• Business meeting

CEUs will be offered. To RSVP, contact meeting host Rita Fields at rita.fields@BHSI.COM. For information or to join the networking group, contact chapter leader Dee Schad at 502/550-0911, or e-mail Dee.schad@clarkmemorial.org.

Wisconsin

The next Wisconsin ACDIS meeting takes place Thursday, November 17, 1-2 p.m., via teleconference. The guest speaker will be Arnold Ardevela, MBA, CCS, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-H, of AE & Associates LLC, regarding HCCs and Medicare’s Value Based Purchasing Program, slated to begin in October of 2013.

The Wisconsin ACDIS Chapter recently re-launched its website http://wisc-acdis.org. For information, contact co-leaders Diane Draize from Ministry Door County Medical Center Sturgeon Bay (diane.draize@ministryhealth.org), Joan Korn from Wheaton Franciscan St. Francis in Milwaukee (jaon.korn@wfhc.org), or Glenn Krauss, independent consultant (glennkrauss@earthlink.net).

Save the date

Northern Ohio

The next meeting of the Northern Ohio ACDIS Chapter takes place Thursday, December 8, at Mercy Medical Center in Canton. The event features speaker Steven Robinson, MS, PA-O, RN, CPUR, senior director of CDI for Maxim Health Information Services. Robinson 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, December 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Reservations are requested by Friday, November 25. For information, visit the group’s Facebook page or e-mail james.doster@emoryhealthcare.org.

Minnesota

Note there will be no November meeting for MN ACDIS Chapter members. The next meeting of the Minnesota group will be a 3M sponsored event which takes place Friday, December 16, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the 3M Innovation Center in Maplewood. The agenda includes:

• 8-8:30 a.m.: Check-in and registration
• 8:30 -8:45 a.m.: Ben Oberle, Client Relationship Executive: Welcome 8:45-9:15 a.m.: Brian O’Rourke, Consulting Solution Sales Executive: “ICD-10:  No Time Like the Present.”
• 9:15-9:45 a.m.: Discussion:  “ICD-10 Impact Analysis,” “ICD-10 Progress Made in Your Organization”, “3M ICD-10 Education Program / Translation Management Tool”
• 9:45-10 a.m.: Break
• 10-11 a.m.: 3M World of Innovation Tour (3M Innovation Center Host)
• 11-11:45 a.m.: Debbie Peppard, RHIA, Data Innovation / Clinical Solution Sales Executive: “Coding Data Management – Making Data Actionable.”
• 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Lunch: 3M Innovation Center Dining Room
• 12:30-12:45 p.m.: Ben Oberle, Client Relationship Executive: “3M 360 Encompass System – Seeing the Future, Starting Now.”
• 12:45-1:30 p.m.: Lynn Playter, RHIA, HIM Solution Sales Executive: “3M – Your Partner on the Journey to Coding Excellence.”
• 1:30-1:45 p.m.: Break/door prizes
• 1:45-2:30 p.m.: Brian O’Rourke, Consulting Solution Sales Executive: “Improving Documentation….and Proving It!”
• 2:30-3:15 p.m.: Dan Western, Document Creation/Management Solution Sales Executive: “eHealth Documentation Solutions – Helping Transition to ICD-10.”
• 3:15-3-:30 p.m.: Questions / Answers /Adjourn

For information, contact Mark LeBlanc at Mark.LeBlanc@ParkNicollet.com.

Meeting minutes

Central Indiana

The Central Indiana ACDIS Chapter met on October 12 with nearly 40 attendees, 19 of whom attended via teleconference. The event featured guest speaker Danita Forgey who discussed the transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS.

During the meeting the group approved a proposal to formally elect officers. Members of the Central Indiana group will receive an invitation to a closed website that outlines the nomination and voting process. Nominations are due by November 20. Voting will take place between December 12 and January 9. Officers will be announced at the next Central Indiana ACDIS meeting scheduled for January 11. (Note, this meeting will be a teleconference meeting to avoid winter travel.)

For information, contact Susan Bradford by phone at 317/776-7285 or e-mail svradford@riverview.org.

Oregon/SW Washington

The Oregon/SW Washington ACDIS Chapter met October 21 at Providence Portland Medical Center with more than 30 attendees. The event included a live webinar with Cesar Limjoco, MD, VP of Clinical Services for DCBA in Atlanta, and presentations by Hoa Ly, MD, of Legacy Salmon Creek, and Teresa Benson, RHIT, of Providence Portland Medical Center.

The chapter celebrated the expansion of its leadership board with the announcement of nine volunteers who will serve the group in the following roles:

• Juanita Carriveau-President Elect
• Christy Brown- Secretary
• Marjie Aranda-Treasurer
• Tami Robinson-Member Services Director
• Mikala Iris and Marica Pinneau- Communications Officers
• Committee Members:
  • Cindy Fessler
  • Julie Walsh
  • BarDee  Pattle

For information, visit the group blog at http://oregonswwashingtonacdischapter.blogspot.com/

August meetings have agendas full of education and enrichment

North Carolina

The NC ACDIS Chapter meets Friday, Aug. 5, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Sapona Country Club, in Lexington. The agenda includes:

• 8-9 a.m.: Registration and reception with continental breakfast
• 9-10:30 a.m.: Keynote Speaker-Steve Robinson, MS, RN, PA, CPUR, Sr. Director, Clinical Documentation Improvement Solutions at Maxim Health Information Services “Current/Upcoming CMS Mandates and Concurrent Review.” Robinson will discuss:
  • Appropriate MS-DRG assignment
  • RAC preparedness
  • POA coding
  • Core Measures Coordination
  • 2012 IPPS proposal and pending final rule
  • ICD-10 impact on CDI
• 10:45-11:30 a.m.: NC ACDIS business meeting
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Lunch
• 12:30-2 p.m.: Closing Speaker-Nicole Greer, PPCC, founder of Vibrant Coaching and lead trainer for Laurie Beth Jones Inc. National Training Team “Engaging the Elements of Success: A Highly Intuitive Tool for Communication, Growth, and Success!”

Attendees are asked to register by Friday, July 29. Cost is $25 per person and includes breakfast, lunch, CEUs, and door prizes. For information, contact Leah Taylor via e-mail at Leah.Taylor@iredellmemorial.org or by phone at 704/878-7436; or Brenda Harris via e-mail at Brenda.Harris@carolinashealthcare.org or by phone at 704/863-6378; or visit http://ncacdis.org/

NC ACDIS members are asked to participate in a short, three question survey prior to the meeting.

Central Ohio

The ACDIS Central Ohio Chapter meets Thursday, Aug. 18, 1:30-3 p.m., at the James Cancer Hospital. The topic for discussion will be ICD-10 and CDI. RSVP to sheri.blanchard@osumc.edu.

NY/PA

NY/PA Regional Network meets at The Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA, in its Patterson Auditorium, Friday, Aug. 19, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We also have video conferencing available for seven more facilities, so sign up soon. (Please allow time to complete a video trial before the conference day.)

We have been approved by ACDIS for four credits towards the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) certification. We will have four guest presentations including:

1. Jonathan Elion, MD: Dr. Elion has 40 years of experience in computing and more than 25 years of experience in medical computing and information standards, and is the founder of ChartWise Medical Systems. He will be speaking about ethical practices in CDI and the importance of quality documentation.
2. Mario A. Perez, III, RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P: Perez is the Director, Coding and Documentation Compliance for J.A. Thomas & Associates, Inc. He will be speaking about why facilities need CDI programs, how to makes them successful, and how justify CDI efforts to the larger facility stakeholders.
3. Glenn Krauss, BBA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, C-CDIS, CCDS, independent consultant based in Madison, WI, will discuss the future of CDI.
4. Jean Elsener, RN CPUR, CRN-C, CRN-A CCDS, CDI specialist, Quality Management, will discuss writing concise, standardized, and non-leading queries.

For information, contact Susan Tiffany RN, CCDS, supervisor CDI, Guthrie Healthcare System, Robert Packer & Corning Hospitals at 570/887-6094 or by e-mail at tiffany_susan@guthrie.org

New Jersey

The NJ ACDIS Chapter holds a “summer outing” Friday, Aug. 19, 1:30-4 p.m., at RRA, Inc., Meeting Annex, 385 West Ferris St., East Brunswick. The meeting will include tasty frozen drinks and yummy appetizers and door prizes. It also features an opportunity to share CDI best practices and trouble areas, explore ways to achieve physician compliance, and preview of Quadrameds ICD-10 Simulator and CDI Tracking software. For information contact, Deborah Gardner-Brown at 732/238-4511, or e-mail Deborah@RRA-INC.com

Florida

FLACDIS Quarterly Meeting is set for Saturday, Aug. 20, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Sacred Heart Medical Center, 5151 N Ninth Ave., Pensacola. The agenda has changed slightly:

• Three CEU’s awarded for CCDS renewal including:
  • Virginia Bailey/Dr. Dragut – Coding Quiz
  • Trivia Contest-Kimberly Richert
  • Dr. Michelle Dragut (E-mail topic requests to Virginia.bailey@baycare.org)
  • Katherine (Kitty) Novak, Director FTI Consulting presenting on principal diagnosis selection
• Raffles, even a 50/50 one this time!
• Corn dogs, candy apples, cotton candy!
• Opportunity to network with your peers
• Blue Ribbon Pie Contest

RSVP by August 10 to pcassady@csg-hs.com. For more information, visit the FLACDIS website or the Florida ACDIS Chapter’s Facebook page.

California

ACDIS-CA chapter meets via teleconference Wednesday, Aug. 24, 9-10 a.m. For information, contact Dexter D’Costa by e-mail at dr_dexterdcosta@yahoo.com.

Planning ahead

Georgia

The next meeting of the Southeast Chapter will be at Medical Center Central Georgia in Macon, Sept. 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. RSVP to james.doster@emoryhealthcare.org. Attendance is $10 for non-members; annual membership dues are $25.

Maine

The next Maine ACDIS meeting is scheduled for Sept. 20. For information, contact Theresa Davis BSN, RN, CCDS, by e-mail at tdavis@emh.org.

Michigan

The MI ACDIS Chapter has postponed its July meeting and will hold its next teleconference on Thursday, Oct. 20, noon to 1 p.m. The meeting features an in-depth look at how ICD-10 affects CDI program practices with MI member Sue Haley. For information contact, Janet Gentle, at 231/487-3564 or by e-mail at jgentle@northernhealth.org.

South Carolina

The first SC ACDIS Chapter kickoff was a huge success, so save-the-date for the next meeting slated for Friday, Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Providence Hospital, in Columbia. For information, contact Rebecca “Ali” Williams at 864/560-5701 or by e-mail at rawilliams@srhs.com.

Mark your calendars and let ACDIS Chapters meetings fill up your summer schedule

July

New Orleans

The New Orleans ACDIS Chapter meets Tuesday, July 12, 4-6 p.m., at Semolinas Restaurant at Clearview Mall in Metairie. For information, contact Royceann Brechtel Fugler by phone at 504/456-5186 or by e-mail at rfugler@ejgh.org.

Indiana

The Central Indiana ACDIS Chapter meets tomorrow Wednesday, July 13, at the IU Health Bloomington Hospital. The agenda features a presentation by ACDIS Advisory Board member Glenn Krauss regarding strategies to communicate with difficult physicians.

The Central Indiana Chapter recently named new Advisory Board members including:

• Kathy Wilson, first year member, Community Hospital North, e-mail her at KWilson4@ecommunity.com.
• Wendy Wilson, first year member, IU Health, Bloomington Hospital, e-mail her at WWilson4@iuhealth.org.
• Lena Wilson, second year member, IU Health Network/HIM, e-mail her at lwilson9@iuhealth.org.
• Susan Bradford, second year member, Riverview Hospital, e-mail her at sbradford@riverview.org.

For more information, contact Susan Bradford by phone 317/776-7285 or by e-mail at sbradford@riverview.org

Kansas City, Missouri

The KC MO ACDIS Chapter holds its next meeting, Wednesday, July 27, 2:30-4:30 p.m., at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, in Shawnee Mission, KS. The meeting agenda will include topics as determined by members of the group.  Those interested in attending should contact Joann Agin at jagin@carondelet.com.

To read the minutes of the April KC MO ACDIS meeting click here.

Virginia

The next Virginia ACDIS Chapter meeting will be held Saturday, July 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at August Health in Fisherville. To RSVP, contact Bea Benson, RN, BSN at bbenson@augustahealth.com.

August

So. Nevada

The Southern Nevada ACDIS Chapter meets the first Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. (August’s meeting will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 3) at Kindred Hospital Flamingo Campus (Classroom), 2250 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. For information, contact ailsa.kompare@kindredhealthcare.com.

North Carolina

The NC ACDIS Chapter meets Friday, Aug. 5, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Sapona Country Club, in Lexington. The agenda includes:

• 8-9 a.m.: Registration and reception with continental breakfast
• 9-10:30 a.m.: Keynote Speaker-Steve Robinson, MS, RN, PA, CPUR, Sr. Director, Clinical Documentation Improvement Solutions at Maxim Health Information Services “Current/Upcoming CMS Mandates and Concurrent Review.” Robinson will discuss:
  • Appropriate MS-DRG assignment
  • RAC preparedness
  • POA coding
  • Core Measures Coordination
  • 2012 IPPS proposal and pending final rule
  • ICD-10 impact on CDI
• 10:45-11:30 a.m.: NC ACDIS business meeting
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Lunch
• 12:30-2 p.m.: Closing Speaker-Nicole Greer, PPCC, founder of Vibrant Coaching and lead trainer for Laurie Beth Jones Inc. National Training Team “Engaging the Elements of Success: A Highly Intuitive Tool for Communication, Growth, and Success!”

Attendees are asked to register by Friday, July 29. Cost is $25 per person and includes breakfast, lunch, CEUs, and door prizes. For information, contact Leah Taylor via e-mail at Leah.Taylor@iredellmemorial.org or by phone at 704/878-7436; or Brenda Harris via e-mail at Brenda.Harris@carolinashealthcare.org or by phone at 704/863-6378; or visit http://ncacdis.org/

NC ACDIS members are asked to participate in a short, three question survey prior to the meeting.

NY/PA 
The NY/PA Regional ACDIS Network holds its next meeting Friday, August 19, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA. The event is free. Video conferencing is available to the first 10 registrants who require it. The agenda includes guest speakers:

• Jonathan Elion, MD, founder of ChartWise Medical Systems, who will discuss ethical practices in CDI and the importance of quality documentation.
• Mario A. Perez, III, RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P, director of coding and documentation compliance at J.A. Thomas & Associates, Inc., who will discuss CDI programs, why they are needed, how to make them successful and how to justify implementation.
• Glenn Krauss, BBA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, C-CDIS, CCDS, independent consultant who will discuss the future of CDI programs, understanding the value of CDI beyond financial reimbursement.
• Jean Elsener, RN CPUR, CRN-C, CRN-A CCDS, who will discuss how to craft concise, standardized, and non-leading queries.

Each presenter will speak for an hour, with time for questions and discussion. There will also be time to network, visit with exhibitors, and sign up for raffles.

For information, contact Susan Tiffany RN, CCDS, at 570/882-6094, pager #465; or by e-mail at tiffany_susan@guthrie.org.

New Jersey

The NJ ACDIS Chapter holds a “summer outing” Friday, Aug. 19, 1:30-4 p.m., at RRA, Inc., Meeting Annex, 385 West Ferris St., East Brunswick. The meeting will include tasty frozen drinks and yummy appetizers and door prizes. It also features an opportunity to share CDI best practices and trouble areas, explore ways to achieve physician compliance, and preview of Quadrameds ICD-10 Simulator and CDI Tracking software. For information contact, Deborah Gardner-Brown at 732/238-4511, or e-mail Deborah@RRA-INC.com

Florida

The next FLACDIS Chapter meeting will be held Saturday, Aug. 20, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Sacred Heart in Pensacola. Although the meeting agenda is still under construction the theme for the first meeting of the “panhandle” region is “Meet Me at the ClinDoc Fair.” The event will feature state-fair corn dogs, sausages and peppers, cotton candy, and even a best-pie contest. Non-FLACDIS members can attend for free for the first time, with a $10 charge to receive CEUs. Visit the FLACDIS Chapter on Facebook, at the web site www.flacdis.org, or download the latest newsletter. To attend the upcoming meeting, RSVP to pcassady@csg-hs.com.

Planning ahead

Michigan

The MI ACDIS Chapter has postponed its July meeting and will hold its next teleconference on Thursday, Oct. 20, noon to 1 p.m. The meeting features an in-depth look at how ICD-10 affects CDI program practices with MI member Sue Haley. For information contact, Janet Gentle, at 231/487-3564 or by e-mail at jgentle@northernhealth.org.

South Carolina

The first SC ACDIS Chapter kickoff was a huge success, so save-the-date for the next meeting slated for Friday, Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Providence Hospital, in Columbia. For information, contact Rebecca “Ali” Williams at 864/560-5701 or by e-mail at rawilliams@srhs.com.

NC meeting moved to August

Hello to all the NC ACDIS Chapter members,

This message is to announce a change from our tentative July 15^th meeting to a confirmed date of August 5. I hope you will still be able to join us as well as share the meeting news with other CDI-related professionals who may be interested in attending.

The meeting will be held at Sapona Country Club in Lexington, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (registration will open at 8 a.m.) NC ACDIS

members will receive an updated e-mail as soon as all final details are confirmed to include the registration fee and registration contact, what is included for the fee, the speaker(s) and topic information, and CEU’s available. If you are not currently a NC ACDIS Chapter member please e-mail Melissa Legere at melegere@wfubmc.edu.

In addition we want you to know that our website www.ncacdis.org is back up and running, so we will also post updated meeting information on this site when confirmed.

We are hoping for a great turn out with lots of networking and educational opportunities, and hope to see you there!

Celebrating CDI success stories

Thinking about CDI programs that haven’t worked out, programs  one might call “failed,” and facing a bit of deadline pressure on some projects here at work, got me feeling a bit blue recently. So, frankly, I feel like taking a moment to reflect on a few of the successes that CDI programs can (and should) brag about.

Staffing growth: Often a CDI program starts with one or two individuals but is able to add staff as time goes on. Such growth often illustrates a need for additional staff who can continue to conduct thorough reviews when the existing staff are overloaded and provide for vacation coverage, etc. The recognition of the value of continuous CDI staffing points to an administration that understands the value of CDI and perceives the need to expand the program. Expanding the CDI program to a larger patient population, payer pool, and focus illustrates the benefit of increased attention on total medical record completeness and accuracy (pushing past the largely financial focus), whether that be due to purely internal conversations, broader CDI professional discussions (such as those explored here on the ACDIS Blog, or via other avenues such as CDI Talk, and other ACDIS publications) or to some extent influenced by external issues such as quality/core measures or RAC.

Pride of achievement: Outside of one’s own facility, CDI professionals can take pride in helping to mentor other CDI programs and their staffs. Participating in a state or regional meeting is one way to talk about your own program’s successes and learn from the successes (and failures) of others. Furthermore, hosting a CDI networking meeting that others hail as an outstanding success can be a real morale booster for yourself and your whole team! (Just look at the various posts on the ACDIS Blog about the many wonderful programs offered at state meetings.)

Through participation in local/regional networking events you will soon be able to brag about:

• Preparing a significant presentation that was well received.
• Incorporating program improvement initiatives associated with casual conversations held during meetings.
• Watching documentation trends develop and improve due to query discussions and documentation improvement opportunities discussed at the meetings.
• Mentoring a new CDI specialist and watching their awareness “click.” (Of course, that experience can be repeated again and again, although sometimes it takes a long time to get to complete awareness).

Growth of our professional organization: There were more than 600 people at the national ACDIS conference in Orlando this past April. Given the state of the economy and the national feeling regarding healthcare expenses, a 20% growth in registration for our professional association is simply amazing. There are more than 2,700 ACDIS members and more than 12,000 subscribers to bi-monthly e-newsletter CDI Strategies. If that’s not growth, I don’t know what is.

Expansion of CDI positions: The number of new programs (at least anecdotal) continues to grow. Look at the number of open CDI-related professional positions available. You can look at the ACDIS Job Positing page or just conduct a simple Google search to see the influx of openings. There’s no doubt that our experience and expertise is in demand. (Have you received any calls from recruiters lately?)

CDI program development: National trends revealed through ACDIS surveys, online polls, and CDI Talk conversations show an increased focus on complete and accurate documentation captured in the medical record and a shift away from the traditional origins of a CDI program focused on queries for financial gain. Additionally, the maturation of the professional can be seen in the increasing number of CDI specialists who have obtained their CCDS credential and who have volunteered to take on additional projects for ACDIS and AHIMA to further the profession.

In short, the sophistication, poise, and professionalism of our membership amazes me, inspires me, and drives me. Here are two examples of my personal inspirations:

• Bravo to the program at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (WFUBMC) in Winston-Salem, NC (featured on the NCACDIS site) who recently added four new CDI specialists to the existing strong team of 11. This is a program that has been in existence since 1999 and several years ago achieved a complete shift of focus to encompass severity of illness and documentation accuracy. With the additional staff, I understand they are going to be reviewing ALL inpatient medical records.  In addition, their performance in regards to metrics such as mortality index is something to really strive for!
• There are several “voices” on CDI Talk that I eagerly look forward to reading. I learn something new all the time and frequently forced to contemplate subjects a little deeper. I feel I grow professionally a bit every day because of the generosity of these folks who contribute to our CDI community.  I am look forward to the opportunity to participate in conversations with peers that lead to personal reflection and professional growth.

I’d love to hear about your successes and moments of pride and joy be they large or small, personal or national. When was the last time you CELEBRATED at your organization? Make note of it here or  write me back. If you haven’t celebrated in a while consider setting aside the week of September 18-24, the newly designated Clinical Documentation Improvement Week to spotlight your program’s achievements.

North Carolina launches chapter website

Hello all!

I am sending this message out to NC ACDIS Chapter members. A website for our group can be found at www.ncacdis.org. Please take a second to check it out. There is not a lot on it yet, but several additions are planned. Among the postings will be a mission statement, articles written by chapter members, educational information, a list of chapter members achieving their CCDS, blog entries, and more. There is even a link where you can buy a shirt or mug or tote and more with the site logo on it. The NC ACDIS Chapter does not receive any profit from the sale of these, unfortunately, but we know that members want to show their NC ACDIS pride so we’re glad to have found this site.

The NC ACDIS Chapter officers are currently working to generate ideas to stimulate chapter interest and activities. Brenda Harris suggested we organize our state by regions and ask for volunteers to represent each region to facilitate participation, etc. in the state chapter. The regions and counties included will be posted on the website soon, so please provide feedback on this idea. We are a large state with a lot of CDI programs. It would be great if we could generate more energy to support one another in our specialty.

If you are planning to attend the national conference in April, let us know. Perhaps members can plan to wear our NCACDIS t-shirts or hats to help identify ourselves. We will most likely be one of the few chapters with our own logo items!

As you are aware, we currently have no formal membership process, and no state membership dues. Membership in the local chapter provides participants a discount on ACDIS National membership. We hope to grow the ranks of our North Carolina networking group.  We are interested in having anyone who works in NC as a clinical documentation consultant or specialist (whatever your role is called at your facility) participate in our chapter. Coders are also welcome. If you are aware of any hospitals in your area that have recently implemented a CDI program and may not know about us, please let me know or feel free to offer an invitation for them to contact us for information.

Best Regards,

Melissa Legere, RN, BSN, CCDS

Supervisor, Clinical Documentation

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

NCACDIS Secretary

melegere@wfubmc.edu

336/713-4113

North Carolina ACDIS Chapter announces new VP, secretary

Brenda A. Harris is currently employed as a compliant documentation specialist with Carolinas Healthcare System and has been a CDI specialist for the past eight years, the the last three years at Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) University, prior to that she implemented the CDI program at CMC Pineville. A graduate of Petersburg General Hospital School of Nursing, Harris has worked many areas of nursing, including cardiac, trauma, and as a case manager with cardiac patients, with managerial experiences as both preceptor, and as an assistant nurse manager. She has participated on a panel of CDI specialists during a recent American Case Management Association meeting in Greensboro, NC .

She currently holds the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) credential and AHIMA’s Certified Coding Associate credential. We are proud to have her serve as our chapter’s new vice president.

Melissa Legere is currently the supervisor of clinical documentation at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.  Legere served as a nurse for 26 years in a variety of roles including surgical clinical nurse reviewer for the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, manager of inpatient post-anesthesia care, assistant unit manager in cardiothoracic critical care, and staff nurse roles in inpatient PACU and CTS nursing. A member of ACDIS, Legere also earned her CCDS in May of this year. As the new secretary of the NC ACDIS Chapter, she hopes to create a website for the group to facilitate networking and education opportunities.

Anyone interested in joining the North Carolina ACDIS group can feel free to e-mail me, Leah Taylor, at Leah.Taylor@iredellmemorial.org

NC ACDIS Chapter hears about one CDI specialist’s Chicago experience

by Cindy Miller, RN, CDS

Winston-Salem, NC may be 561 miles from Chicago but Cindy Miller brought her Chicago experience back home offering a presentation to the NC Chapter about the Third Annual ACDIS Conference.

Let me start by telling you a little bit about me. I have been a nurse for 24 years, all of those years with Novant Health based in Winston-Salem, NC.  I’ve worked in med surg, ICU, pain management, PACU, and the last nine years as a clinical nurse auditor. This past January, I took a leap of faith and went completely out of my comfort zone. I am now a clinical documentation specialist with Novant at Thomasville (NC) Medical Center. Since then I’ve met a number of new challenges, participated in a number of new experiences, and enjoyed many new opportunities. For example:

• In the last six months I went on my first national conference, out of state
• I have helped to give my first presentation on what I learned
• I am now writing my first blog about my recent experiences

Now let me tell you a little bit about my experiences at the Third Annual ACDIS Conference. Three Novant clinical documentation specialists had the honor to go to Chicago. The other two CDI specialists had a lot more experience than I did, so I really felt like a fish out of water. It did not take long for me to be “hooked” and I really enjoyed the presentations and learning from the other CDI specialists.

I really enjoyed the trip but was not excited about presenting what I learned in Chicago to my colleagues. See, I am not fond of public speaking and just the thought of it makes me tremble inside. However, my teammates deserved to benefit from the offerings as well. So my coworkers and I had made a folder filled with educational materials we brought back from the conference and circulated it around the room while we talked about our experiences during the recent July NC ACDIS Chapter meeting.

Our manager recorded us on video to share our presentation with other CDI specialists and we plan to keep a DVD of our “bring back” presentation to add to our library of educational materials. We presented part of the presentations from ACDIS, took breaks, and gave out prizes, trying our best to re-create the Chicago experience, and talked about some of the funny incidents that happened to us while we were there.

Looking back now, I would have liked to have had games and activities for the group. As the time went on, I started finding myself more comfortable as a presenter. I guess it comes with practice. This experience has made me appreciate the efforts involved in presenting at a major conference. There are really many factors involved.

Our co-workers seemed to really enjoy the ‘bring-back’. We had allotted four hours for the presentation. The group discussed a variety of subjects.

I have one question for other local chapter groups and ACDIS Conference attendees: Did you do an official presentation to “bring back” what you learned from the conference for other CDI specialists? What did you do?

Which state can boast the most certified CDI specialists?

You may remember that in the fall of 2009 Leah Taylor and Jennifer Love, president and vice president of the North Carolina ACDIS Chapter respectively, came up with the idea of challenging other states promote the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) credential in order to encourage camaraderie and to help establish the credential as a mark of professionalism in the industry. Considering other states’ sizes one might have dismissed their efforts, but clearly these chapter leaders put their hearts into it and their efforts paid off. (Read Jennifer Love’s Blog post about her experience taking the exam.)

North Carolina currently has 42 total people who have either taken and passed the exam or who registered to take the exam and their results are not yet available. In second place is New York with 40, followed by California with 35, Texas with 33, and Florida with 31.

CDI specialists possess knowledge of a wide range of specialized disciplines, including anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. They have to understand official medical coding guidelines, CMS, and private payer regulations related to the Inpatient Prospective Payment System and have the ability to analyze and interpret medical record documentation, formulate appropriate physician queries and then be able to benchmark and analyze their CDI program’s performance.

For the more than 200 CDI professionals who made the extra effort to sit for the exam either during the upcoming paper and pencil seating in Chicago this coming Saturday, June 5, or who will take the test at remote locations, we cannot express enough congratulations. We are so proud of your efforts and thankful that so many have chosen the CCDS credential as the mark of distinction for this unique profession.

Now, which state will earn boasting rights during the 2011 conference? The game is on.