30316 acdis 2015 conference special section

ACDIS 2015

o t n n i o A , T n exas a S

CONTENTS

ACDIS Conference Special Section 2015

3 Associate director’s note

12 Selfies and staff

Which ACDIS conference was the “best?” That’s a hard call, but San Antonio had a number of special attributes that put it in the running.

It takes dozens of staff members to make our annual conference a success. See some of our staff highlights.

7 CDI Professional of the Year

14 Poster presentations

Karen Newhouser discusses her career and what earning the 2015 CDI Professional of the Year award means to her.

More than 30 volunteers shared their stories with ACDIS attendees during this year’s conference. Catch some of the highlights and read more about their educational posters.

9 Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement

16 Conference Committee reminiscences

Amy Yung recounts the professional teamwork and CDI program revision efforts that earned her honors.

Learn more about what made volunteering on this year’s conference committee so special.

11 Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement

18 Exhibit hall events

Mary McGrady answers questions regarding her life, career, and achievements.

Sponsors and exhibitors are as much the lifeblood of the ACDIS conference as its attendees. See how the exhibit hall hijinks provided additional interest for the event.

2 2015 ACDIS Conference

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ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR’S NOTE Picking favorites: San Antonio tops ’em all Just as parents aren’t supposed to pick favorites, I really shouldn’t call out one conference experience as “better” than another. Johnny may excel at sports and Sally may dominate in spelling, but each has unique talents. So it goes with ACDIS. Las Vegas in 2014 had its glitz. San Diego in 2012, with its bayside balconies, had its foggy charm. Chicago in 2010 had its parade of educational offerings and boat-trip networking fun.

t­argeted focus group luncheons, panel discussions, and bonus meetings regarding the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS) credential and local chapter leadership, no one walked away without some tidbit of knowledge to enhance their CDI practice. Using the conference app, attendees took note of their favorite quotes and take-home points from speakers. Here are a few selections:

And yet … as the ACDIS Conference team boarded a San Antonio river boat to celebrate on the final day, the general consensus soon turned into a chorus of praise. The 2015 conference in San Antonio—our biggest conference yet, with roughly 1,500 attendees—will definitely have a special place in our hearts. Why? Let me give you a few reasons.

■■ “Great demonstration of how pre-bill reviews

Going green. The 2015 event was our first green conference. Instead of printed workbooks, ACDIS partnered with DoubleDutch on a conference app for smartphones and other devices. With it, attendees were able to snap photos, connect with fellow conference-goers, discuss salient session points, and view/download materials. Attendees could alternatively choose to print out the materials for the sessions they planned to attend ahead of time or view the materials from the download page after the conference ended.

Prizes were given for those who engaged with others via the app, and N. Suraj Bossoondyal, MD, earned honors for having the most posts by the morning of Day 3. (Runners-up included Romerl Chris Gumayagay and Kelli Estes.)

Education. With more than 40 sessions, nearly 70 speakers, over 30 poster presentations,

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coupled with extensive [physician] advisor training provides the [return on investment] to support CDI programs,” wrote James P. Fee, MD, CCS. ■■ “Iatrogenic pneumothorax [present on

admission] will hit a [patient safety indicator]. Remember it can occur in some major cardiothoracic surgeries, so query for significance,” noted Bossoondyal.

■■ “Folks, this was [an] excellent [presentation

with a hierarchical condition code] focus,” posted Donald A. Butler, RN, BSN. “If we don’t get a handle on HCCs in the very near future then our organizations and providers, I believe, will be significantly hurting.”

■■ “Another great learning day at ACDIS,” wrote

Tracy Eskra, MD, MBA. The conference itself spanned two-and-a-half days, with four tracks of sessions addressing management and leadership, clinical and coding, quality and regulatory, and innovative CDI concerns. And this year’s event featured more pre-conference sessions than ever before, with an ICD-10 for CDI Boot Camp, a special two-day

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event focused on the role of CDI in quality advancement, and an even regarding the physician advisor’s role in CDI, which incorporated a special track on managing multihospital systems for physician advisors.

In terms of educational offerings, this year’s speakers were simply spectacular. “There were a lot of really great speakers,” wrote one attendee. “Although I read constantly to stay abreast of changes, I learned quite a few new things both from presenters and ­attendees.”

Networking and attendees. ACDIS staff work on conference preparations all year long. We interact with many CDI professionals throughout the year, answering questions via email, chatting on the phone, providing news and online tools, and more. The conference allows us an opportunity to meet ACDIS members

face to face. Over the years, we’ve become friends.

And as time has gone by, the ACDIS Conference has become a generous place where old friends catch up and share stories of their programs, champion their successes, and hold each other’s hands while discussing difficulties.

Walking to the Henry B. Gonzales conference center in San Antonio on day 1, I bumped into a purple and orange–clad woman thumbing through some materials with a slightly confused expression on her face.

“ACDIS conference?” I inquired.

“Yes,” she replied. “My first.”

From that moment on, Tonya Mitchell, RHIT, and I became fast friends. She stopped by the ACDIS booth a few times. She stole my plastic purple crown. She even sought out ACDIS Director Brian Murphy for a selfie. Of course, it was hard not to befriend Mitchell, whose warmth earned her many new friends that week. But I proudly wear the moniker of being her first ACDIS conference buddy.

True to tradition, the majority of attendees donned their ACDIS colors—purple and orange—on the first day of the conference and wore their state-themed paraphernalia on the second day. Wearing the ACDIS colors the first day helps attendees identify fellow CDI professionals and encourages general networking. Wearing state-themed clothing the second day enables attendees to more readily identify those who may be from their home state.

ACDIS 2015 by the numbers

Courtesy photo ACDIS Associate Director Melissa Varnavas with Robert Hodges, previous Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement award winner, long-time “CDI Talk” contributor, and advisor for the Forms & Tools Library.

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■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Attendees: 1,500 Speakers: 67 Sessions: 46 Exhibitors: 38 Poster presentations: 34 CCDS examinees: 20 Fantastic San Antonio restaurants: Innumerable!

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

As always, many individuals took advantage of the opportunity, wearing cowboy hats, lobster claws (thanks for the laugh, Valerie Parent, RN, BSN, CDIS), sports jerseys, and other fun items. Local chapter leaders often helped coordinate the theme, but they also decorated tables in the exhibit hall on the second day of the event to help non-chapter members locate and network with the group—plus, many held afterhours events at San Antonio watering holes.

Selfies with the director. In 2014, we (I) played a little prank on ACDIS Director Brian Murphy. I privately wrote to attendees encouraging them to snap a selfie with him. On-site, he was practically accosted by well-meaning attendees and flabbergasted when he realized our joke.

Since he was such a good sport, CCDS Coordinator Penny Richards and the team took the idea to the next level, bringing a life-sized poster of Murphy with them to San Antonio. Shortly after the first break, they trotted the poster out to stand behind the croissants and fruit tables. Soon dozens of attendees were snapping selfies with the director’s doppelgänger, and dozens more tracked down the man himself. When he finally discovered the fun, Murphy good-naturedly photobombed guests by peering out from behind the poster, unbeknownst to them.

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Staff at the Henry B. Gonzales Conference Center in San Antonio welcome guests with healthy snacks.

rants were, the food offered to attendees during the conference was just as spectacular. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks, all served in the exhibit hall, were phenomenal, featuring eggs, smoked salmon, fruit, and oatmeal in the mornings. There were various sandwiches

What’s the ICD-10 code for multiple personality disorder? F44.81. While education is king at the conference each year, we also do our best to have a little fun.

and snacks for lunch, as well as cookies, chocolate

The river walk. It was our first time in San Antonio, but it felt like the city embraced us. The river walk was amazing, filled with music and revelers. The evening of our arrival featured a boat parade honoring America’s veterans. The weather was nearly perfect. The hotels and conference area were clean and spacious. The food was divine. And the margaritas were enormous.

a bit low.

“Thank you for one of the best conferences ever and thank you for choosing San Antonio. Such a beautiful town. I learned a lot and made new friends,” wrote Marlene Keller, RN-BC, CCDS.

themed garb, complete with a Wookiee! They weren’t

Speaking of food ... Amazing restaurants boarded both sides of the beautiful river, and there was never a lack of fine Texan cuisine. As wonderful as the restau-

attendees make their own Pandora-style bracelets.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

bars, and healthy choices in the afternoon to boost attendees when their sugar might have been running Sponsors and exhibitors. Thanks to our sponsor Elsevier, attendees kicked off the conference in style with a cocktail reception in the enormous exhibit hall. And title sponsor MedPartners CDI once again wowed the crowd with their spectacular Star Wars– the only fun-loving business at the ACDIS Conference.

ChartWise founder Jon Elion, MD, entertained the crowd with his guitar playing and CDI lyrics. UASI let And nearly every booth at the event offered educational engagement to almost nonstop lines of v­ isitors.

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Courtesy photo MedPartners’ Wookiee joins ACDIS’ Penny Richards for a photo opportunity.

to ensure the exhibit hall operated smoothly. They spoke with exhibitors and handled raffles. They connected with attendees and helped them operate the new app. Many more worked multiple late nights in the days and weeks prior to the event to ensure everyone Courtesy photo Day 2 of the conference features attendees in garb representing their home state. In this photo, ACDIS Director Brian Murphy dons the decorative cap thanks to a loan from Valerie Parent from the state of Maine.

had a terrific experience.

The volunteers of the ACDIS Conference Committee similarly worked diligently to vet the more than 150 speaker applications and choose an agenda that not only addressed the most cutting-edge concepts in CDI, but also offered the necessary education to those

ACDIS/HCPro staff and Conference Committee volunteers. CDI programs fortunate enough to have the support of their administrative and medical staff understand what a difference such support makes.

More than two dozen staff members joined us on-site in San Antonio, including HCPro’s vice president and many of its top product and editorial staff. They moderated sessions, managed the registration desk, and helped customers at the ACDIS and HCPro bookstores. They worked with the conference center staff

6 2015 ACDIS Conference

just entering the ranks of the profession. And that’s not all. Once the speakers and sessions were chosen, the volunteers reviewed all the materials for accuracy and applicability and worked with the speakers to enhance the presentations where needed.

Just as CDI efforts at the facility level require a cohesive team approach, so too does the annual ACDIS Conference. I am so proud of all the efforts that made this year’s San Antonio event one of my favorites.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

CDI PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

Skating toward the future of CDI

by Karen Newhouser, RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS, CCM

As I look back on my career, it is obvious that every step I took led me to the ground I stand on today.

CDI entered my life in January 2004. I had a difficult time initially, because I simply couldn’t make the switch from reading the record as a nurse to reading the record as a CDI specialist. At that time, it wasn’t clear to me that nurses (and coders) focus on what the physician is saying, and CDI specialists focus on what the physician isn’t saying!

But it clicked, and from then on I was smitten and my passion for CDI gained momentum. I loved everything about CDI and had a feeling that this wasn’t another passing healthcare fad.

In a few short years, I began to hear of a group that catered directly to the CDI profession, and once I logged onto the ACDIS website, I found what I had been searching for. Finally, a place where ideas could be shared, where learning could happen, and where growth occurred. I was home, but little did I know that my “house” would continue to grow.

From assisting with the startup of a local chapter, to being a co–poster presenter at the annual conference, to obtaining my CCDS credential, 2011 was a pivotal year for me. In addition, I had taken the advice of a coder and had obtained my medical coding and billing certificate at my local college—at last, the pieces were falling into place.

With ACDIS, I knew there was more out there and I wanted to be a part of this amazing propulsion in healthcare. In November 2011, I accepted an opportunity at Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH) in St. Louis, Missouri, as their CDI supervisor, thanks to MedPartners CDI based in Tampa, Florida.

My three years at BJH were invaluable. The CDI program moved forward and grew from a staff of 10 to a staff of 30. It was exhilarating to lead a team of knowledgeable CDI specialists as they branched out into

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

Photo by Michelle Leppert CDI Professional of the Year award winner Karen Newhouser holds back happy tears as ACDIS Director Brian Murphy recounts her career from the podium.

partnerships with several departments and built strong relationships with the physicians. One of my proudest moments is when the CDI team moved seamlessly into ICD-10-CM/PCS in March 2014, despite the delay announcement.

In 2014, I accepted a position as director of CDI education at MedPartners, which I love, because I am committed to helping people.

For the past couple of years, I have been reading very informative white papers and position papers produced by the ACDIS Advisory Board, and I decided to apply for a seat. I saw it as a way to help set best practices for the profession and to work with a group of people whom I had admired from afar for a long

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time. I was elected by my peers to an Advisory Board seat and was thrilled to become a voice—your voice—in the world of CDI.

the kids are anxious to get their sticks on the puck, to show their coaches and families what they have learned over the past weeks.

I have attended the past four ACDIS conferences, and I was extremely impressed by the quality of the presentations at the 2015 conference. If you haven’t attended yet, begin to make plans now. It is the absolute best thing that you can do for your career.

As the puck is dropped, any resemblance to an orderly hockey game disappears as every single young one skates towards that puck. As the group forms around the puck, someone manages to get their stick on it, and it squirts out of the group and slides down the ice. As the young ones realize what’s happened, they all skate to the puck. And so it continues as the coaches work to impress upon the children that they don’t all have to skate to where the puck is now, that the value is in skating to where the puck is going to be!

I’m often asked why I moved from case management to CDI, and why I moved into the world of traveling CDI. I am also often asked why I obtained a coding education and credential at a time when it wasn’t mainstream, and why I aimed for the CCS credential

Call them goals, dreams, wishes … everybody has them. You may shout yours to the world, mount them on a vision board, post notes on a mirror, or keep them tucked away in your mind; be it one or many, something to achieve today or in 10 years, career or personal—you have them. in particular, which measures excellence in both inpatient and outpatient coding, instead of seeking a certification in inpatient alone. And last, but certainly not least, I am asked why I decided to seek a seat on the ACDIS Advisory Board.

All of those questions can be answered by the fact that I have always skated to where the puck is going to be, not to where it is now.

What does that mean?

Allow me to paint a picture of a hockey game. You sit in the chilly arena, your hot cup of coffee or cocoa cradled between your cold hands in an attempt to warm yourself. You watch a group of young boys and girls perform their warm-ups on the ice. They wear the same hockey gear that the professionals wear, only mini sized. The coaches get them in formation, but

8 2015 ACDIS Conference

That, my friends, is how I have lived my life ... learning from the past, living in the present, but looking to the future—to where the puck is going to be.

Call them goals, dreams, wishes … everybody has them. You may shout yours to the world, mount them on a vision board, post notes on a mirror, or keep them tucked away in your mind; be it one or many, something to achieve today or in 10 years, career or personal—you have them.

It is important to have goals, dreams, and wishes, but it is even more important to take action. You don’t have to take giant leaps—they can be baby steps. The important thing is to keep moving forward. ACDIS provides the vehicle to take you there—the conference, blogs, articles, reference material, “CDI Talk,” and many, many people who share your passion and who will help you up when you fall. You simply have to make the next move and skate to where the puck is going to be.

I will also never forget this year’s conference, as it’s when I was recognized as the 2015 CDI Professional of the Year. This is an achievement that I take very seriously, and I urge all of you to connect with me via email or through LinkedIn. With assistance from ACDIS, let’s partner, share ideas, and continue to move CDI forward.

Editor’s note: Newhouser is the director of CDI education for MedPartners in Tampa, Florida. Contact her at karenmpu@medpartnershim.com.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

RECOGNITION OF CDI PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

With change comes opportunity for CDI

by Amy J. Yung, RN, CCDS

I am honored to have been chosen to receive the 2015 Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement award at the ACDIS Conference. When I was notified that my team of CDI staff had nominated me, and that I had been selected as the recipient, I was truly shocked.

This award is a culmination of a great team of dedicated CDI staff, executive leadership support, and the ability to identify opportunities in an environment of considerable change within both our organization and the healthcare delivery system.

I entered this field early in my nursing career, in 1990. I left my job as a critical care nurse and started working for a peer review organization. This was before the term CDI was even heard of, but the chart reviews I completed were very similar to what the CDI professional today performs. I was trained in ICD-9 and the DRG system, and I performed audits for DRG validation, quality of care issues, readmission, and specialty reviews.

After five years with this organization, then 13 years working for local payers in utilization review and case management roles, I took a CDI staff p ­ osition

This award is a culmination of a great team of dedicated CDI staff, executive leadership support, and the ability to identify opportunities in an environment of considerable within both within our organization and the healthcare delivery system. at Kaleida Health in 2007. Little did I know that this ­decision would put me on a trajectory to lead a ­revitalization of our CDI program.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

Photo by Michelle Leppert ACDIS Director Brian Murphy hands Amy J. Yung the 2015 Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement award.

Our rejuvenation began in the summer of 2012 with a change in our reporting structure, shifting the CDI team from operations to finance. At the same time, the CDI manager transitioned to another department, and I was offered the position, in which I would lead a team of six CDI specialists in a hospital system of approximately 55,000 annual inpatient discharges.

I accepted, and soon after I was sitting, as a new manager, at my first meeting with my new boss. The discussion centered on the current CDI program and my vision for the department. At this meeting, I was given the opportunity to develop a project plan for our CDI department. My ­direction was to design the department with the r­esources, tools, and structure that I would need to create a robust program, as well as include a projected return on investment (ROI).

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After compiling information from ACDIS, AHIMA, and other resources, I presented my two-inch binder.

It contained: ■■ A staffing model (which included a 200% increase

in CDI staff) ■■ A change in scope to include all payers ■■ Documented benefits of a robust CDI program

using the APR-DRG risk-adjusted model ■■ The impact of CDI on quality metrics ■■ The need for a physician advisor ■■ The need for a CDI electronic tool ■■ An expected ROI based on chart audits ■■ An Excel spreadsheet tool my team would use to

track its case reviews and ROI By the end of 2013, my CDI team had increased from six staff members to 19, including both supplemental agency staff and permanent members. The

My message to my professional colleagues is to embrace the changes within the evolving healthcare system as well as your own organization. i­mprovement in our metrics supported an ROI for our program and the additional resources. Our strategies included reviewing all payers using the severity-adjusted DRG methodology.

Our department’s goal was to get the most accurate and complete documentation in the record to reflect an accurate severity of illness and risk of mortality on every case reviewed. We knew that if we were successful, not only would the revenue support the appropriate resource utilization for our patient population, but also our quality scores and metrics would reflect the accurate risk adjustment and acuity of our patients.

By the end of 2014, we had built an environment

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of engagement and collaboration with our providers that yielded a 94% query response rate and an 81% query agree rate. In addition, the organization recognized an increase in its case-mix index of 4% from 2013.

Our second quarter 2014 PEPPER data reflected an 8.2% increase in our medical CC/MCC capture rate and a 5.3% increase in our surgical CC/MCC capture rate. It also reflected a 10.4% decrease in DRGs with only a single CC or MCC. Further, our length of stay (LOS) opportunity reports reflected a 3.4% decrease in the number of discharges that possessed a LOS opportunity when compared to the geometric mean LOS for that ­APR-DRG. My vision for the department was only that, a vision, without a CDI team that could operationalize it and a leadership team that supported it. I was privileged to have both. The growth and success of our program is a direct result of collaborations with our providers, executive and site leadership, external staffing vendors, and many other departments and peers who recognized and supported the value and goals of a robust CDI department.

My message to my professional colleagues is to embrace the changes within the evolving healthcare system as well as your own organization. Whether it is a change in leadership, a shift in payer methodology, a new service line for your organization, a new cutting-edge procedure, changes in level of care regulations, inpatient to outpatient shifts, the transition to ICD-10, or the construction of a new, state-of-the-art hospital, always ask yourself what value the CDI team can bring to support the organization’s strategic plan for these changes.

I have found that with every change, there is opportunity for CDI. CDI should be a member of the team that contributes to organizational success, supporting the clinical staff at the bedside and thus supporting the care of the patients we serve.

Editor’s note: Yung is the director of revenue cycle clinical suppor t at Kaleida Health. Contact her at ayung@kaleidahealth.org.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

RECOGNITION OF CDI PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

Realizing a childhood passion, and CDI milestone Editor’s note: Mary McGrady, MSN, RN, is director of CDI at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center. With more than 15 years of nursing experience, McGrady joined NYU in 2011, and in collaboration with Irina Zusman, the director of HIM coding and CDI initiatives at NYU Langone, McGrady designed a certificate program in CDI at the NYU School of Professional Studies. She serves as a co-leader for the NYC5B (New York City 5 Boroughs) local ACDIS chapter and received the Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement award at this year’s ACDIS Conference. McGrady answered the following questions for CDI Journal. Contact her at Mary.Mcgrady@nyumc.org.

CDI Journal: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

McGrady: I wanted to be a nurse. I remember dressing up as a nurse for Halloween. Then I veered off that path to ski for a while. The journey has been colorful with many different types of jobs, but I finally did settle on nursing.

CDI Journal: When did you first hear the term CDI? What did you think the term meant initially?

Photo by Michelle Leppert

McGrady: I really wasn’t exactly sure what CDI meant. It has been a big learning curve to understand the scope of the profession.

Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement award winner Mary McGrady joins ACDIS Director Brian Murphy at the podium to acknowledge her coworkers’ CDI efforts at the start of this year’s ACDIS Conference.

CDI Journal: Who has been your biggest supporter?

McGrady: Irina Zusman has been my biggest supporter. She has been an excellent mentor and is a natural teacher.

CDI Journal: What do you like most about your job?

McGrady: I like that it is constantly changing. I also really enjoy when providers see the value in what we are trying to do and why we ask questions. It is so satisfying when to be seen as an asset to outcome reports and quality.

CDI Journal: What do you think this milestone will mean for your career in the future?

McGrady: I think that this milestone is a big motivator to keep pushing the limits of CDI and the importance of staying engaged as the role of CDI evolves.

It has been great to meet so many people from the ACDIS local and national membership and to realize that there are resources out there for CDI.

CDI Journal: What do you like least?

McGrady: It is never fun when the CDI program is viewed as a nuisance. When we are perceived as an annoyance, we try to turn it into a challenge and not get discouraged. Thankfully, the NYU team keeps humor in our day to day, and this helps.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

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Selfies and staff

Photo by JAlonzo Photography A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the MedPartners CDI crew dressed up like Star Wars characters and kidnapped the life-sized poster version of ACDIS Director Brian Murphy.

The ACDIS staff thought they’d surprise Director Brian Murphy with a life-size poster of the man himself and encourage attendees to snap a selfie with either the real-life version or his paper doppelgänger.

Judging from the photos on the app, the ploy proved more than successful. Murphy had some suspicions when attendees started to approach him asking for a selfie, but it wasn’t until halfway through the first day when one attendee approached cheering “I found the real you!” that he pressed for more details and discovered the trick. From then on, Murphy was often found lurking near his poster self and popping out to photobomb himself in pictures. Staff members and attendees also made sure to bring the poster version with them—kidnapping him for escalator rides, conference sessions, and the occasional late-afternoon snack.

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Photo by JAlonzo Photography Laurie Prescott and Sharme Brodie steal the Brian Murphy poster for the panel discussions. The only problem was getting him up the escalator. Maybe the elevator would have been easier.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

Selfies and staff While most ACDIS members and conference attendees are familiar with the core ACDIS team and its Boot Camp instructors, the conference is also made possible by a tremendous amount of support from our larger parent company HCPro, a division of BLR/Fortis Media Group. More than 20 individuals came with us to this year’s ACDIS conference, and each played a vital role in ensuring attendees’ expectations were exceeded. Handling technical difficulties, moderating sessions, assisting at registration, ­working with ­exhibitors,

­ anning the bookstores, amending badges, helping m with the app, calling out raffle winners, directing attendees through the conference center—these staff members did it all and then some. Many staff stayed up late into the evenings on-site. Several worked overtime in the weeks before the conference. One especially dedicated individual even snuck back into the office late at night to make sure a particular detail was handled correctly.

We cannot thank them enough.

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Boot Camp instructors Laurie Prescott and Sharme Brodie get photobombed by CCDS Coordinator Penny Richards.

Photo by JAlonzo Photography

Photo by JAlonzo Photography

Courtesy photo

HCPro Vice President Elizabeth Petersen discusses challenges in CDI with conference attendee Wendy Frushon Tsaninos.

ACDIS Editor Katherine Rushlau gets a turn with posterBrian. He just told her what a great job she’s doing at her first ACDIS Conference.

ACDIS Customer Service Specialist Melissa Kettleson and ACDIS Associate Director Melissa Varnavas take a moment near the ACDIS booth.

Poster presentations

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Jeanne Bradbury and Angela Boyers-Keels from Baylor Health in Texas wait for guests to chat about their poster presentation regarding CDI collaboration.

Every year, volunteers step forward to share their facility’s expertise on a given CDI-related topic. These lessons, often hands-on, provide ACDIS attendees a first-person perspective into how CDI programs can effectively manage staff, advance CDI practices, expand into new arenas, and engage with other departments. More than 30 posters were presented at this year’s ACDIS conference, and hundreds attended the presentations’ open hours. The exhibit hall was buzzing with new ideas as participants chatted, networked, and jotted down notes to take home to their facilties.

Photos of all the presentations, along with a onepage description of their area of concentration, can be found under the conference materials section on the Forms & Tools Library in the ACDIS website.

Special thanks to the following presenters: ■■ Dee Banet, Norton Healthcare: CDI process

improvement initiatives ■■ Steve Bonny, RecordsOne: CDI lessons learned ■■ Jennifer Bratz, Wellstar Health System: Outpatient CDI ■■ Megan Buryn, Denver HMC: Audits and interven-

tions to improve pediatric documentation Photo by JAlonzo Photography Katy Good shares ideas during the poster presentation session at the ACDIS Conference.

■■ Rebecca Comstock, Regions Hospital: Audit risks

in cerebral edema and metabolic encephalopathy ■■ Tina Drake, Dartmouth Hitchcock: Improve docu-

mentation of diagnoses on the active problem list ■■ Sheila Duhon, Tenet Healthcare: CDI and coding

working as a team ■■ Patricia Durgin, Mass General Hospital: Calculate

and graph financial impact of CDI activities ■■ Cathy Farraher, Newton Wellesley Hospital: How

KISS (Keep It Simple and Sometimes Silly) was used to teach clinicians documentation specifics ■■ Judi Gill, Flagstaff Medical Center: Build provider

compliance

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Megan Buryn offers example of physician tip cards and discusses pediatric CDI efforts at her facility.

■■ Donna Hopkins, Novia Strategies: Lean problem

solving using A3 thinking for CDI

■■ Carrie Horn, Spectrum Health: CCAP program and

physician rounding ■■ Sudha Joseph, RJW University Hospital: Using an

audience response system to teach documentation ■■ Andrea Kelly, Brigham and Women’s Hospital:

Queries as part of the medical record ■■ Anna Kramer, Barnes Jewish Hospital: Oncology

scenarios using ICD-10 coding ■■ Joyce Kutin, University of Iowa: Malnutrition

■■ Donna Smith-Martell, Ochsner Health System:

Changing the infrastructure of CDI orientation ■■ Baylor Health: Integration, collaboration, and

­communication ■■ Briggs Strelow, NYU Langone Medical Center:

Using technology to optimize EMR to better partner with providers ■■ Deanne Wilk, Peak Health Solutions: Continued

physician engagement for your CDI program

non-blinded study of two inpatient units ■■ Cynthia Mead, Flagstaff Medical Center: Effective

use of CDI in denial process ■■ Jennifer Miller, Banner Health: CDI educator job

description, role summary, functions, and benefits ■■ Diana Ortiz, Oscher Health System: Reinvention of

reconciliation ■■ Greg Palmer, Cleveland Clinic: Computer-assisted

coding for CDI ■■ Valerie Parent, Eastern Maine Medical Center: CDI

and coding’s retrospective review process ■■ Gabriella Pearlman, Huntington Memorial Hospital:

CDI for medical residents ■■ Autumn Reiter, Chesapeake RMC: Physician

education: Words that work

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Tara Rogers discusses how to conduct a Lean assessment for CDI best practices.

■■ MaryKate Rentschler, Denver HMC: Medical

necessity and LOC: Make the right choice from the start ■■ Linda Rhodes, New Hanover RMC: ICD-10 educa-

tion: CDI and hospitalist group ■■ Melody Rhodes, Flagstaff Medical Center: CDI’s

positive impact on quality/core measures ■■ Lea Rice, Peak Health Solutions: CDI physician

advisor: Improving physician engagement ■■ Jayme Roberts, Gollisano Children’s Hospital:

Opportunities for expanding CDI to capture quality in pediatrics and NICU ■■ Tara Rogers, e4 Services: Mentorship model for

training new CDIs ■■ Letitia Rushin, Wellstar Health System: Outpatient

CDI in the ambulatory setting ■■ Kerry Seekircher, Northern Westchester Hospital:

Head to toe mortality review

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Letitia Rushin and Jennifer Bratz created this poster, titled “Wellstar Health System: Navigating outpatient clinical documentation in the ambulatory setting.”

Photo by JAlonzo Photography The largest room in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center just fit the entire conference—more than 1,500 people.

Conference Committee offers ACDIS insight ACDIS thanks the following volunteers who served on the 2015 Conference Committee. The committee reviews all speaker applications, sets the conference agenda, reviews submitted materials, and chooses the CDI Professional of the Year as well as the two recipients of the Recognition of CDI Professional Achievement awards. This year’s committee included: ■■ Adelaide La Rosa ■■ Bernadette Slovensky ■■ Celine Collins ■■ Colleen Martin ■■ James Kennedy ■■ Karen Bridgeman ■■ Leah Taylor ■■ Linnea Thennes ■■ Margaret Stephens ■■ Michelle McCormack ■■ Shelia Bullock ■■ Susan Hawkins ■■ Tracy Boldt

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ACDIS asked a couple of volunteers to answer a few questions about their involvement with the association and their work on the committee.

Q: How did you first get involved in ACDIS? A: Two of this year’s Conference Committee members found ACDIS through their local chapter networking groups. Bernadette Slovensky, RN, MSN, CCDS, medicine coordinator for clinical documentation improvement, revenue integrity at Stony Brook (New York) Medicine, now heads the local Long Island chapter, and Colleen Martin, RN, MS, CCDS, CDI specialist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Regional Hospital, joined the New Hampshire ACDIS chapter in 2010 before becoming a national ACDIS member. ACDIS currently has more than 40 local chapters across the country, which meet to provide CDI professionals with education and outreach regarding documentation improvement, clinical matters, and coding information.

James S. Kennedy, MD, CCS, CDIP, president of CDIMD—Physician Champions in Smyrna, Tennessee,

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

joined ACDIS early on. “I gravitated to ACDIS given their affinity for clinicians willing to address challenges in the ICD-9-CM code set. It’s been great ever since,” he says.

Q: Why did you choose to volunteer for the ACDIS Conference Committee?

A: “To serve the CDI community, and to provide a physician perspective of the impending challenges with the ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation and the changes in risk adjustment with the Affordable Care Act,” Kennedy says.

“For the opportunity to review all of the really outstanding presentations that were submitted. It was a great chance to see what other departments were doing, and what their successes and struggles are,” Slovensky says.

“I volunteered on the ACDIS program committee to become more involved in the organization,” Martin says. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she continued to offer her services—she has been on the committee for the past three years.

“Interacting and networking with all of the other very impressive committee members, and planning for the best mix of presentations for San Antonio,” Slovensky says.

“The best part of volunteering is the networking and the new friends I have made during the process,” says Martin. “The challenging part of volunteering is reviewing all the submissions and trying to choose the best presentation that will meet the expectations of the attendees.”

Q: What are some of your San Antonio memories?

A: For Kennedy, it was hearing from others how much they enjoyed the conference. For Martin, it was catching up with old CDI friends from across the country and meeting new colleagues from her home state on one of San Antonio’s famous river boat cruises—and, of course, “attending the best conference to date,” she says.

Q: What was the most challenging part of volunteering?

Although Slovensky couldn’t make the trip to Texas

A: “Time! So much to do, so little time,” says Kennedy.

herself this year, she says she is looking forward to the 2016 conference in Atlanta!

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Just what we love to see at the annual ACDIS conference—packed full rooms with engaged people enjoying the lessons being shared.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

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Sponsors and exhibitors engage attendees The ACDIS Conference simply wouldn’t exist without the efforts of its sponsors and exhibitors, who offer an amazing array of products and services. Not only do our exhibitors offer valuable information and expertise—attendees look forward to discussions with their staff as an integral part of their conference experience,

returning to the exhibit hall again and again to ask follow-up questions—but they do so with the same level of engagement and energy as our attendees.

This year, exhibitors sang songs, dressed in costume, did arts and crafts, donated raffle items, and so much more.

Photo by JAlonzo Photography

Photo by JAlonzo Photography

Jonathan Elion, MD, FACC, founder and CEO of ChartWise Medical Systems, serenades ACDIS attendees from the exhibit hall floor.

Margaret Stephens, RN, MSN, CCDS, CDI manager at Huntsville Hospital in Alabama (and a 2015 Conference Committee member), wins a raffle prize.

Courtesy photo Mimicking Ellen DeGeneres’ now famous 2015 Oscar “selfie,” Conference Committee member Shelia Bullock gathers ACDIS Conference panelists and audience members together for this shot.

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© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Photo by Michelle Leppert Mary Ann Genovese, associate webcast and events producer for HCPro and ACDIS exhibitor coordinator, has some fun with photographer and JustCoding Editor Michelle Leppert.

Talk 10 Tuesdays, a live podcast, broadcast from the ACDIS exhibit hall floor throughout the conference. Here Kim T. Charland, BA, RHIT, CCS, senior vice president of clinical innovation at Panacea Healthcare Solutions, Inc., laughs with guests during an “on air” session.

Photo by JAlonzo Photography Each of the conference center’s four tracks was consistently filled.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

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Photo by JAlonzo Photography At left, Valerie Parent of Eastern Maine Medical Center joins a fellow conference attendee in front of a poster on mortality reviews. Parent also had a presentation poster that explored CDI and coding’s retrospective review process.

Photo by JAlonzo Photography ACDIS Conference attendees used the app to snap selfies.

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Courtesy photo ACDIS/HCPro staff pack up the bookstore at the close of the conference.

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

http://promos.hcpro.com/html/2015ACDIS_Sponsors.html

Title Sponsor

Welcome Reception Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

Exhibitors

© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®

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http://promos.hcpro.com/html/2015ACDIS_Sponso

Thank you to all our sponsors and exhibitors.

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© 2015 HCPro, a division of BLR.®