8:00 AM CDT - Tuesday, Apr 21
Opening Remarks From ACDIS: Empower Today & Transform Tomorrow
Join ACDIS Director Rebecca Hendren and CDI Education Director Deanne Wilk for a warm welcome to the conference, where they’ll share tips for navigating the next three days of education and a few conference-related announcements.
Keynote Session: PUNCH IT MARGARET!®: Dancing Through Discomfort, Change, and the Messy Middle
Change can be intimidating. Whether it’s a bold new idea, organizational transformation, evolving industries, rapidly modernizing technology (AI, anyone?), or personal transitions, the uncertainty of change can leave us freaking out and paralyzed. But here’s the truth: Change isn’t going away. Shoot, it’s the only thing we can count on in today’s lightning-fast world. The question is, how do you find the courage to face it head-on and get through it with maybe an ounce of grace? In this dynamic and energizing keynote, change leadership authority Anne Bonney will empower you to step boldly into the unknown. Drawing from her acclaimed book, GET OVER IT! and her personal experiences and accomplishments, Anne delivers practical tools, high-energy insights, and a whole lot of fire to help build the confidence and resilience to navigate change like a pro. This isn’t just a keynote; it’s a rallying cry to embrace the challenges of transition with courage and resilience.
9:00 AM CDT - Tuesday, Apr 21
Building Blocks of Pediatric CDI
Many CDI programs focus solely on adult visits, so clinical indicators are often based on adult levels and guidelines. However, it is important for CDI to support the capture of conditions and accurate documentation from the start; it is also important for physicians and organizations to support the establishment of relevant pediatric markers and guidance. This session will highlight the importance of pediatric CDI reviews. The speaker will discuss common pediatric diagnoses, conditions that impact risk adjustment, and electronic health record features that should be tweaked for pediatric programs. Additionally, the speaker will discuss the value of capturing social determinants of health in the pediatric population.
EMR Express: Riding the L to Better Cancer Documentation
Join the University of Chicago team for an in-depth discussion of neoplasm coding and sequencing as they draw from their efforts to improve documentation and code capture for cancer sites and common cancer-related conditions. The speakers will explain the importance of accurately capturing metastatic cancer. Recognizing the challenges pathology report queries pose for CDI specialists and physicians alike, they’ll also share strategies for success.
Fix the Front, Win the Back: Using Data and AI to Get Ahead of Denials
Healthcare denials are higher today than ever before. Statistics show that, on average, 15% of all initial claims are denied, more than half of which are then overturned with appeals. This takes a huge toll on health systems as they must rework their cases and spend additional money just to get paid for the services they have provided to patients. In this session, the speakers will showcase their health system’s approach to identify and get ahead of denials by using data and AI algorithms. Particularly, they will discuss three tactics that have had a huge impact to the health system and protected tens of millions of dollars in revenue.
Heart to Heart: How Provider Engagement Pumped New Life Into Our CT Surgery Documentation
After one organization determined that it underperformed in cardiac surgery DRGs when compared to its peers, it embarked on a journey to improve. In this session, the speaker will share the methods used to identify improvement opportunities, such as data analysis and auditing, and discuss how they identified health system resources and garnered administrative and clinical support. Additionally, the speaker will discuss the rollout of interventions, such as creating system clinical definitions for heart failure and acute pulmonary insufficiency, establishing a query escalation process, and collaborating with providers on documentation templates. Plus, attendees will review the metrics used to determine the success of the interventions.
Optimizing Case-Mix Index Through Service Line Analytics and Targeted Documentation Tools
Hear how one organization sought to improve case-mix index across the health system by launching an initiative that leveraged analytics, targeted documentation strategies, and real-time dashboards. Using Vizient benchmark data, the organization conducted a comparative analysis of inpatient service line performance that empowered service-line leaders with actionable insights at the DRG level and informed targeted education on compliant documentation practices. To enable sustainable improvement and reduce reliance on retrospective CDI queries, they also embedded smart documentation tools directly into the electronic medical record. Attendees will learn how this systemwide, data-driven approach has enhanced CDI, strengthened service line strategy, and improved reimbursement, all while supporting provider workflows.
11:00 AM CDT - Tuesday, Apr 21
AI 101: How AI May Support Mid-Revenue Cycle Goals
This presentation will offer a deep dive into how AI can be used as a tool in the middle revenue cycle. With the goal of removing stigma and creating informed consumers, the speaker will define AI and its various types, paying close attention to human-centered AI. Attendees will learn how to maximize the benefits of AI in a responsible way and evaluate its potential uses in CDI and revenue cycle departments.
Leading With Care: Empowering CDI Teams to Thrive Beyond Burnout
This session will explore the current state of burnout in the CDI field, highlighting its unique drivers and consequences. Attendees will learn how to recognize early signs of burnout and will gain actionable tools to foster personal and collective resilience. The speakers will examine the critical role leadership plays in cultivating a culture of well-being and share practical strategies that empower CDI teams to feel more connected, valued, and supported. Using survey data, the speakers will identify common pain points and opportunities for improvement, while also offering techniques that CDI professionals can integrate into their routines to reduce stress and improve emotional regulation.
Pediatric Sepsis: Early Recognition, Accurate Coding, and Improved Outcomes
Pediatric sepsis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children, but timely recognition, standardized treatment, and accurate documentation can make a critical difference. This session will explore the clinical, operational, and coding aspects of pediatric sepsis. Attendees will learn the importance of early identification and intervention, review clinical standard work practices, and gain insight into the composite four-organ system model used for diagnosis. Through real-world case examples, the speakers will also explore proper sequencing and documentation to ensure coding accurately reflects the patient’s severity and complexity of illness.
TEAMing Up for Value: Navigating CMS’ Transforming Episode Accountability Model
The Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), introduced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is a five-year, mandatory, episode-based payment model set to commence on January 1, 2026. It aims to enhance care coordination and reduce costs for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing specific surgical procedures, including lower extremity joint replacement, surgical hip and femur fracture treatment, spinal fusion, coronary artery bypass graft, and major bowel procedures. In this session, the speakers will identify the structure and purpose of TEAM, discuss financial and quality accountability mechanisms, and offer tips to prepare for implementation.
What Providers See: Writing Queries That Work
This fast-paced session gives CDI specialists a behind-the-scenes look at how physicians interpret queries—and why some get answered inappropriately or even ignored. The speaker will break down real examples, highlight what makes a query fly (or flop), and empower you to efficiently craft queries that get answered the first time. Overcome common barriers to provider engagement as you experience less frustration and more documentation wins.
1:00 PM CDT - Tuesday, Apr 21
Better Together: How CDI and Coding Can Collaborate for Optimal Outcomes
While coding and CDI are two distinct teams, ultimately, they have the same goals: improved documentation, better quality outcomes, patient safety and satisfaction, and optimal MS-DRG assignment. This session will explore ProMedica Healthcare System's journey to build essential team relationships and collaboration between inpatient coding and CDI. Learn how the organization streamlined communication, shared goals, and built relationships that fostered professionalism and mutual respect, uncovering new efficiencies.
Documentation That Counts: Optimizing Billing, Quality, and Medical Necessity in Hospital Care
Documentation in the medical record is utilized for a multitude of purposes, including professional and facility charges, quality reporting, and medical necessity. This session will examine medical decision-making guidelines and the necessary components for compliant coding and billing of visits as well as the required documentation for hospitals to compliantly optimize their case-mix index and quality metrics and avoid denials. The speakers will provide clear, focused guidance on effective documentation practices designed to optimize these areas, reduce medical necessity denials, and prevent superfluous or excessive notes.
Heart Failure: Documentation Caveats and Considerations for Coding Precision
In this session, the speaker will discuss clinical and coding considerations for heart failure, including the importance of specifying acuity and etiology. Attendees will learn pertinent coding conventions, cardiovascular pathology, and conditions that can affect principal diagnosis selection. Through case studies and real-life examples, the speaker will illustrate common query opportunities, the use of clinical indicators, and the application of coding guidelines.
How to Get Your Team to Embrace, Not Fear, AI
Using lessons learned from their successful experience utilizing AI in the clinical setting, Novant Health recently implemented AI to support their CDI specialists within the healthcare revenue cycle. Since then, AI has empowered the CDI teams to review 100% of charts and work at the top of their license, elevating efficiency, clinical accuracy, and team satisfaction. However, the key to their success goes beyond simply adopting a clinical AI system. Join the speakers as they discuss how leaders can get teams on board with new technology like clinical AI, overcome common sources of resistance, and provide tactical guidance for engagement during and beyond implementation.
Layer by Layer, Like a Deep Dish Pizza: Building a Neonatal CDI Program in the Heart of Chicago
The University of Chicago Medicine strove to establish a CDI program tailored to their Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which manages a high-acuity, complex neonatal population. Despite their efforts, data indicated that severity of illness and risk of mortality metrics did not reflect the expected acuity when compared to similar NICUs. The organization thus developed a dedicated NICU CDI team to identify opportunities to optimize documentation, improve query processes, and enhance coding accuracy, ultimately reflecting the true clinical acuity of the NICU's population. This session will discuss their approach, targeted diagnoses, early successes, lessons learned, and plans for growth.
3:00 PM CDT - Tuesday, Apr 21
Advancing CDI Through Mentorship: A Bidirectional Model for Professional and Personal Development
Mentorship plays a pivotal role in healthcare training and is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone for enhancing workforce performance, engagement, and growth. By creating meaningful learning opportunities, mentorship fosters the acquisition and refinement of both clinical and nonclinical skills, while simultaneously promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. This session will explore mentorship as a structured approach to enhancing not only clinical competence, but also professional identity, organizational belonging, and ethical awareness. By strengthening mentorship practices within diverse healthcare settings, we can better support individual and team growth; foster resilience; and model best practices for a high-performing CDI program.
Cerebral Edema for CDI Specialists
Understanding when to query for cerebral edema and which clinical indicators support the query choices can be challenging for CDI specialists. Unclear language, or terminology that doesn’t align with a specific code, can make this task even more difficult. This session will explore clinical indications that support querying for cerebral edema, offering a better understanding of this potentially life-threatening condition that CDI specialists commonly encounter in record reviews.
Empowering Change: A Unified Approach to Improving Mortality Outcomes
In the pursuit of excellence in healthcare, understanding and improving mortality metrics is paramount. At Essentia Health, the team has harnessed the power of collaboration through a multidisciplinary mortality review process. This initiative brings together diverse experts to analyze mortality cases across the system, including CDI specialists, physician and advanced practice professional advisors, coding professionals, quality leaders, sepsis program leadership, and stroke coordinators. By fostering open dialogue and sharing insights, the teams empower each other to identify opportunities for improvement and implement effective strategies, enhancing documentation. Join the speakers as they explore how this collaborative approach drives meaningful change.
Leveraging Technology to Build a Strong CDI and Coding Bond
Torrance Memorial Medical Center has evolved significantly in the past decade, rebuilding its CDI team, shifting its coders to remote work, and embracing technology. While both CDI and coding have been successful, the need to bridge the silos and collaborate eventually became apparent. Join this session to learn how the CDI and coding teams used technology to build trust and develop a strong working relationship. The speakers will discuss what criteria they used to evaluate various technology solutions, how they were able to secure staff buy-in, and what effect this collaboration had on the overall organization.
Pediatric Neurocomplexity: Decoding Clinical Nuances of Autoimmune Encephalitis and Autonomic Dysfunction in Children
Autoimmune encephalitis and autonomic dysfunction are complex neurologic diagnoses in pediatrics that are often underrecognized as causes of neurologic deterioration. In children, the manifestations of autoimmune encephalitis can range from subtle behavioral changes to fulminant neuropsychiatric syndromes, often mimicking infectious, metabolic, or primary psychiatric conditions. Autonomic dysfunction characterized by dysregulation of heart rate, blood pressure, gastrointestinal motility, and thermoregulation is often confused for functional or peripheral causes. In this session, the speakers will clarify these clinical complexities through diagnostic pathways. Additionally, they will discuss the clinical features, imaging, and laboratory testing that help clinically validate these diagnoses.
4:00 PM CDT - Tuesday, Apr 21
Discover ACDIS Membership and Meet Your CDI Family
Join the ACDIS team as we explore how ACDIS membership can empower you to take the next steps in your CDI career. Learn more about the exclusive benefits available to members, including the CDI Journal, white papers, theCDI Salary Survey, quarterly calls, the ACDIS Forum, our electronic resource library, and special discounts.
Get Credentialed: An Introduction to the CCDS and CCDS-O
Join the ACDIS team for a discussion on how earning your CCDS or CCDS-O credential can take you to the next step in your career. The speakers will explain the general domains that the exams cover, how to apply and prepare, and what it’s like to sit for in-person or remote proctored exams.