AHDI News

AHDI 2017 Conference Summary

By Sheila Guston, CHDS, AHDI-F

The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) held its annual Healthcare Documentation Integrity Conference at the Hilton Palacio Del Rio in San Antonio from July 13–15. More than 130 members took advantage of this opportunity to combine education and networking with the beauty of the San Antonio River Walk and the history of the Alamo.

The National Leadership Board welcomed the following newly elected directors effective September 1: Mary Reeves, CHDS; Carol Waddell, CMT, AHDI-F; and LeeAnn Wilmot, CHDS, CHTS-CP, AHDI-F. Officers for next year were also elected, with Jay Vance, CMT, CHP, AHDI-F, as president elect; Judy Lichtenberger, RHIT, CHDS, AHDI-F, CHTS-TR, as treasurer; and Kirk Calabrese, CMT, MA, as secretary working with Leigh Anne Frame, CHDS, AHDI-F, as president and the author as past president.

Sherry Martin, CMT, AHDI-F; Joyce Smith, AHDI-F; and Diane Warth, CHDS, RHIT, CPC, AHDI-F, were recognized and thanked for their years of dedication and service to the National Leadership Board as their terms come to an end.

The conference kicked off with a welcome reception sponsored by AHDI’s premier sponsor, M*Modal. Each year M*Modal takes this opportunity to recognize top performers among their industry peers.

Keynote presentations included Karl Klose, PhD, “The Rise of the Superbugs: Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria,” as well as Reed Gelzer, MD, MPH, and Darice Grzybowski, MA, RHIA, FAHIMA, who spoke individually on the state of the EHR today.

AHDI is honored to partner with Gelzer as an advocate in spreading their vision and mission: preserving the patient’s story. His message, “We’re working on the future, come join us!” couldn’t have been more inspiring and certainly connected to this year’s conference theme of “Onward! Together Toward Tomorrow.” With energy and passion, Grzybowski spoke to the risks and issues identified with automated documentation in today’s EHR.

The 2017 Integrity Awards recognized Sue Krajewski, CHDS, AHDI-F, as Educator of the Year; Mayo Clinic Documentation Services as Employer of the Year; Angela Allison, CHDS, for Excellence in Credentialing; AHDI-West Region for the Membership Impact Award; Valerie Purdy, CHDS, as Member of the Year; and student Molly Ferriter received the Rising Star Award. Additionally, the AHDI Board of Directors awarded Kat King, ASHI, AHDI-F, with a Distinguished Service Award and Karen Fox-Acosta, CHDS, AHDI-F, with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Educational sessions did not disappoint with two tracks for attendees to choose from. The National Leadership Board hosted a Cyber Crime Roundtable forum in response to the cyberattack that greatly impacted the industry in the weeks before the conference. Dynamic discussion was held around emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, contingency planning, and the importance of communication, leaving attendees with much to consider.

The second annual T3 Summit, sponsored by AHDI’s Managers/Supervisors Alliance, was also on point addressing today’s trend changers and trendsetters in two separate sessions.

Next year AHDI celebrates the conference’s 40th anniversary in Orlando, Florida. We would love to have you join us as we “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, and Shape the Future.”

— Sheila Guston, CHDS, AHDI-F, is the 2016–2017 president of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity.