ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI

ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI

Saturday, May 3 – Sunday, May 4, 2025 | Kissimmee, FL

Discover your CDI program’s potential at the ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI, a two-day event dedicated exclusively to clinical documentation integrity (CDI) efforts in the outpatient and ambulatory settings.

The ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI offers comprehensive sessions for both managers/leaders and clinical chart reviewers, including how to get started in the ambulatory setting, crafting compliant queries, collecting and analyzing metrics, and demonstrating return on investment. With two tracks on Day 2, there are options for attendees of all experience levels. Plus, take advantage of the many networking opportunities to connect with and learn from your peers!

Smaller and more intimate than the annual ACDIS conference, the ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI provides an unmatched opportunity to listen to case studies from organizations with successful programs and equip yourself with practical resources and information that you can implement immediately.

Special Features:

• Networking Reception: Get to know your peers and chat with our exhibitors during a social hour at the end of the first day.
• Exhibitors: Visit the exhibit hall dedicated exclusively to outpatient CDI and learn more about the innovative solutions available to you.
• Keynote Speaker: Kick off two days of learning with an invigorating and empowering keynote session.

Attending both ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI and the 2025 ACDIS National Conference? Kick off a week of learning and save 15% on this event with your ACDIS conference registration.

ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI

Agenda

Saturday, May 3, 2025

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Registration and Networking Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks From ACDIS

8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Keynote: Free Your Brilliance™: Move Beyond Any Limits
Nina Meehan

In this inspirational keynote, Nina helps audiences uncover and overcome the barriers blocking team collaboration, innovation, and growth. By addressing feelings of defeat, uncertainty, lack of focus, and fear of change or failure, Nina provides a road map to identify and move past obstacles, offering a formula to clarify goals, motivations, and strategies. Audiences will leave equipped with tools to tackle modern challenges through enhanced creativity, communication, and connection, empowering their organizations to solve big problems and achieve unprecedented success.

9:25 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.
Clinical Validation: A Comparison of Inpatient and Ambulatory Arenas
Joanne Wilson RN, CCDS, and Michael Dagenais, BSN, RN, CCDS

In this session, the speakers will compare the inpatient and outpatient settings and identify the key differences and nuances of shoring up your claims in the ambulatory arena to prevent denials. Additionally, they will review existing industry guidance and offer concrete clinical examples, including how to use MEAT criteria to ensure the documentation supports the diagnoses.

10:25 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Networking Break

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Building an Emergency Department (ED) Program
Eleazar Rada, MBA, BHM, CCS, CDIP, CRC, and Charles Reginald Ahlfield, MBA-HA, BSHI, RN-BC

Join this session to understand the effects of building an outpatient emergency department (ED) CDI program. The speakers will discuss how they identified key stakeholders and assembled the CDI team, the systems and tools used in building the program, and the HCCs that are most overlooked in the ED setting. Attendees will also learn how to create an effective and meaningful ED CDI query process.

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Networking Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Advocate Health's Comprehensive Annual Visit Program: Leveraging CDI to Inspire Measurable Change in Patient Care
Jessica Vaughn, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CCDS, CCDS-O, CRC; Vivian Gonzalez, MS; and Tara Gagner, MS, APRN, ANP-BC

Advocate Health’s Condition Management and Documentation department uses creative thinking in its initiatives to improve patient outcomes by focusing on coded data and documentation validation to drive clinical interventions. Its Comprehensive Annual Visit program, an in-home program that delivers care at the convenience of the patient, closes healthcare gaps while reducing costs and positively impacting value-based funding. This session will demonstrate how the team used actionable hospital data to fund an ambulatory care program, created algorithms to ensure appropriate patient outreach, and leveraged CDI specialists to review charts and nurse practitioners to drive care models.

2:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Po-TAY-toe/Po-TAH-toe, Does the Wording Really Matter (or Should I Say Matta?): Documentation for ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding
Shannon McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, CRC, CCDS, CCDS-O

Specific words used in provider documentation are vital for supporting ICD-10-CM diagnosis code assignment. The role of the CDI specialist is to filter what verbiage is used and identify possible impacts on code assignment and reimbursement. This session will cover documentation strategies to assist CDI specialists in their pursuit to capture the most accurate and complete diagnosis codes for an outpatient encounter.

3:10 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Networking Break

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Writing a Compliant CDI Query
Sarah Matacale, RN, BSN, CCS, CCDS, and Nicole Nodal-Rodriguez, MSN, RN, CCDS

This presentation will walk through the compliant components of a CDI query and explain the elements discussed in the ACDIS/AHIMA practice brief Guidelines for Achieving a Compliant Query Practice. Attendees will also work through realistic case scenarios to create compliant CDI queries.

4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception

Sunday, May 4, 2025

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Networking Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Track 1: Building the Foundation for an Outpatient CDI Program
Heather R. Smith, MA, CPC, CPMA; Linda Speer, MD; and Susan Carrier, RN, BSN, MBA, CPC, CCDS, CCDS-O

This session will detail the University of Toledo’s journey to develop an outpatient CDI program. The panel of speakers will discuss the steps required for implementation of a CDI program, make policy recommendations, and provide key performance indicators and other metrics for measuring program success.

Track 2: Inspiring Your Outpatient CDI Program to Expand Past Basic Reviews
Danielle Wirth, BSN, RN, CCDS, CCDS-O, and Melissa Jones, BSN, RN, CCDS-O

Learn how to expand an outpatient CDI program beyond primary care providers by revisiting priorities to allow for specialty reviews. The speakers will explain how to determine which specialties CDI should expand into, what queries or diagnoses to focus on, and the top areas of opportunity. Plus, they'll propose various options for educating providers and CDI staff.

9:10 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.

Track 1: Overcoming Barriers in Outpatient CDI
Colleen Gianatasio, CPC, CPC-P, CPMA, CRC, CPPM, CDEO,CPCO, CCS, CCDS-O, CHC

There are many challenges to running a successful outpatient CDI program. Join this interactive session to discuss the barriers these programs face and learn how to overcome them. Specifically, the speaker will focus on provider engagement, electronic medical record issues, training a team, and managing vendor partners.

Track 2: Coding Intensity Differences: Why Does It Matter?
April D. L. Russell, MBA, CCDS-O, COC, CPC, CPC-P, CRC; Diane Pittman, CPC, CRC, CPMA, CCDS-O; and Jean Anne Jones, CPC, CCS-P, CCDS-O

The speakers will dive deeply into the disparities in coding intensity between fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage, as well as other risk adjustment coding methodologies. They will examine how both provider and payer organizations adhere to Medicare and ICD-10-CM coding standards to accurately assign codes to patient encounters. Additionally, the discussion will include case studies that highlight the differences in coding intensity between these systems.

10:10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Networking Break

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Track 1: Growing Your Outpatient CDI Team
Kenzi Brooks, CCDS-O, CCS, CRC, COC, CPC-A, and Tanna Lambert, RHIA, CCS, CCDS-O

Hear firsthand how WVU Medicine built their CDI team. Members of the team will discuss what skills and education they looked for in candidates in addition to other factors they considered. With a multidisciplinary team consisting of coders, a registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, and a nurse practitioner, the speakers will also discuss how they trained employees with different backgrounds, as well as other challenges they faced while growing their outpatient CDI team.

Track 2: Catch That Claim: Ensuring Accurate Code and HCC Capture
Nichole Gaddis, RHIA, CCDS-O, COC, CRC, and Drew Walker, CCDS-O, CPC, CRC

This session will explore the benefits of reviewing outpatient post-visit documentation and claims before they are submitted for reimbursement to validate accuracy, collect query data, and ensure documentation integrity. The speakers will discuss how they established work queues, processes, and rules for post-visit auditors/coders to review claims before submission. Plus, they’ll explain how they >trained staff to identify HCCs and documentation in need of a second-level review and to better understand the fundamentals of risk adjustment.

11:30 a.m. – 12:35 p.m.
Networking Lunch

12:35 p.m. – 1:35 p.m.

Track 1: Inspiring the Problem List to No Longer Be a Problem
Nicole Barber, BSN, RN, CCDS-O, CPC-A, and Melissa Jones, BSN, RN, CCDS-O

Navigating the problem list is a challenge that all organizations face. This presentation reviews the challenges associated with keeping the problem list up to date and explores how outpatient CDI staff members can alleviate this burden. Learn how policies and procedures can promote cohesive collaboration between providers and the CDI team.

Track 2: Awakening Excellence: CDI Rounding Model for Ambulatory Risk Adjustment
John Stoebe, JD, MHA

Learn how the Northwestern ambulatory CDI team uses a CDI rounding model to enhance documentation accuracy, improve provider education, foster collaboration, reduce audit risks, and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes. Using a popular fairytale as a metaphor, this presentation will illustrate the transformative effects of accurate clinical documentation and the importance of continuous provider engagement.

1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Track 1: Sustained Impact of Targeted Diagnosis Focus in Ambulatory CDI
Jenny Peters, RN, BSN, ONC, and Kayte Wuelling, RN, BSN

Realize the impact that an ambulatory CDI team can have on a targeted diagnosis—morbid obesity—by identifying criteria for accurate capture. Through templates, provider education, and a status code policy, an ambulatory CDI team will explain how they were able to increase capture of this diagnosis. Plus, learn metrics that can be used to demonstrate this sustained impact at a system level.

Track 2: Facility-Based Outpatient CDI: E/M and More!
Kim Conner, BSN, CCDS, CCDS-O, and Adriane Martin, DO, FACOS, ACPA-C, CCDS

This session outlines the development of a unique CDI program tailored for facility-based billing in outpatient settings, including emergency department, same-day surgery, and observation units. Unlike traditional CDI programs that focus on professional billing, this approach emphasizes the critical nuances of facility-based billing, ensuring comprehensive capture of clinical documentation to optimize reimbursement, enhance compliance, and improve patient care. Attendees will gain practical strategies to implement and sustain a successful CDI program in their outpatient facilities, driving both clinical excellence and operational efficiency.

— Agenda subject to change —

ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI

Learning Outcomes

After attending this event, learners will be able to:

• Identify best practices for reviewing outpatient documentation
• Describe strategies for starting or improving an outpatient CDI program
• Demonstrate how to construct a complaint query in the outpatient setting

ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI

Location

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
6000 West Osceola Parkway
Kissimmee, FL, 34746

Room rate: $234.00 + $38.00 resort fee*/night
Hotel cut-off date: Thursday, April 10, 2025
Marriott Reservation: 407-586-2000 referring to Event code, ACDIS Conference
Reservations URL: Coming Soon!
Hotel website: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/mcogp-gaylord-palms-resort-and-convention-center/overview/ 

* The prevailing daily resort fee, will cover several in-room amenities which include: 

• Resort Wide Internet Access: 
  • Enhanced in-room wireless Internet Access for up to six (6) devices 
  • Basic Wireless Internet Access in Public Areas and Convention Center on a Shared Network. 
• Two (2) bottled waters replenished daily in your guest room 
• Scheduled shuttle service to Walt Disney World® Theme Parks & Disney Springs® 
• Two (2) pieces of Dry-Cleaning daily 
• Admittance for two (2) people to Yoga Classes – Offered twice a day, seven (7) days a week 
• Complimentary 24-hour access to fitness center 

HCPro/ACDIS has no affiliation with any third-party companies or travel assistance providers. Rooms should be booked directly with the event hotel using the official information provided on the website and in the brochure. 

Pricing

• Regular price: $955.00
• 15% discount when purchased with main conference: $811.75
• Early bird: $855.00 — Early Bird discount ends March 3, 2025!
• 15% discount when purchased with main conference: $726.75
• ACDIS member discount: $855.00
• 15% discount when purchased with main conference: $726.75
• Early bird plus ACDIS member: $755.00 — Early Bird discount ends March 3, 2025!
• 15% discount when purchased with main conference: $641.75

Want to talk to a member of our dedicated team? Contact Us via email at hcevents@hcpro.com or 855-225-5341 ext. 4005.

ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI

Continuing Education

ACDIS
This program has been approved for 11 continuing education units towards fulfilling the requirements of the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist certification, offered as a service of the Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS). 

AHIMA
This program has been approved for 11 continuing education unit(s) (CEUs) for use in fulfilling the continuing education requirements of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Granting of Approved CEUs from AHIMA does not constitute endorsement of the program content or its program provider.

NAHRI
This program has been approved for 11 continuing education units towards fulfilling the requirements of the Certification in Healthcare Revenue Integrity (CHRI), offered as a service of the National Association of Healthcare Revenue Integrity (NAHRI).

Continue to check for updates and additional CEU information!