The Physician Advisor Exchange is proudly sponsored by:
The Ballantyne™, a Luxury Collection Hotel, first opened its doors in 2001—quickly becoming a symbol of luxury and hospitality in the region. Located in the heart of Charlotte’s prestigious Ballantyne neighborhood, the property offers an opulent retreat for families and for business and leisure travelers alike. As a renowned AAA Four-Diamond destination, The Ballantyne combines Southern charm with undeniable elegance, providing an unforgettable experience for every guest who passes through its doors.
The Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) is the nation’s only association dedicated to the CDI profession. ACDIS’ mission is to serve as the premier healthcare community for clinical documentation specialists. Since its inception in 2007, ACDIS has grown to nearly 7,000 members nationwide. ACDIS members enjoy the benefits of a membership journal, access to their peers in a CDI forum, helpful forms and tools, a CDI job board, and much more—including quarterly membership calls and the biweekly ACDIS Podcast. They also receive discounts to the association’s Boot Camp offerings and its national conference. ACDIS provides guidance and advocacy on behalf of its members and the CDI profession through its staff leadership, elected advisory board, local chapter leadership, and other boards and committees.
HEALTH & SAFETY: HCPro LLC places the highest priority on the safety of our guests. To safeguard all those in attendance at our events, we ask that you stay home if you are feeling unwell. If at any time you need support, please feel free to contact our event staff.
By accepting the invitation to the Physician Advisor Exchange, you agree that ACDIS will provide you information about the program, or content for which you registered. ACDIS may also share information about other ACDIS conferences, products, and services, as well as messages from our strategic partners about their products and services. In addition, for events, programs, or content presented in collaboration with certain strategic partners, ACDIS will share registrant contact information with the applicable strategic partner. Information you provide will be processed in accordance with the ACDIS Privacy Notice. You may opt out at any time by contacting the ACDIS staff who invited you to participate in the Exchange.
WELCOME
Welcome to the ACDIS Physician Advisor Exchange!
At ACDIS, we understand that the role of a physician advisor is challenging and ever-changing with the needs of their organization. Many physician advisors also still practice clinically, adding another level of nuance to the role. Balancing this with provider education, potential areas for expansion and innovation, and more can leave physician advisors feeling overwhelmed and even burned out.
The Physician Advisor Exchange helps give leaders the tools they need to advance their individual roles as well as the profession. Plus, it connects them with other physician advisors experiencing similar challenges— an invaluable resource. Our goal over the next two days is to share ideas between great leaders and give you an enjoyable opportunity to recharge.
Thank you to our sponsors, Iodine Software, SmarterDx, and Solventum, formerly 3M Health Care, whose financial support makes our Exchange possible. We believe you will find this time to be a valuable exchange of ideas with the companies that deliver essential tools and intelligence for the industry as well as an opportunity to learn from your peers.
We are looking forward to hearing your thoughts and insight as part of the event discussions, but we also hope you are able to participate in the extracurricular events and enjoy your stay at The Ballantyne.
CDI Leadership and Physician Advisor Exchange Lightning Round Presentations –Fairway B
6:45–8:30 p.m. CDI Leadership and Physician Advisor Reception and Dinner – Carolina Ballroom
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024
8:30–9:30 a.m. – Fairway B
9:30–10:30 a.m. Round A Sessions
Editorial Session 1: The Expanding Scope of the Physician Advisor Role – Azalea
Editorial Session 2: Collaboration Opportunities for Physician Advisors –Willow
Editorial Session 3: Preventing Denials and Tackling Appeals – Dogwood
10:30–10:45 a.m. Refreshment Break – Foyer
10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Round B Sessions
Sponsor Session: Solventum, formerly 3M Health Care – Azalea
Sponsor Session: SmarterDx – Willow
Sponsor Session: Iodine Software – Dogwood
12:15–1:15 p.m. Networking Lunch – Fairway B
1:15–2:15 p.m. Round C Sessions
Editorial Session 1: The Expanding Scope of the Physician Advisor Role – Azalea
Editorial Session 2: Collaboration Opportunities for Physician Advisors –Willow
Editorial Session 3: Preventing Denials and Tackling Appeals – Dogwood
2:15–2:30 p.m. Refreshment Break – Foyer
2:30–3:30 p.m. Round D Sessions
Editorial Session 1: The Expanding Scope of the Physician Advisor Role – Azalea
Editorial Session 2: Collaboration Opportunities for Physician Advisors –Willow
Editorial Session 3: Preventing Denials and Tackling Appeals – Dogwood
5:00–7:00 p.m. Closing Reception & Dinner – Rose Garden
7:00 p.m. Adjourn
DISCUSSION GUIDE #1
The Expanding Scope of the Physician Advisor Role
Session Moderator:
Rebecca Hendren, ACDIS Director
Synopsis
The physician advisor role has expanded immensely in recent years as more organizations recognize the value of a physician liaison in CDI efforts. However, organizations are evolving the role to fit their growing needs in different ways—for example, some choose to involve physician advisors in utilization management/ review, while others opt to leverage physician advisors’ influence in physician education.
In this session, participants will discuss how their roles have changed and expanded, their hopes for future expansion, and the ways in which they demonstrate the value of their programs.
Key questions to consider during this session:
• What areas has your CDI and/or physician advisor program expanded into? What areas are you considering (or do you hope your organization will consider) expansion into? Have any of your expansion efforts been unsuccessful? If so, why?
• Do you have utilization management/review responsibilities? Do you have outpatient or coding responsibilities? Do you still practice clinically?
• Are you involved in efforts related to risk adjustment and/or Hierarchical Condition Categories at your organization? Why or why not?
• How do you gain stakeholder and C-suite buy-in for your program and for expansion efforts?
• What metrics or key performance indicators do you track to measure return on investment and program success?
DISCUSSION GUIDE #2
Collaboration Opportunities for Physician Advisors
Session Moderator:
Karla Kozak, Editorial Manager, Products and Events for ACDIS
Synopsis
The reach of physician advisors spans many departments, from quality to case management to coding, providing endless opportunities for physician advisors to collaborate with their colleagues. Furthermore, physician advisors are often called to be a bridge between the medical staff and CDI departments, engaging their fellow providers in conversations vital to documentation integrity efforts.
In this session, participants will discuss which departments they collaborate frequently with and why as well as how they engage fellow providers with CDI goals.
Key questions to consider during this session:
• Which departments do you or your CDI department frequently collaborate with? What common goals are you working to achieve together?
• Who is primarily responsible for educating physicians on documentation/CDI-related information? What are some methods for education that work well at your organization? Have any education methods been unsuccessful? If so, why?
• How do you gain buy-in and motivate the medical staff to participate in CDI efforts? Are providers easily accessible for CDI-related discussions?
• How do you connect with disengaged physicians? Is there an escalation process or policy for physicians who refuse to engage with CDI efforts?
• As you balance multiple priorities, how do you prevent yourself from burning out? Does your organization have strategies for minimizing burnout in providers? If so, are you involved in these efforts as a physician leader?
DISCUSSION GUIDE #3
Preventing Denials and Tackling Appeals
Session Moderator:
Deanne Wilk, MPS, BSN, RN, CCDS, CCDS-O, CDIP, CCS, CDI Education Director for ACDIS and HCPro
Synopsis
Denials remain a challenge for all, and many organizations have engaged physician advisors in mitigation strategies as well as efforts to overturn denied claims. Through payer contracting, peer-to-peer conversations, and provider education on commonly targeted diagnoses, physician advisors have made significant contributions in denials mitigation.
In this session, participants will discuss strategies for preventing denials and mounting successful appeals as well as methods for tracking and trending denials.
Key questions to consider during this session:
• Who is involved in the denials prevention/management process at your organization? Who ultimately has oversight over these efforts?
• What are your most denied diagnoses? How do you manage diagnoses with common documentation issues?
• How does your organization report and track denials and appeals? To whom do you report this information and for what purposes?
• What are some of your most successful strategies for writing appeals? Why do you think these are successful?
• Are you involved in peer-to-peer conversations or payer contracting? How much of your time is dedicated to denials and appeals strategies versus other responsibilities?
LIGHTNING ROUND
Chart Impact Rate: From Traditional Metrics to Measuring True Impact
Presented by: Elisa Sninchak, MBA, M.Ed, BSN, RN, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, director of clinical documentation excellence at Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina
During this session, attendees will learn how designing a chart impact rate provides meaningful feedback for the team and identifies areas of needed improvement, including education, coverage shifts, and increased professional accountability. The chart impact rate data reflects CDI value and impact in a clear and measurable way for leaders and stakeholders, instead of telling only portions of the story through traditional metrics.
Navigating the Physician Advisor Career Ladder
Presented by: John Pettine, MD, FACP, CPHQ, CCDS, vice president and chief medical officer, revenue operations at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania
This presentation outlines the physician advisor career ladder for leadership roles in CDI, utilization management, and tangential areas. It covers the progression from entry-level physician advisor to senior and executive leadership roles, highlighting key competencies and responsibilities at each stage. Attendees will gain insights into essential skills, educational requirements, and practical strategies for advancement. The chief objective is to equip attendees with the knowledge to navigate and excel in leadership positions within these critical healthcare functions.
Identifying and Mitigating Burnout in CDI
Presented by: Traci Lindner, RN, CCDS, CDI manager at Marshfield Clinic Health System in Marshfield, Wisconsin
Like many professions, stress and burnout occur when working in CDI and can affect both leaders and staff alike. During this session, attendees will first learn how to identify when and why burnout is happening. Then, leaders will learn strategies for mitigating stress and burnout, both for themselves and their team members.
The Intersection of Clinical Documentation and Quality
Presented by: Carolyn Bauer, MD, medical director for clinical documentation at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, New York
Many quality programs such as Medicare star ratings, Leapfrog, and U.S. News and World Report use ICD10 codes as the basis for their quality scoring. We developed a multimodal approach to ensure accurate capture of both our complications and our risk adjustments. Learn how our hospital uses technology, institutional clinical definitions, physician education, and a multidisciplinary prebill review of CMS mortality cohorts and Patient Safety Indicators to improve our monthly metrics.
PARTICIPATING LEADERS
ROSHANI AGARWAL, MD
Pediatric Hospitalist And Physician Advisor Dayton Children’s Hospital/Dayton, OH agarwalr1@childrensdayton.org
GOPI ASTIK, MD
Lead Medical Director Of Clinical Documentation Northwestern Memorial Hospital/Chicago, IL gastik@nm.org
Rebecca Hendren is the director of CDI and revenue integrity for ACDIS and NAHRI and in this role serves as the director of ACDIS. She is responsible for managing ACDIS and NAHRI’s strategic directions, including evolving the organizations, overseeing educational products and services, reviewing member benefits, and ensuring both associations provide thought leadership and authoritative voices in the industry. She is a member of the NAHRI Advisory Board and the ACDIS Advisory Board and currently hosts the “Talking CDI” series on the ACDIS Podcast.
Deanne Wilk, MPS, BSN, RN, CCDS, CCDS-O, CDIP, CCS, is the CDI education director for ACDIS/HCPro. In her current role, Wilk promotes educational initiatives within the realm of CDI. She develops comprehensive education materials, conducts live and virtual sessions, and contributes articles and educational content for publication. With a solid foundation in academia, she is actively involved in curriculum development and utilizes various teaching methodologies to enhance student learning. Previously, she held key leadership positions across multiple organizations. Most recently, she held a CDI director position, leading a multidisciplinary team across multiple hospital facilities. Her responsibilities encompassed staff education, process optimization, quality initiatives, and collaboration with various departments to achieve organizational goals. Additionally, Wilk established the Central Pennsylvania ACDIS local chapter, served on the ACDIS Advisory Board from 2017 to 2020, and is currently serving on the ACDIS CDI Regulatory Committee and the Advisory Board again.
Karla Kozak is the editorial manager for products and events at ACDIS. She edits and oversees the development of all ACDIS book titles, including the ACDIS Pocket Guide series, as well as the content on ACDIS PRO. Kozak is the chair of the Events Committee and works closely with its members to plan the national conference and select the recipients of the ACDIS Achievement Awards. Additionally, she co-leads the Physician Advisor Mastermind and is chair of ACDIS’ Physician Advisor Committee. Kozak also hosts the bimonthly segment “Conversations With Karla” on the ACDIS Podcast, where she is joined by contributors to ACDIS’ most popular products.
ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
Iodine Software builds transformative technologies that make healthcare work. Our proprietary AI engine, CognitiveML, automates clinical and administrative revenue cycle work, thereby improving reimbursement and enabling clinicians to focus on the delivery of high quality, patient-centric care.
SmarterDx builds clinical AI that empowers hospitals to achieve 100% chart accuracy for revenue integrity. Our solution helps hospitals tell the most accurate and complete story of the patient and the care that was delivered, which helps them recover millions in earned revenue and improve quality of care scores.
At Solventum, formerly 3M Health Care, we create breakthrough solutions for our customers’ toughest challenges by pioneering game-changing innovations at the intersection of health, material, and data science to change patients’ lives for the better—while enabling healthcare professionals to perform at their best.
