by Melissa Varnavas

Healthcare has often been referred to a both a science and an art. Nevertheless, the healthcare industry continues its hunt for proof of quality healthcare services to, as much as possible, remove the art portion of the art-versus-science debate. That’s why the March/April edition of the CDI Journal pulls from a range of experiences and expertise to examine the many ways CDI efforts touch quality measures.

While the main conference doesn’t start until May 9, there are three pre-conference events taking place in Las Vegas, May 8-9. Each pre-con session offers attendees a way to extend their ACDIS experience a couple more days, gain valuable CDI knowledge, and interact with the best instructors around. Even better, there’s really an option for everyone.

In 2016, salaries of those in the $70,000–$79,999 range rose by just 2%, as did those earning $80,000–$89,999 (which grew from 15% to 17%). Those earning less than $69,999 remained the same at about 26%, and the number of those earning $59,999 or less increased by a little over 2%. But as professionals gain experience in the CDI role, earn related credentials such as the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS), and obtain degrees in focused, higher-level education such as masters and doctorate degrees salary ranges tend to rise, according to the 2016 CDI Salary Survey.

There’s no doubt that focus in healthcare reimbursement shifted in the past decade—from payment for services rendered to payment methods which take the quality of those services into consideration.

The Local Chapter Advisory Board (CAB) welcomed its newest voluntary member, Michael McKelvey, RN, MBA, CCDS, Clinical Documentation Quality Coordinator at BJC Healthcare in St. Louis, Missouri, during its roundtable teleconference last Friday. The CAB includes past and present local chapter leaders who help guide and inform the ACDIS administration about networking, education, and event strategies on the local level. The rest of the committee includes: