Joann A. Agin, RHIT, is the regional manager for data quality at St. Joseph Medical Center, in Kansas City and St. Mary’s Medical Center in Blue Springs, MO. With more than 30 years experience in the acute care setting, she has been the leader of the Kansas City, MO, regional ACDIS networking group since 2009. She currently manages inpatient/outpatient coding and abstracting and CDI for acute hospitals within Carondelet Health (CH). In addition, she serves as team leader of the education subgroup for CH’s ICD-10 Steering Committee and is an AHIMA certified ICD-10 CM/PCS Trainer. Contact her at .
Bonnie Epps, RN, MSN, is manager of CDI for Emory Healthcare, in Atlanta, one of the largest CDI programs in the nation with more than 19 employees. She holds a master’s degree in nursing administration and earned a post-graduate teaching certificate from Emory University Teaching Institute. She has spent nearly 40 years practicing nursing, 29 years in clinical nursing, five years teaching, and four in CDI. She started the Southeast (GA) ACDIS Chapter nearly three years ago and has participated in the National ACDIS Conference by twice presenting during its poster sessions. Contact her at .
Deborah Gardner-Brown, RHIT, CCS, C-CDI, CI-CDI, is president and CEO of Reimbursement Review Associates, Inc., in East Brunswick, NJ. She has more than 25 years experience in both hospital and professional coding and reimbursement and has managed multiple large claims review programs from a documentation, reimbursement, and quality perspective. She spent two years as the CDI program developer and director for large, urban, level-1 trauma center, and is the leader of the New Jersey ACDIS Chapter. Contact her at .
Melanie Haycraft, RN, CCDS, is a RAC/government audit coordinator for North Oaks Health Systems in Hammond, LA. She has more than 40 years of clinical experience in critical care, oncology, and emergency nursing and became a CDI specialist in 2007. A member of the New Orleans ACDIS Chapter for more than three years, she enjoys connecting with her fellow CDI specialists from the area and sharing her experiences in the profession. Contact her at .
Ailsa Kompare, RN, CCDS, is a CDI specialist with Kindred Healthcare's three facilities in Las Vegas. With more than 20 years of experience in nursing, Ailsa holds a certification in case management and expects to earn a master's degree in healthcare administration in 2012. She is the founding leader of the Southern Nevada Chapter of ACDIS. Contact her at .
Colleen Stukenberg, MSN, RN, CMSRN, CCDS, is a CDI professional at FHN Memorial Hospital in Freeport, IL. She has more than 25 years of nursing experience including medical, surgical, orthopedic, intensive care, and case management, and in a hospital-based skilled nursing facility as a MDS care coordinator. Stukenberg most recently served a three-year term on the ACDIS Advisory Board from 2009 through the end of 2011. She has also been co-leader of the Northern Illinois ACDIS Chapter. Contact her at