Plan activities to showcase your profession
Case Management Week, Oct. 6-12, is a good opportunity for case managers in all settings to educate the public and the health care community about the vital role case managers play, says Karen Chambers, RN, CCM, CDMS, associate director of the Medicaid maternity program for VIVA Health in Birmingham, AL, and national president of the Case Management Society of America, based in Little Rock, AR.
"Case managers come from a variety of educational backgrounds — nurses, social workers, therapists — and work in a variety of settings. Case Management Week is a time for all case managers to join together to celebrate the profession, she adds.
Chambers calls on all case managers to come up with ways on the local level to honor case managers and educate the public on their role in health care.
"One of the biggest problems is that few people understand our role because so many people call themselves a case manager. Some people think of case managers as a gatekeeper, but there’s also the patient-advocacy piece," adds Peter Moran, RN, CM, BSN, MS, CCM, a nurse case manager in the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, past president of the New England Chapter of CMSA, and now a member of the national board of directors.
As part of the New England chapter’s efforts to commemorate Case Management Week, Moran has spoken at local hospitals to employee groups that include the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and board members. He was interviewed about case management by a local cable television station for a program that aired five times a week for a month.
The chapter offers a program in the workplace to explain the case managers’ role, case management standards of practice, and the challenges ahead.
"It’s got to start as a grass-roots effort to break down the barriers and help improve the communications flow," Moran says.
For instance, in 2000, the Tennessee chapter wrote a proclamation for Case Management Week that was signed by the governor. Last year, seven chapters got similar proclamations issued by the governors in their states.
Spread the word
A project to commemorate Case Management Week doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive, Moran says. You can just set up a table at your workplace and pass out information and answer questions.
Volunteer as a speaker at your local civic organizations, such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, or the PTA. Tell them that if they have a catastrophic illness, they should ask for a case manager to help them through it.
"At this point, we’re trying to tell people what case management is and let them know that if somebody is stuck in the system and not sure what is going on, they should ask to speak to their payer’s case manager or the case manager of the health care facility," Moran says.
The Case Management Society of American compiled a list of activities held in honor of Case Management Week last year. Here are a few of them:
- BlueCross BlueShield of Arkansas sponsored its third annual case management recognition day that included an all-day educational program including speakers, vendors, and lunch. As part of the entertainment and education, Kathleen Moreo, past president of CMSA, hosted a case-management version of the TV quiz show "The Weakest Link."
- The Central California Chapter of CMSA hosted receptions for case managers and others in three different cities. Activities included chat sessions about case-management issues, the certification process, and other topics, refreshments, presentation of membership pins to CMSA members, and a raffle of T-shirts and other gifts.
- Enhancing the Relationship Between Physicians and Case Managers was the topic at the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the St. Louis chapter. Four physicians were invited to sit on a panel and respond to questions relating to their experiences and perceptions of case management, how case managers could benefit their practices, and recommendations for enhancing the physician/case manager relationship.
- A "Fun-and-Learn Case Management" celebration, sponsored by the Delaware chapter in Newark, earned CCM contact hours for all participants in the case management version of the game show "Jeopardy." Those attending enjoyed dinner and a gift.
- A "Bring a Friend in Case Management" luncheon was the project of the Bay Area CMSA chapter in Panama City, FL. The celebration, held during the regular monthly meeting, included special recognition for each member.
For more information on Case Management Week projects, see the CMSA web site at www.cmsa.org.
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