Industry growth prompts launch of new association
A resource for CMs’ professional development
With the August launch of the first issue of its journal, CareManagement: Official Journal of the Academy of Certified Case Managers, the Academy of Certified Case Managers (ACCM) in Fairfield, CT, announced its entry as a new organization to support the education needs of certified case managers. Its leaders hope to provide additional support for this specific group of health professionals.
"We saw a gap or a need in the case management industry," notes Gary S. Wolfe, RN, CCM, CNA, a consultant from San Francisco, past president of the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), and executive vice president of the ACCM. Wolfe says the ACCM "is a specialty case management organization for certified case managers only. We want to be a vehicle to promote communication among the many case management certifications and help case managers understand the various certification programs available, how the qualifications of certified individuals vary, and how they are similar." (The January 2001 issue of Hospital Case Management will take a closer look at credentials, their value in your career development, and which ones best fit your personal goals.)
Case managers new to the field may not be aware of the June 1996 merger of CMSA and the former Individual Case Management Association (ICMA). At that time, many industry leaders argued that consolidating the two organizations was a necessary step that would allow case managers to speak with one voice when trying to influence health care legislation.
However, the field of case management has experienced tremendous growth since early 1996, and some experts feel there is a place now for more than one professional association. "I anticipate that the academy will offer one more option for those who choose to take advantage of it," explains Mindy Owen, RN, CRRN, CCM, corporate director of complex care management with Coordinated Care Solutions in Coral Springs, FL. Owen is a member of ACCM’s leadership council and past president of the CMSA.
An addition, not a replacement
"Let me be very clear. [The ACCM] should be viewed as an addition to the practice and the field, not instead of or taking the place of any other organization. CMSA is now and should always be considered the professional organization representing the overall practice of case management," Owen says.
Sandra L. Lowery, BSN, CRRN, CCM, who is president of Consultants in Case Management Intervention in Francestown, NH, and current national president of CMSA, says, "While the CareManagement publication is a wonderful educational resource for case managers, it should be clear that the ACCM is a new membership organization. It is most unfortunate that just when case managers, through grass-roots efforts, have finally begun to become recognized and sought-after at the national and international levels, they are facing fragmentation that could decrease the value of their future efforts in support of their practice."
Industry leaders say case managers should ask themselves several questions as they consider membership in a professional organization. These questions include:
- What is the association’s mission and vision?
- Is it a for-profit corporation or a nonprofit professional association?
- How will this association help me achieve even greater success in my career?
- What do I get for my membership dollars?
- Are the leaders responsive to my questions and concerns?
- Are the association’s leaders elected by the membership or appointed?
- What are the academic and clinical backgrounds of the organization’s officers and committee members?
Although the new academy’s name may imply it is open only to case managers who hold the CCM (certified case manager) credential from the Commission for Case Management Certification (CMCC) in Rolling Meadows, IL, Deborah Smith, MN, RN, Cm, CNAA, a consultant with American Medical Systems in Los Angeles and chair of the leadership council of ACCM, says ACCM membership is open to case managers who hold a variety of certifications. "At this point, the academy recognizes the CCM, RN-NCM, CRRN, GCM, CMAC, CRC, COHN, CDMS, CIRS, and A-CCC. One of those certifications is all you need to qualify for membership in the academy," she says.
In fact, the ACCM has no affiliation with CCMC or any other credentialing board, note Wolfe and Smith. "We are totally separate and independent of any other organization," says Wolfe. "However, on our leadership council, we have industry leaders who represent a range of other organizations."
The sole focus of the ACCM is the education of case managers through publications and conferences. In addition to CareManagement, the academy plans to launch a pharmaceutical update and a literature review. Its first conference will be held in March 2001 in conjunction with the 13th Annual National Managed Health Care Congress at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
"I believe the ACCM has a significant place in the practice of case management," Owen says. "The mission is to promote educational opportunities for the certified case manager that should raise the level of knowledge in the practice. These are individuals who have taken the initiative to gain knowledge in the field in which they practice, and I think anything that we can do to continue to support and raise the bar is important."
For more information, contact:
Sandra L. Lowery, BSN, CRRN, CCM, President, Case Management Society of America, Little Rock, AR. Telephone: (501) 225-2229.
Mindy Owen, RN, CRRN, CCM, Corporate Director of Complex Care Management, Coordinated Care Solutions, Marco Island, FL. Telephone: (954) 796-3692.
Deborah Smith, MN, RN, Cm, CNAA, Consultant, American Medical Systems, Los Angeles. Telephone: (213) 624-2225.
Gary Wolfe, RN, CCM, CMA, Executive Vice President, Academy of Certified Case Managers, Fairfield, CT. Telephone: (203) 259-9333.
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