At the time of this writing (March 2022), I am anticipating being sworn in as the new CMSA National President at this year's annual conference in Orlando, FL. I am so honored and thrilled to be taking on this role with the oldest and largest professional organization for the case management community. My sincere thanks to Melanie Prince and the awesome team at Parthenon Management for their kind support and mentorship along this journey. I am looking forward to serving alongside of the rest of the CMSA National Board of Directors to support and advocate for the entire case management community. Excited does not come close to describing my state of mind at this time.
This community means so much to me, both professionally and personally. There are simply no words to do justice to the value of CMSA to me. Many years ago, as a new case manager, I did not understand the importance of the networking and connection with other case managers across the continuum. Today, I can attest that it is not only important but also a necessity in the professional case manager's toolbox.
The theme for my presidency is "Disruptive Innovation." Simply put, it is our right and responsibility to "disrupt" processes when they are not working and propose new and innovative solutions to the issues we identify. Historical concepts, such as "fee for service" and "volume over value" are quickly being replaced by value-based and patient-centric models. Case managers, regardless of discipline, have long been the masters of patient-centered care and social determinants of health. As such, it is our responsibility to provide the disruption and participate in the development of the innovations. We are aware of the importance of case management in readmission reduction. We can apply this same focus and expertise to areas regarding health literacy, health equity, and many others.
Year 2022 has already proven to be another great year for CMSA. With so much going on, we are blessed with an abundance of talent and time from our membership and the volunteers who work to lead this organization and expand its value. Here are just a few highlights of the year so far; stay up-to-date and find out more by visiting http://www.cmsa.org.
Standards of Practice for Case Management
The CMSA Standards of Practice Task Force completed their comprehensive review of the latest version of the Standards last published in 2016 earlier this year. CMSA was the first case management professional organization to create Standards of Practice in 1995, with subsequent review and updates in 2002, 2010, and 2016. The 2022 updates were released this Spring and are now available at http://www.cmsa.org.
Chapter Highlights
The Florida chapters have completed their merger to an All-Florida Chapter and have already hosted virtual educational and networking events. The California chapters have followed that lead, working to merge into an All-California chapter and held an inaugural event in February.
CMSA Chicago announced the release of its fourth edition of case management "tales from the front," which is now available on Amazon (along with the three previous editions). This edition includes more than 30 submissions from members of the case management community, sharing knowledge and experiences.
Be sure to check http://www.cmsa.org and the CMSA events calendar for more information on your local Chapter programs.
Public Policy
The Public Policy Committee held a very successful three-part webinar series on the legislative priorities of the association: Telehealth, Mental Health, and Workforce Development earlier in the year. These webinars led up to the 2022 CMSA Virtual Hill Visits program, where more than 45 CMSA members met with the offices of various members of Congress during the week of February 21, 2022. During 27 scheduled meetings, progress was made in increasing the recognition and awareness of case management, as well as advancing the efforts to continue telehealth and mental health services and funding going forward.
Collaborations
CMSA is excited to continue partnering with the Aging Life Care Association and the American College of Physician Advisors in 2022 in developing joint educational programs and informative articles. CMSA was proud to attend their annual conferences in April and continues to work together for support and added member value.
Salary and Trends Survey
CMSA partnered with Case Management Institute to launch a joint salary and trends survey, exceeding the goal of 2,000 total respondents. Data were collected in the areas of demographics, experience, professional development and certification, current job salary and benefits, and challenges faced today. The results of the survey were shared during the CMSA Annual Conference in June. Thanks to Deanna Cooper and the Case Management Institute for their partnership to obtain these important data from across the case management community.
Case Management Fellow (CM Fellow)
The Case Management Fellow program launched last year with the announcement of the CMSA Founding Fellows. Case Management Fellows will represent a diverse community of thought leaders that takes an active role in the identification of future trends and issues affecting case management and serves the public and the case management profession by advancing the standards of practice through excellence. The 2022 Class of CM Fellows was announced in March and inducted in June during the CMSA Annual Conference.
Case Management Boot Camp
Case Management is a growing health care profession, with a presence in every health delivery setting. Professionals moving to case management positions may or may not have access to adequate orientation and training. They often "learn on the job" and are not exposed to knowledge in skills that advance the practice of case management. CMSA is excited to fill this gap with a newly developed CMSA CM Boot Camp offering for case managers looking to build their skills and practice. Ideal for the case manager with less than 5 years of experience of those looking to change their area of practice, the CM Boot Camp program will include interactive exercises, activities, and case studies to provide real-life scenarios and practical application. CM Boot Camp officially launched in June, with a preconference session available for in-person attendees, with more to come this year.
And More!
New programs, benefits, and opportunities are planned throughout the year, and we can't wait to share them all with you in future CMSA Highlight articles. And let's not forget to celebrate Case Management week in October!! I am looking forward to seeing and hearing all about the celebrations that will be going on.