Case managers: It's your time to shine
Case managers: It's your time to shine
Showcase your profession during CM Week
Case Management Week, Oct. 12-18, is a great opportunity for case managers in all settings to educate their co-workers and the public about what case managers do and the value they bring to the health care system, says Peter Moran, RN, C, BSN, MS, CCM, emergency department case manager at Massachusetts General Hospital and immediate past president of the Case Management Society of America (CMSA).
He urges case managers to celebrate their special week in two ways: by recognizing their peers for a job well done and by seizing the opportunity to increase the visibility of case managers among other staff at their organizations and the public.
"Case Management Week is a good time to spread the word about what makes us special. It gives us a chance to tell the people we work with and the public what special skills we have and the role we play," says Margaret Leonard, MS, RN, C, FNP, CM, vice president for clinical services at Hudson Health Plan in Tarrytown, NY.
Use the week as an opportunity to step back and reflect on case management as a profession and to commemorate the achievements of case managers in your organization, Moran suggests.
"All of us are very busy taking care of the needs of the people for whom we advocate. As soon as we've solved one problem, two more have cropped up. We need to take a moment and celebrate the progress we've made and what we've accomplished despite our challenges and obstacles," he says.
For the individual case manager, the week is a good time for self reflection about the job you are doing and to think about professional development, Leonard adds.
Join your local case management organization and volunteer to serve on committees.
Consider pursuing case management certification, she suggests.
"People understand that there is value to certification. Case Management Week is a good time to take the next step," she says.
Approach the leadership at your hospital or managed care facility and enlist their help in celebrating. Work to make sure case managers at your organization have celebrations during their own week and not just during National Nurses Week in the spring, Commander says.
Develop a case management award at your own organization, whether it's a hospital or a health plan, Moran suggests.
"A Case Manager of the Year award is a great way to recognize staff for a job well done and to create awareness of what case managers do," he says.
Many chapters throughout the country are planning a luncheon or a dinner to recognize the week, he adds.
"A lot of them have contacted local governments to get a proclamation issued. It's a way of trying to increase legislative visibility and to let people out there know who case managers are and what they do," he adds.
Some of the events marking Case Management Week at Massachusetts General Hospital include a presentation by case managers during nursing grand rounds, a dinner for case managers, and a guest lecture on case management.
Each year, the case management staff set up an information table in the main hallway, offering people advance directive forms to sign and passing out brochures about case management. They use the opportunity to educate staff and visitors about the role of case management at Massachusetts General.
When Leonard goes to the Case Management Society of America's conference in June each year, she purchases gifts, such as a CMSA pin, for the case management staff.
"Everyone in our department, the case managers and the case management assistants, celebrate the week," Leonard says.
The staff put up signs about Case Management Week throughout the company and have a special celebration, such as a breakfast or lunch, every day.
"What I like best is that every day somebody bakes a special treat and brings it in to share. Everybody in the department feels like it's a time to celebrate," Leonard says.
Try to get articles into your organization's newsletters or other publications, Moran adds.
"We need to tell our stories and tell it to people who are not case managers," he says.
Moran suggests contacting your local newspapers or television stations about an article on case managers.
Contact your local public broadcasting stations or cable stations. Cable stations have to devote a certain number of hours to community service. Tap into that, he says.
"Go beyond Case Management Week and reach out to various populations of different audiences," he says.
Volunteer to speak at local professional organizations or civic clubs. Participate in career days in your local schools.
When you talk to people about case management, tell them your success stories, Moran suggests.
"Our stories will leave a lasting impression on individuals, even those who are not in the business of health care. I made more than 50 presentations last year but I never stood in front of any audience without talking about a case," he says.
The Case Management Society of American compiled a list of activities held in honor of Case Management Week in past years. Here are a few of them:
The CMSA of St. Louis chapter held a Case Managers Appreciation Day reception at a local restaurant with festivities that included special recognition for committee volunteers and awards recognizing outstanding case managers. The event was sponsored by local vendors. The chapter obtained proclamations from the mayor of St. Louis and the governor of Missouri.
- Case managers in the Green Mountain, VT, chapter enjoyed a dinner cruise along the shores of Lake Champlain. Sponsorship by a group of vendors and contribution by the chapter allowed members to receive reduced payment for the event.
- The Tennessee Valley Chapter brought in six local non-profit organizations to educate case managers on the services they provide and the chapter gave donations to two charities. The all-day meeting included door prizes donated by vendors and community physicians and gifts for members. During the week, some local companies provided meals for their case managers.
- The Case Management Society of Alabama provided posters to all hospitals and major health agencies proclaiming Case Management Week and delivered small gift baskets to the case managers at five major health care facilities in Tuscaloosa, AL. The organization received a proclamation from the governor and sponsored a lunch and learn meeting for members and prospective members as well as an evening meeting for case managers who couldn't attend during the day.
- The Case Management Society of American offers a comprehensive guide for celebrating Case Management Week. It's available at the organization's web site: www.cmsa.org.
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