Yesterday proved to be a great start to kick off the 25th Annual Conference & Expo. From the insightful and emotional keynote who urged each of us to look inward to discover our own stories to the fun networking and #dearworld photoshoot, we were able to make new connections and celebrate the great work we’re doing every day. 

Join us at 8 a.m. for the Breakfast Forums (note that these are ticketed events), then following we’ll hear from Jonathan Gottschall, who will carry over from yesterday’s message of storytelling with "The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human." In addition, we’ll also announce the Case Manager of the Year Award, the Award of Service Excellence, and the Case Management Practice Improvement Award. You won’t want to miss it. 

The great work of various CMSA chapters from around the country was recognized yesterday through CMSA’s Chapter Awards. If you find your chapter struggling in any of these areas, be sure to connect with these various award-winning chapters to learn about their strategy and struggles. Want to get involved in your local chapter? Click here to learn more. 

Congratulations to the winners!

• Award of Excellence for Conference Planning: Kansas City Chapter of CMSA
• Award of Excellence for Educational Programming: CMSA Chicago
• Award of Excellence for Publishing and Promotion: Southern Ohio Valley Chapter CMSA
• Award of Excellence for Policy and Advocacy: Long Island Chapter of the Case Management Society of America
• Award of Excellence for Best Use of Technology: Greater Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo Chapter of the Case Management Society of America
• Award of Excellence for Revitalization (The Phoenix) [New Category for 2015]: The Connecticut Chapter of the Case Management Society of America

In yesterday’s keynote session, we were all reminded of the fragility of the human state and how each one of us has our own story to tell. Fogarty’s emotional presentation focused on revealing our personal stories through photography and powerful messaging with just a handful of words. He shared about his Dear World Project along with three CMSA members who bravely took the stage to reveal their own personal stories to the audience.

Offered again this year, the Conference Mobile app is the one-stop place to get the latest on the 25th Annual Conference. Connect with other attendees, create your personal agenda of sessions and events, add exhibiting companies to your list to visit in the Expo Hall, and so much more on CMSA’s Conference App.

To download the app, go to your Apple App Store  or Android app store. Questions on how to use the app? Stop by registration and we'll gladly walk you through it. 

More than 200 companies will be showcasing the latest case management products and services in the Expo Hall, and today's the grand opening! 

• 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Expo Hall Grand Opening with Lunch
• Sponsored by American Medical Response and AMR Air Ambulance
• Lunch served until 2:30 p.m.
• Exhibitor prize drawings
• $500 cash giveaways (2) -- Sponsored by EagleMed and Visiting Angels

In yesterday’s learning session, presented by Kathleen Fraser and Lori Schmitt, attendees packed the room to learn about the latest on onboarding programs, the true cost of turnover, and about the various CMSA onboarding and retention tools. When commenting on training and onboarding, Fraser said, "Even if you think they know it, go through the steps or have the documentation that they know it. Never assume." 

Fraser encouraged attendees to use elements from the Standards of Practice for Case Management in case management job descriptions. "Make sure your job recruiter has a job descriptions that fits, otherwise you’re wasting energy into unqualified candidates," she said. Access, save, and share the Standards of Practice for Case Management here.

Sandy: I would say the keynote speaker today, Robert, regarding who we are and what our story is. 

Lynn: I really think we need to step back and look at ourselves and what’s important in our lives today, both personal and professional then finding ways to make them both work well together. 

Kellie: The fact that a photographer’s life was changed by a patient who wrote "Cancer Free" and that sent him off on another course was the most impactful moment for me. 

KC: Definitely agree with everything that was said, and also when we’re spending more time looking at our own story, we become less judgmental about other people’s stories and what they’re going through in their own lives. 

Ellen: My most impactful moment has been listening to my colleagues and the impact that [the presentation] had on them is extremely powerful, and I really appreciate all the insight. 

Using the hashtag, #CMSA2015, share with attendees and the case management community at large what you’re learning about, who you’re meeting, and how much fun you’re having at the Annual Conference!

We can’t wait to see your insights and the connections you’re making. Follow us @CMSANational and be sure to use the official hashtag, #CMSA2015, in all of your conference tweets!