Good Morning and Safe Travels!
On behalf of the CMSA Board of Directors and staff, we want to thank you for an incredible experience and for your dedication to the practice of case management. Take time now to mark your calendars for next year’s Conference & Expo, taking place at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, June 27-29, 2017!
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Your New CMSA President – Mary McLaughlin-Davis
Yesterday’s closing main session began with the installation of Mary McLaughlin-Davis as the new president of the Case Management Society of America. Following a video that detailed her distinguished career as a nurse and case manager, she acknowledged she’ll have big shoes to fill in taking over from Kathleen Fraser, who passed the president's gavel to her and in turn received a crystal gavel in appreciation of her service to the membership of CMSA.
In a moving speech, McLaughlin-Davis read from a gratitude list – mentioning her faith, her family, her employer, the CMSA Board, and those who preceded her as president. She spoke of her commitment to evidence-based practice and to title protection for case managers, and noted as well her commitment to those who serve in the military and to CMSA’s VA members. She mentioned the poor, underserved, and mentally ill who need the help of case managers, whom she calls "a force for good" and "a force for change."
She said that she is convinced that if any group is capable of navigating change, it is case managers, and she expressed her gratitude at being able to serve as president of CMSA.
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Today's Post-Conference Sessions
Join us in
the Hyatt this morning for one of two exciting sessions, each running from 8
a.m. to noon. In Seaview A, a star-studded
panel of case management leaders will present "Setting the Standard
Through Application of the New CMSA Core Curriculum"—reviewing the core
components of delivering case management services and why case
managers must focus on setting the standard of the care delivery model. Meanwhile,
in Shoreline AB, Nikki Jackson and Michele Lee will present "Developing Your
Innermost Chapter Leadership Skills"—an interactive program in which chapter
leaders will engage in exercises created to identify and overcome barriers to
managing a local chapter successfully.
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Theater of the Mind
In
yesterday’s closing main session, Robert Priest, an entertainer with an
academic background in psychology and human relations, impressed and delighted
the crowd in the Grand Ballroom with an interactive show full of mystery, "mind-reading,"
and gentle humor. He ended the presentation by telling the audience, "Think
good thoughts, because it is the thought that counts."
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Thank you for your support this week of the exhibitors whose participation helps to make this conference a success year after year. From the Grand Opening on Tuesday
night, to the poster sessions, giveaways, and good food, the Expo Hall was an
exciting place to be. And congratulations to all of this week’s prize
winners!
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Title Protection and the Case Manager
In one of the final concurrent
sessions of the conference, Lynn S. Muller, RN, BA-HCM, CCM, JD, spoke about
the critical importance of title protection for case managers. According to
Muller, title protection is a legal designation for which there are
consequences. If one holds oneself out to the public as a doctor, nurse or social worker
without meeting state mandates, that person may be subject to
punishment/consequences, she said.
In 2010, CMSA defined the professional
case manager as "a qualified individual who provides case management services."
Muller noted that CCMC also adopted broader criteria to permit more social
workers to qualify to sit for the CCM exam. However, she said, no one who must be supervised in all their actions should be considered a
professional case manager.
Why does it matter whether or not
case managers are professionals? Muller listed the following reasons:
- Independent
Practice is only available to professionals
- The
Intimacy of the relationship makes the public vulnerable
- The
Public has a legal and moral right to expect professional practitioners
- Those
who are not professionals are not responsible to adhere to the Standards of
Practice and not subject to professional liability/malpractice.
According to Muller, "A ‘Case
Manager’ name tag/title tells the patient/client/public/colleagues that you are
a licensed professional, educated and skilled to meet patients’ needs and
coordinate care in their best interest."
Title
protection, she concluded, isn’t about protecting turf—"It’s all about
protecting the public."
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Hussein Michael Tahan, PhD, RN, Recipient of CMSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award
What has been the most impactful moment for you at the conference?
One of the most impactful moments I had at CMSA conference is the opportunity to reconnect with professional case managers, networking and sharing great successes. Such stories of innovations are inspiring and act as a reminder of why I got involved in case management in the first place. They allow me to recharge and to renew my commitment to excellence in case management practice.
It is humbling when you walk around in the exhibit hall, and professional case managers stop you to say hello and congratulate you on your recognition... and quickly begin to tell you the impact your contribution to the professional knowledge of case management had on their ongoing professional development, practice, performance and patient care outcomes. It is these brief encounters that make you recommit to continued excellence and to being of service to fellow case managers and the field.
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Keep the Conversation Going!
If you’d like to stay in touch with other case managers and healthcare industry professionals across the country—including the ones you’ve met at the 26thAnnual Conference & Expo—connect with CMSA on LinkedIn™, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!
CMSA’s LinkedIn™ group alone has more than 16,500 members, where new discussions emerge daily.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Facebook: /cmsanational
Twitter: @CMSANational
LinkedIn: Search "CMSA"
Pinterest: /CMSANational
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