Good Morning, CMSA Attendees!

It’s the final day of the main conference, and we hope you’ve had the experience of a lifetime, reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones, and gathering inspiration and ideas that you can take home with you and use in your practice of case management. And we’re not done yet!

Today begins with concurrent sessions at 7:30, including "Supercharge Your CM Team with Social Work." That’s followed by the opening of the Expo Hall, which will feature breakfast and poster sessions beginning at 8:45. Today’s symposia will begin at noon, with lunch served at 11:45 a.m. More concurrent sessions follow at 1:45 p.m., including "Case Management: Moving Forward to Transform Amid a Sea of Change." And make sure to attend our closing keynote at 3:00 p.m.: "Building Real Relationships in a Digital World."

 

Case Management Practice Improvement Award

At yesterday’s keynote, Terry Kelley and Susie Ratterree from the 2017 Awards Committee took the stage to announced the winner of this year’s Case Management Practice Improvement Award:

Cleveland Clinic

Project: The Kaizen Process Improvement Approach to Improve Care Coordination Documentation

Mary McLaughlin-Davis, in accepting the award, said, "The people at the bedside in our system knew what needed to be done, and they did it."

 

Yesterday's Keynote

In yesterday’s keynote session, Dr. Stuart Robertshaw (aka Dr. Humor) shared "The Healing Power of Humor." He touched on the toll stress, anxiety and tension can have on the human body, as well as the immunological benefits of laughter and the positive impact humor can have in our personal and professional lives.

Robertshaw began by describing how he became interested in scientific research related to humor, culminating in his founding of the National Association for the Humor Impaired, which now has thousands of lifetime members.

He noted studies that show laughter exercises the lungs and increases oxygen flow to the blood, helps to protect against depression, aids in dealing with daily stresses and can even increase pain tolerance. He also presented the results of studies showing positive effects of humor and laughter on diabetes control and lowering heart attack risk.

He says that actual things that happen to people are funnier than jokes, which he illustrated by reading some real-life anecdotes from his book, Dear Dr. Humor, that had the audience in stitches.

Humor is a gift to be shared, but we are also our own best audience, he said. He recommended that case managers collect things they find funny in a file and not open the file until they really need it. "It will help you keep life in balance," he said.

He ended the presentation by guiding the crowd through a number of laughter exercises.

 

Presidents Panel

In yesterday’s historic Presidents Panel, a distinguished group of case management experts, all of them former presidents of CMSA, fielded questions and shared their extensive knowledge and experience with a large group of attendees in Ballroom D.

Jeanne Boling introduced and moderated the panel. She said, "They’ve been where you are. They’ve sat in your seats. They know how it feels."

Boling recognized the past presidents who couldn’t attend, after which the panelists introduced themselves:

• Connie Commander, RN-BC, MBA, CCM, ABDA, CPUR
• Kathleen Fraser, MSN, MHA, RN-BC, CCM, CRRN
• Margaret Leonard, MS, RN-BC, FNP
• Anne Llewellyn, RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN
• Sandra Lowery, RN, BSN, CCM, CNLCP
• Mary McLaughlin-Davis, DNP, MSN, APRN-BC, CCM
• Catherine Mullahy, RN, BS, CRRN, CCM;
• Mindy Owen, RN, CRRN, CCM
• Mary Beth Newman, MSN, RN-BC, CCP, CCM, CHCQM
• Nancy Skinner, RN, BC, CCM

The Q&A addressed the following issues: challenges case managers face every day, challenges of leadership, challenges facing case management today, and challenges facing case management and CMSA in the future.

The panel fielded questions for about ten minutes on each topic area, after which Boling asked the speakers about their vision for case management and CMSA, and what words of encouragement they have for attendees.

Mary Beth Newman told the crowd, "Let the standards of practice be your guiding light. Never lose sight of your purpose."

"Start getting out in the community to tell people what you do, and have the metrics to back it up," Anne Llewellyn said.

Thank you for the strong attendance at Tuesday evening’s grand opening, and for your continued support of our exhibitors. And congratulations to yesterday’s prize winners!

CM Expo Hall & Giveaway Schedules

Breakfast Served from 8:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Breakfast sponsored by AirMed

$500 Cash Giveaways sponsored by Healthcare Scouts (Booth #616) and Angel MedFlight (Booth #521)

Poster Viewing (PP16-PP30)

 

CMSA Resource Center

Visit CMSA’s Resource Center in the Expo Hall (booth #527) to learn about CMSA’s tools and resources, meet a few of the CMSA National Board Members and local Chapter Leaders and stock up on Case Management Week supplies!

 Understanding Value Based Care Management

In a concurrent session held at 5:00 p.m. yesterday, Stefani Daniels, RN, MSNA, CMAC, ACM, discussed how case management has evolved through the years and they ways in which the marketplace has influenced program models. She also explored the differing ways patients, providers and payers define value and presented a roadmap to implementing a value-based model of care management.

She opened by stating that healthcare costs are unsustainable, noting many countries with higher life expectancies than the U.S. spent much less on healthcare. She quoted Gov. Mike Leavitt of Utah: "There’s not a place on the economic leaderboard for a country that spends 20 to 25% of its GDP on healthcare."

She said that value is always defined around the stakeholders, and it depends on results, not inputs. She added that value-based care ties payment to quality, not quantity of care, with the goal of incentivizing better care and lower costs.

She said that if incentives are changed, then case management strategies and care coordination must change as well.

She laid out the following four "essential pieces to the roadmap to value-based care management":

1.Universal vision

2.Restructure for patient-centered care

3.Organize by adopting population health concepts

4.Translate value into improved outcomes

 

Margaret "Peggy" Leonard, MS, RN-BC, FNP, President, Case Management Foundation 

Why is it important for case managers to support the Case Management Foundation?

Because the Foundation is you. We’re a charitable, not-for-profit organization, and our mission is to become the leading philanthropic organization for case managers supporting education, research, and professional development. When you give to the foundation, you give back to our profession. The perfect gift for graduating professionals is membership in CMSA, certification, or a contribution made in their name to the foundation. Donations to remember our loved ones and our colleagues who have passed can be very meaningful as well.

Thanks for All the Great #CMSA2017 Tweets!

Using the hashtag #CMSA2017, 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 CMSA 27^th Annual Conference & Expo!

We can’t wait to see your insights and the connections you’re making. Follow @CMSANational, and be sure to use the official hashtag, #CMSA2017.