Thoughts on the 22nd Annual Conference

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By Pat Stricker, RN, MEd
SVP of Clinical Services
TCS Healthcare Technologies

Congratulations to CMSA on another great conference! There were over 2,300 attendees representing various case management settings.  The week started with optional pre-conference workshops focused on certification preparation, chapter leadership, DOD/VA, and an introduction to the new CMAG-3 program.

The conference itself started with a presentation from Charity Tilleman-Dick, a soprano opera singer who was faced with not one, but two lung transplants.  She recounted her story from her dream of becoming an opera singer, to singing throughout the world, to her lung transplant and month-long coma, to her recovery, to an infection that resulted in rejection and the need for another transplant, and finally to her amazing return to international vocal acclaim and performance at the Lincoln Center!  Her story of astounding courage, perseverance, drama, irony, beauty, tragedy, faith, and love left the audience breathless.  The Huffington Post named her the Most Fascinating Leader in Health and The Wall Street Journal named her their favorite health story of the year.  What a privilege to hear her story.

Other internationally recognized keynote speakers provided thought-provoking sessions.  Lowell Catlett, Ph.D., an exciting, internationally-known futurist, whose presentation on the current state of the economy and what is in store for businesses down the road, was not only informational, but very entertaining. Kathleen Passanisi, PT, CSP, CPAE, a therapeutic humorist, medical professional, educator, and author provided insight about the positive impact that humor and laughter have on physical and emotional health, and how humor can be used as a creative force, a communication tool, an energizer, a stress reducer, and a team booster.

During the conference itself, more than 100 educational symposiums, concurrent sessions, and poster presentations were offered, focusing on a variety of topics. Sessions included practical, operational information about specific clinical conditions and/or programs presented by case managers, to the future of health care and health care reform.  These concurrent sessions will be available online by mid-August in the "Extended Conference" section of the Knowledge Center for everyone to enjoy.  So if you were not able to attend the conference, or you missed some of the concurrent sessions, you’ll be able to enjoy them online at your convenience.

For me, the best part of the conference was looking at the future and trying to learn more about how health care reform is going to change our practice. At this point, we still don’t have a clear picture of that, but we know it is changing, and the picture is beginning to come into focus.  With increased technology and integration of systems, we will be able to bring together disparate healthcare providers and improve communications among the healthcare team. The new ACO and medical home models have case managers at the core, working closely with physicians – something we have wanted for a long time. And we have CMSA to thank for that. Cheri Lattimer, our executive director, the Board of Directors, and the Public Policy Committee have worked tirelessly "on the hill" to make sure legislators recognize the value of case managers as key participants in health care delivery.

In addition to the educational portion of the conference, the 22nd annual meeting of our professional association also occurred, along with the Awards Event that recognized excellence for a chapter, case manager, service organization, CM research, CM practice improvement, and a new award this year for a Case Management Advocate.  This inaugural award was presented to Garry Carneal, JD, MA, for his tireless work in helping to promote all aspects of case management.  This award was very well deserved.

And last, but not least, the opportunities for networking at the conference were superb. Lunch was hosted each day in the exhibit hall, giving everyone a chance to not only talk with other attendees, but with the almost 300 vendors who help support the conference.  Poster presentations were also available during this time.  In addition, there were 10 breakout sessions for specific Communities of Practice that allowed everyone to share information and collaboration tools specific to their own area of practice.

How do they do it?  CMSA puts on the best professional conference and each year it continues to get better and better. If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend a CMSA conference, I would highly recommend it. It is truly something every case manager should experience. I hope to see you next year at the 23rd Annual Conference in New Orleans!

To contact Pat Stricker:

Email her at pstricker@tcshealthcare.com or reach her at (530) 886-1700 ext. 215.

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