Friends and colleagues, I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead an organization dedicated to the development and support of professional case management. As a member driven association, it is critically important to know the needs and priorities of members, build coalitions of support to meet those needs and develop systems to sustain and elevate the profession of case management. As members, you made a deliberate decision to join CMSA, and as your president, I am committed to enhancing value and demonstrating that you made the best choice.
My initial focus is to shape a “3-C Community.” The aim is to foster a CULTURE of community, build COLLABORATIVE communities and advocate for CONNECTED communities. Now, more than ever, it will take an “all in” and “whole of membership” to ensure that we flourish in what I anticipate being a “new normal” in the post COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic years. Coping, working and responding to the effects of COVID-19 on the healthcare system and our personal lives have been challenging. But across the country and indeed around the globe, case managers have met new patient/client care challenges with grit and determination. We have had to innovate on the spot to break down status quo systems in order to coordinate care in the midst of an international health crisis. The skills we are honing today will be the skills that will position our profession in this new decade of community and multi-systems engagement. Innovation, the application of evidenced-based research, multidisciplinary collaborations, ability to leverage corporate and governmental coalitions and creative use of technology are leadership attributes we will need for CMSA to continue as the premier member organization for professional case management.
Finally, I encourage members to lend your voice, experience and passion to CMSA’s local chapters and national leadership positions. Case managers are talented problem-solvers and visionaries. These special qualities, in current and future leaders, will catapult CMSA into an era of new and exciting professional relevance. I know you value education, research, legislative advocacy, networking and professionalism. I challenge every member to add to this list of CMSA’s value propositions with a “new generation” of member benefits and association outreach. I want and will solicit your ideas, opinions and recommendations. In turn, I pledge to exploit the outstanding counsel of past leaders and work extremely hard to inspire our new generation of case managers to get involved and shape the future of CMSA. Spread the word and let’s blast into the 2020s with a mindset of COMMUNITY to collaborate and connect with healthcare professionals around the globe!