Professional case managers (PCMs) have been crucial to the effective delivery of healthcare services for people and communities. They have been known to add value to the person’s experience within the healthcare environment. Effectively communicating our value as PCMs is essential to demonstrating our impact on both patient and healthcare organization’s outcomes, but also on case management practice at large. In this article, I explore various strategies we can employ to impactfully and confidently communicate our value as PCMs.
I am fortunate to be one of the inaugural and founding case management follows (FCMTM) program, sponsored by the Case Management Society of America (CMSA). Since its launch in 2021, I have been a member of the fellows’ review committee and have contributed to the selection decisions the committee has made. Amidst this work, I have observed the need to share how PCMs can articulate their value. Many of us are uncomfortable in communicating the impact of the care we provide to patients/families, but more importantly our value toward the field at large. I am confident those who have applied for the credential or are contemplating future application, have much more to share about their influence than what we believe is sufficient. Hence, I write this article to stimulate the reader’s (and all of us case managers) thinking about own value, provoke self-reflection, encourage pursuit of the FCM credential and deliberately engage in dialogue regarding how we may communicate such value to others and in the industry.
VALUE AND IMPACT ON CASE MANAGEMENT
Professional case managers demonstrate their value in three ways that vary in their degree of impact. These include personal influence, role-related impact and industry-wide contributions. The meaning of value on a personal level may then comprise the beliefs and principles that one considers are important, especially in the way they live, work and relate to others. These often guide decisions and actions. At this level PCMs exhibit a diverse set of values while interacting with patients and their families, and professional colleagues. These characterize the personal qualities of a PCM and may include, but are not limited to, empathy, respect, justice, resilience, caring, trust, integrity and leadership. These values also affect the context of executing the PCM’s role responsibilities at the individual patient level.
From the perspective of the case management role, we demonstrate our value as PCMs every day, when executing our role responsibilities in caring for patients families. Our value is also evident in leading a team of healthcare professionals including other PCMs, and in the care setting where we function. Additionally, our role-related responsibilities demonstrate value to the practice environment where we operate which is often defined as employer-based or position-driven. Our individual contributions in our practice settings are numerous; some directly relate to patient care while others focus on the case management program or department itself. Examples of PCM’s role-related value are in Table 1.
It is important to extend our value as PCMs beyond our employer-based responsibilities and to the practice of case management at large. This industry-level value is complex and challenging. PCM contributions at this level demonstrate greater influence, broader reach, wider recognition and larger benefit. Engaging in scholarly work is crucial in this level to advancing professional case management. Through such activities our impact may be evident in enhancing our case management body of knowledge, informing best practices, promoting evidence-based care, advancing the science that supports our work, disseminating experiences of innovation and scientific activities to PCMs in the field or maintaining the legitimacy and relevance of the practice.
Communicating our value as PCMs to the public and to the case management industry is essential for raising awareness about our role in healthcare and to garner support for our profession. Here we showcase our value based on scholarly activities in specific areas of leadership, service, public and health policy, education and professional development, and science and scholarship. In these efforts our impact reaches the people we serve, our PCM colleagues, members of the interprofessional healthcare team and the various other stakeholders (Table 2).
PCM VALUE AND THE CASE MANAGEMENT FELLOWTM PROGRAM
Wolfe states that the CMSA Case Management Fellow (FCMTM) program “recognizes case management professionals who have made a significant contribution to case management through leadership, service, innovation and scholarship” (2021, p. 2). Tahan (2022) emphasizes that the FCM program acknowledges PCMs who have “contributed significantly to the professional practice of case management … [and that]achieving the FCM status is a testament to someone’s profound contribution to, and impact on, the field—regionally, nationally, and sometimes even internationally.” CMSA describes the Fellows as PCMs who “take an active role in the identification of future trends and issues affecting case management, serve the public and the case management profession … and exude a passion for the profession” (2024, p.1). Earning the FCM credential indicates a high level of demonstrated proficiency in professional case management practice, shows commitment to knowledge through continuing education and publication and establishes Fellows as influencers to the growth of the field.
In their writings about the fellowship program, CMSA (2024), Tahan (2022) and Wolfe (2021) describe PCMs with the FCM credential as thought leaders, strategic thinkers and of recognized stature in the industry. They also characterize them as visionary practitioners, experts and leaders who inspire transformation, expand case management knowledge, advance the standards of practice through excellence, engage in a wide array of scholarship activities and act as ambassadors of the practice. These descriptions exemplify the professional case management practice related value of PCMs. So, becoming an FCM should be a manageable goal and meaningful aspiration for you, the reader, one that recognizes your contributions and acknowledges your value in the field.
If you are interested in becoming a CMSA Fellow, this article presented numerous examples of how you may demonstrate your value, contributions and impact in the field. These make a roadmap that guides you in how to showcase your accomplishments in the FCM application. It is important to share your activities in the areas of leadership, service, public and health policy, education and professional development and science and scholarship. However, it is necessary to describe your contributions to, and impact on, the field at large and not just within your practice/employer setting.
CONCLUSION
By employing the strategies discussed in this article we can effectively demonstrate and communicate our value to the public. We also can raise awareness about our role in healthcare, foster greater appreciation for the vital work we do in supporting the delivery of high-quality, holistic and patient-centered care, and demonstrate our impact on patient safety and care outcomes. It is an obligation and expectation that we disseminate our scholarly work, contribute to the advancement of the field and promote evidence-based practice in case management and healthcare delivery. Additionally, by actively engaging in leadership, service, science, public policy, education and scholarship, we can significantly contribute to the professional practice of case management and drive positive change in the healthcare system.
Finally, I hope I provided some practical information about the meaning of value in case management and made it clearer for all PCMs including those inspired to pursue the FCM credential. Although I discussed how we may contribute to our practice in diverse areas such as those covered in Table 2, the FCM program does not necessarily expect an applicant to have had impactful presence in every single area.
REFERENCES
Case Management Society of America (CMSA). Case Management Fellow Program – FCM™; accessed April 29, 2024, https://cmsa.org/about/fellow/.
Wolfe, G. (2021). Becoming an FCM – A Fellow in Case Management. CareManagement, December 2022/January 2023: 2-3.
Tahan, H. (December 26, 2022). Fellow in Case Management Recognition by CMSA—It Is your Time to Apply! CMSA Blog, accessible at https://cmsa.org/fellow-in-case-management-recognition-by-cmsa-it-is-your-time-to-apply/.
, PhD, RN, FAAN, FCM, is the system vice president of nursing professional development & workforce management and chief nursing officer for ambulatory services at MedStar Health, Columbia, MD. Hussein was recognized as a Case Management Fellow in 2021; CMSA also presented Hussein with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Hussein can be reached at [email protected].
