BY GARRY CARNEAL, JD, MA As a father and health insurance expert, I have been challenged to leverage my professional expertise to support family and friends. One of the biggest tests was watching my firstborn deal with addiction issues which pervaded her teenage years and early adulthood. A related pain point…
BY JANET S. COULTER, MSN, MS, RN, CCM, AND MARYANN OTT, BSN, RN, CCM, CPC, CEAC INTRODUCTION Teen suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. The rate of teen suicide has increased over the last decade. According to the Centers for…
BY ALAN BOARDMAN, LMSW, ACM-SW The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging our nation’s healthcare delivery system in unprecedented ways. Healthcare workers on the front lines compare the conditions to a war zone.1 The psychological burden of the pandemic affects all segments of our society. The intensity and duration of the COVID-19 emergency require…
BY DENNIS ROBBINS, PhD, MPH, PATRICK DUNN, PhD, AND ROGER ORSINI, MD Uncertainties attendant to COVID-19 surrounding what to do and not to do, how to be safe and protect have been infused with distraction, confusion, and chaos on multiple fronts. Uncertainty is exacerbated by the high degree of uncertainty spawned by fragmentary…
BY DINA WALKER, RN, MSN, ACM-RN, RN-BC The role of a case manager has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Effectively managing a patient caseload in inpatient rehab isn’t easy under our normal conditions. Case managers are accustomed to “managing during a crisis.” They often have patients who have…
BY KIMBERLY JUNGKIND, MPH, MBA, BSN, RN, CCM, LSSYB As COVID-19 patients continue to be admitted to hospitals across the U.S., we are all challenged to be supportive of these patients and their families. At Marble Falls Medical Center, part of the Baylor Scott and White Health System in Texas, the…
BY BONNIE GELD, MSW The global COVID-19 pandemic will have significant impacts for both health systems and patients. It is clear there will be economic, clinical, and psychosocial consequences, among others. While these consequences continue to be better understood, especially the magnitude of the financial losses to hospitals, the silver lining…
We are Here for You As the leading, oldest, and largest membership association for case management, CMSA provides members access to professional development and collaboration, practical resources and tools, and opportunities to influence public policy on issues vital to case managers practicing across the entire care continuum and at every…
BY MELANIE A. PRINCE, MSN, BSN, NE-BC, CCM, FAAN The theme of this issue of CMSA Today is “case management and COVID-19.” As I thought about how COVID-19 has impacted our lives in so many ways, I realized that few conversations occur without COVID-19 peeking through…like the last bit of daylight forcing its…
BY DIANA CARTCHI CHIONG CLARETE, RN, BSN, LISA LOBDELL, RN, MSN, CCM, SAHLEE BALAJADIA, MSN-PH, RN-BC, WCC, LINDA VALLES-GUTIERREZ, DNP, FNP-BC, AND MARK D. CHAMBERS, MD It is said that radiology often serves as the patient entry point into the cancer care system (Weldon, 2016). As part of a thorough assessment, imaging studies are often included…