BY PATTI GRADY, MSSL, RN, CCM, CCP, CMCN COVID has brought significant change to case management practice in Texas as well as the entire country. The first wave of COVID drove dramatic increases in COVID hospitalizations and increased utilization for those patients. Many healthcare systems struggled with bed capacity, equipment and…
BY GAYLE ALKIRE, MSN, RN, CRRN, CCM An individual’s health is strongly affected by resources and supports that exist in their surroundings. The absence or presence of shelter and food in a person’s environment can forecast success or failure in recovery from an acute illness. This reality prompted Providence Regional Medical…
BY CAPTAIN LJ BELSITO, RN, MSN, CCM Registered nurse and board-certified case manager Captain LJ Belsito deployed to Japan early in the pandemic during 2020 to help locate and treat Americans displaced in local hospitals due to a COVID-19 outbreak on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Here is her story.…
BY ELLEN FINK-SAMNICK, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, CCM, CCTP, CMHIMP, CRP, DBH-C The social determinants of health (SDoH) are embedded in the fibers of society. They are a major factor to precipitate care disparities, while emphasizing social stratification of society. The SDoH are the conditions by which persons are born, live, socialize,…
Thank You For Joining Us—2021 CMSA Virtual Annual Conference IN SECTION: ASSOCIATION NEWS CMSA’s 31st annual conference may have been virtual, but that didn’t stop the learning and networking! We hope you had a wonderful experience and took away new information and resources that can be immediately implemented in your…
BY TRINA MAYS, RN, BSN, CCM, CRC I haven’t worked at the bedside in a while. Like many nurses, I began my career in a hospital and was able to work intimately with thousands of different people. Bedside nursing was challenging and fulfilling, but after several years, I needed a change.…
BY COLLEEN MORLEY, DNP, RN, CCM, CMAC, CMCN, ACM-RN I am honored and excited to be writing the opening to this issue of CMSA Today. The focus for this issue is social determinants of health (SDoH), a subject near and dear to me. SDoH are defined as “life-enhancing resources, such as food…
BY DENNIS A. ROBBINS, PhD, MPH, AND ROBERT RALEIGH, PhD As with any identifiable group that shares a point of view on a topic of interest, the capacity to understand why people do what they do is often a mystery. Why anyone would turn their back on a cure for one the…
BY MICHELLE BRUSIO, MSN, RN, CCM As case managers, we know the importance of assessing our patients for current needs as well as future heath needs. We ensure that our patients have access to a primary care provider, an appointment scheduled after an admission, a completed medication reconciliation and no barriers…
BY SANDRA LOWERY, RN-BC, CCM Each month, we will look at a case management leader recommended by one of the past presidents of CMSA. The criteria for a nomination is that the professional has contributed to the practice of case management and has inspired others to step up to become leaders…